Dined here as part of a weekend package at fota Island. When we arrive at the restaurant, the place was empty at 7.30pm and we had to go to the bar to find a waitress even though we had made reservations earlier that day. The menu seemed to have a limited choice available and we were'nt overly excited about our food.. We waited for what seemed like ages for our bread to arrive by then we were starving! Overall the food was lovely but i expected more coming from a 5* hotel.. nice atmosphere with candles lit and soft music in the background.

This restaurant is part of the Fota Island Hotel. We stayed at the hotel for my birthday and opted for a package which included dinner. The night we had dinner it was very quite - during midweek, but the staff still made an effort with music and candles etc. It is very posh and a little prentitious for me but the food was very good. Although if we had of paid the a la carte prices it would have worked out very expensive. I would recommend it for a very special occasion along with a nights stay at the hotel as it is a bit far out of Cork to be getting taxis etc but a wonderful treat!

Having dined here previously we had high expectations of a wonderful nights fine dining, see review from March 09. Unfortunately we were disappointed. The food was excellent but other areas of the night really let this restaurant down. The first was a common problem in Ireland, air conditioning. The room was less than 20 degrees with a constant cold draught blowing. Most ladies in the room kept their jackets on for the evening and many people moved tables throughout the evening in the hope of finding that elusive warm spot. The second simple problem was the music. There was a piano player playing just outside the restaurant creating a relaxed atmosphere throughout the hotel. This music was more than loud enough to create the same ambiance in the restaurant. Instead the restaurant continued to play piped music. It was not possible to hear either as it just generated noise. The service was the big disappointment. After introducing herself, our hostess soon forgot about us, and our needs. We never got our aperitifs and almost had to beg to order wine. The delivery of the food was confused. Our breads arrived during our starter and not pre amuse-bouche as is normal. Even though our hostess noticed our empty plates on a few occasions the task of clearing them seemed to be below her. After a long time our plates were removed by another member of staff, who apologised for the delay. It was clear from the other diners that we were not the only table feeling neglected. At the prices charged here the service should be at a much higher standard. Previously this restaurant did give a higher level of service. The level of service lets the chef down who did deliver an excellent meal. I only hope this was a once off bad night. I will probably return here again but I would leave immediately if the service and room are still frosty.