Paradiso

We had the most wonderful dining experience at Paradiso, an elegant and beautifully curated vegetarian restaurant. What made our evening truly special was the outstanding service. Laura was warm, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. The courses arrived at just the right pace, and she made us feel genuinely welcome throughout the meal. It’s rare to find service that is both professional and personal, and Laura struck that balance perfectly. She truly elevated our experience.

My husband and I have been vegan for 8 years, and I can confidently say this has been the best vegan dining experience we’ve ever had! From the service to the INCREDIBLE food, everything was top quality. I’d also highly recommend the wine paring as well, delicious!

Recently dined at Paradiso, expecting a delightful fine-dining experience. Visited it again after two years, expecting the same excellent experience as before. Back then, the set menu was different, and every single course was exceptional. This time, it was the complete opposite. The food lacked flavor and finesse. Nothing stood out. Hoping this was just a one-off, because the drop in quality and taste and was shocking. Not to miss dint really stand for the price also.

Any amazing vegetarian culinary experience. 6 course s of pure delight. We left feeling satiated but not over full. The staff were super helpful and told us what was in each dish. It's a bit pricy for a casual dinner but well worth it for a special occasion

Genuinely the best meal I had in years. Every course was absolute perfection & the service was excellent. As an avid meat eater, I was a little unsure if it'd be my cup of tea but how wrong I was!

Amazing dining experience. They have a set 6 course menu and loads of options for any dietary requirements/preferences. The service is outstanding and the food is to die for!

Great vegetarian food. We had the 6 course taster menu. Was fabulous

Another fabulous dinner. Delicious food, great wine pairing, wonderful friendly service. Highly recommend

6 course set menu. This place offered an amazingly delicious vegetarian dining experience. Every dish was exquisitely prepared and tasted phenomenal! Each course kept me wanting more. I am not vegetarian but I was completely satisfied by the end of the evening. We made a reservation the previous day. The restaurant was intimate but casual. The staff was attentive and very accommodating. I cannot say enough good things about this culinary experience. You will not be disappointed!

Perfection Food wow Service wow Ambience wow Loved all Beautiful places

WOW. What a lovely meal. Creative and very tasty. I have to admit that I am not a vegetarian. Typically, in most restaurants veggies are a nasty side that seems designed as a punishment that must be endured for access to the good bits. So...I went in with very low expectations. Well....the meal at Paradiso was absolutely fantastic. It was not just that everything was of the best quality, and perfectly prepared - which it was. Also, every course was eye candy and creative. For example, one course was a single perfect carrot, accented with bits of two other types of carrot and a carrot sauce. And it was wonderful! So, come to Cafe Paradiso - you will want to eat your veggies.

Delicious vegetarian & vegan menu. Fresh & seasonal ingredients. Nice ambiance and decent service

A refreshing meal and a nice escape from the traditional Irish pub food. Highly recommend this unique experience.

Great friendly service, delicious flavors, fresh and unique vegetarian concepts. Make a reservation in advance

I don't typically frequent Vegetarian restaurants but this one was a very pleasant surprise. The atmosphere here is casual but very sophisticated. Service is 5 stars. Attentive staff, very helpful with suggestions, quick to refill drinks, and they called a cab for us at the end of the night. What more can you ask for. The food is exceptional. Vegetarian Sushi - a mix of tempura veggies and and assortment of sushi rolls with a mix of veggies. Expertly prepared. The portion was excellent. Taste was amazing. I didn't miss the fish at all Sage Risotto- also expertly prepared. It's nice to see attention to the presentation. The taste was incredible. I wasn't a huge fan of the grilled cabbage but it didn't detract from the dish. It's more me not being a fan of cabbage. Limon Paradiso - an assortment of lemon flavored desserts. The frozen lemon meringue ball was off the charts good. Should be it's own dessert.

Stunning vegetarian food, but very hard to describe the food. The chef did an amazing job of transforming ingredients. Words like "roasted carrots" just don't carry enough meaning. I might revise this review later to add my wife's pictures. My wife, who is a pescetarian, did almost all the planning for our anniversary trip to Ireland. My main job was to pick the restaurant for our anniversary dinner in Cork. I picked Paradiso, and it was perhaps the highlight of the trip. Hmh, we also saw The Cure live. Paradiso was probably the second highlight of the trip. If we come back to Ireland, we might put Cork on the itinerary just to eat here again.

This was, hands down, our favorite restaurant in Ireland. There is a running competition between Dublin and Cork, as to which city is the more authentic foodie haven. My money is on Cork because of places like this. My favorite dish in my month in Ireland was the risotto. It's such a basic dish that feels hopeless unless it is slathered in some sort of unctuous broth (duck, turkey, whatever...), but this version flew to the top of my list. Somehow, they had all of the umami of a great risotto, with both creaminess and a bit of tooth in the rice, YET I never felt grossly full. I tasted every spice that was put in, and I just never wanted the dish to end. Of course we loved the cheese appetizer (that's not terribly difficult), but it did have a layer of craft in presentation and variety that we've only seen a few times in Ireland. The best ingredient was the strawberry in the salad. If you eat the monstrous globes of red in the U.S., you need to order strawberries every chance you get once you cross the Atlantic. Just do it. Rounding this off was a level of professionalism that you desire and expect in Europe (even if you don't always get it), and a really nicely rounded beverage menu. If there was a weakness in this experience, it was the dessert offerings. They were solid, but not quite up to the level of the rest. Do yourself a favor and order extra starters to share if you aren't sure. You won't regret it.

Cafe Paradiso is just that - a little corner of a vegetarian's paradise tucked away in a bustling city. We came across the restaurant nearly by accident, through the Google machine's serendipity while looking for a vegetable farm stay for our Ireland adventure. We've never eaten at a Michelin guide recommended place before, and it was absolutely worth every minute in the car and every euro spent. The food was rich, but not overly decadent; garden fresh, but exciting. And the service was friendly, accommodating, and relaxed. We also stayed the night as part of the dinner/bed/breakfast package, and oh my goodness, the room! The breakfast! Beautifully done, all around. The best night stay we've had on our whole trip. It seems silly to say that one restaurant could make us want to come back to an entire county, but it is true. We hope to be able to celebrate another milestone at this little slice of paradise.

I was a little unsure of an all-vegetarian restaurant, we lost a few colleagues along the way, but it was delicious and the service was great. I tried the Vegetable Sushi, the Chocolate pumpkinseed mole, and a cardamom dessert. Everything was just perfectly done! I'm definitely coming here again! And the waiter taught us how to say thank you in Irish (you're not supposed to say Gaelic): go raibh marth agat, pronounced guh ruh mah a-gut.

Probably one of the best meals ever. Dined in Chicago NYC, Paris, London, Belfast, San Franscico, Los Angeles. Hands down one of the best. Our server was Sam who was just a delight.

What a fantastic little place. I'm a meat eater, although so are many people on the review list. My meal began with a halloumi starter, fantastic, incredible mixture of tastes and great texture, I had a glass of the malbec to compliment the food, very good. For the main, I had the beetroot risotto, I have to say, some of the best risotto I've ever had and to top it off the service was attentive and the plates were delivered very quickly. Recommended for anyone coming to Cork.

It's funny that one of the world's best vegetarian restaurants is in my very own hometown. Funnier that I'd never been till yesterday, especially as I had been a vegetarian for 14 years. Cafe Paradiso is very famous in Cork, my friend took me there for a 3 course birthday lunch. I started with the blood orange salad, beets and blue cheese. I have no idea how they make a salad burst with so much flavour but it was fantastic. I had the risotto with pine nuts which was also amazing but had a little too much oil and was a little too small. I tried my friend's couscous with feta and butternut squash. I'm not a huge fan of couscous but this may have converted me. Dessert was a decadent chocolate pot and orange cake. Both amazing. This is one place that is definitely worth a visit if you find yourself in my part of the world.

Very easy to be vegetarian when you're here. Stunning plating and very well thought out and delicious meals. Went multiple times while in town.

This was the best restaurant meal I've had in years. I constantly complain that too many restaurants these days are all atmosphere with a failed attempt to reinvent some dish that everyone else is trying to recreate, i.e., Brussels sprouts, riced cauliflower. Not this place. Paradiso is a legitimately amazing culinary experience that also has great service and a lovely atmosphere. My friend selected this restaurant while I was visiting her, and I honestly didn't have too much hope, given a slew of disappointing experiences the past few years. But Paradiso was simply amazing and worth every dollar/Euro I spent. I'd absolutely recommend it to anyone, including those who typically shun vegetarian fare. And I'll absolutely return the next time I'm in Cork. Thank you, Paradiso, for such an amazing meal and experience!

Café Paradiso is a vegetarian restaurant that produces exciting mainstream cooking that even the most committed of meateaters admit to eating every mouthful and it attracts people from all over Ireland - and beyond Ireland. It attracted me because im a hugh fan of Vegetarian food. Café Paradiso specialities incude delicious deep-fried courgette flowers with fresh goats cheese & pinenut stuffing, olive & caper aoili and basil courgettes, every bite i could i enjoyed and wanted more and more. The staff are lovely the food is great what more would a person want. yummmy.

Because one of us is a major meat eater we rarely go to vegetarian restaurants. We decided to try this place out based on a recommendation from a friend and we're glad we did! The dishes were simple but very creative and flavorful. We did the 3 course menu. For first courses we ordered: oyster mushrooms and the buffalo mozzarella dishes. Both were very good but the mushrooms were our favorite. For second courses we had: Couscous cakes and the chard timbale tomato. Again, both were very good but the couscous was our fav. It was so creamy and melt-in-your-mouth. For dessert we had: Apple Hazelnut and the limone paradiso. The limone items were good but the apple hazelnut was to die for. Portion sizes were perfect, we left feeling satisfied but not stuffed. Service was very attentive and polite. We would happily return!

Amazing vegetarian foods and such a fantastic atmosphere! Never have I ever left a fabulous meal with the entire range of cookbooks from the restaurant- it was that good! Chef had signed all the books too!

Meh, this place was a bit pretentious and pricey for the food they served. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I feel like there could've been a bit more flavor but it is after all, a vegetarian restaurant. I also feel like they used cheese on almost everything which truly limited by experience to a single appetizer and essentially a single main course. I wouldn't come back but I wouldn't not recommend it either.

Not being a vegetarian, it is odd that the best meal on our trip to Europe (including Paris) would be at a vegetarian restaurant in Cork, Ireland. I'd read about the place in several guidebook and on-line commentaries and decided to try it. It is quite a small place and we were fortunate to be able to get a table on short notice. It consists of a small, warm dining room and an equally small kitchen in the back, where you can watch the staff working away. The staff has that cheery, healthful, righteous look common in those of the vegetarian persuasion. Our server was quite helpful in navigating us through some unknown items and describing flavor profiles. A great thing about this place is that they make no attempt whatsoever to mimic meat dishes. They use no meat stand-ins like soy turkey and they do not make veggie burgers and the like. The kitchen is proud of the vegetables, cheese, fruit and other ingredients they use; they make no concession or apology. Every course we tried was perfectly crafted, impeccably fresh and masterfully seasoned. The standout dish for me was their beet-root risotto. The arborio rice was cooked to exactly the right toothsomeness, but the vibrant purple-fuscia color is what really got my attention. I love beets and the flavor was of pure beet bolster with onion and other savory components to add depth. We were so impressed with the place that we bought one of Chef Dennis Cotter's cookbooks. We also found out which farm supplied most of their produce. The next day we drove about ten miles outside of town to Gort-Na-Nain Farm. We chatted at length with the farmer and his wife about their farm and how they grow their crops. We were blown away by Cafe Paradiso and the farm that supplies them. It is a must stop next time we are in Cork.

The food here is incredible. While it can be a bit expensive (I feel I spent about 50 euro there for 3 courses and some wine), it was well worth it. Not that anyone needs to "forget" they are eating vegetarian food but for those people who cringe at the thought of a meatless affair, you hardly notice with the outstanding creations put on their menu. For a cheap sampling, try out going there for lunch.

Cork is really lucky to have Café Paradiso. The food is so amazing and inventive. It's always a real struggle to order, because I spend more time just drooling over the menu. My eyes glaze over, and instead of choosing food, my lizard-brain kicks in and just says "All of it". The restaurant has a informal vibe to it, which is a little at odds to the prices. On the other hand, the atmosphere compliments the food quite well. If you're going to go culinary sky-diving, you might as well be comfortable!

If want to feel posh and waste more than 50 € for a bunch of boiled vegetables that won't be enough even as a preliminary taste, then it's the place for you. Food sure is good, but is way overrated. 13 € for 3 (yes, three) tortelloni and 25 € for a quarter of a portion of risotto were my meal. Hoping the 9 € dessert was worth it, but it was just a 1 inch wide cake. Restaurant is one room, very dark, with lots of tables and seats in a very small place so that it gets almost impossible to read the menu in the evening and to talk to each other when it's crowded. I am a vegetarian and after a 100+ € dinner for two at Cafe Paradiso I almost wanted to get an hamburger! Waiters are kind. Food take LOOOOOOOOOOOONG (more than 20min for each course on average) to get to the table, but the bill took just seconds. We took a sandwich in a take-away after dinner. Was impressed by online review and decided to give it a try, but I felt joked. Being Italian and vegetarian, I tried dozens of very good vegetarian restaurant over the world. I am not very fussy, but I know what really good vegetarian food tastes like. I ate way better for 1/4 of the price!

Be careful! My whole life I have judged a meal by the quality and/or quantity of the meat or fish, depending on how hungry I was. Although they will swear it isn't true, Cafe Paradiso send you subliminal messages and brainwash you as you eat. After just three courses, they had somehow convinced me that the best food I had ever eaten was meat-free! Come on, seriously?! How did they do it? I still had my watch, walked, etc as I walked out, but their voodoo has changed me. I actually believed I had just eaten three dishes of perfection and no meat whatsoever! I know... I wouldn't believe it myself if I read it. Stay away! They're going to slowly take over the world and let it get overrun with cows, chickens and pigs. And vegetarians.

I am a meat eater, but this is probably my favourite restaurant in Ireland. I've taken other meat-eaters here too and they have come around to my point of view. Each course is like a work of art and utterly delicious. Vegetarian sushi and tempura vegetables for starter? Spectacular. I was very impressed with the creativity of the chefs. A cracking wine list and very helpful, well-informed staff all added nicely to the experience. If you stay overnight in their rooms, you can be one of the lucky few to have a Cafe Paradiso breakfast- amazeballs!

Known for producing quality gourmet food, you can even try out the best of this establishment's recipes in several cookbooks! Cafe Paradiso offers lunch and evening menus, and it's a great place to start if you have never tried fine dining before. Back in the day, this was the restaurant in which I tasted asparagus for the very first time, as a starter at lunchtime. Delicious! Around a 15 minute walk from the centre of Cork, Denis Cotter's Café Paradiso is a vegetarian's delight. Check it out!

Not child friendly - and dishonest about it. It's a pity we didn't get to taste the food... We had heard of Café Paradiso by reputation a number of times. We traveled from Dublin and were looking forward to finally trying out this quite well known restaurant. We arrived at approximately 5.35 to a restaurant which had just opened and was empty. We were told the place was booked out. We went further down the street to a lovely tapas place who were open and friendly to children. My husband went back down the street to pay the parking. Café Paradiso was still empty. At 7pm we passed again on the way back to our car. The place had plenty of tables. I went in and told the person who had told us that they were fully booked that I did not appreciate the discriminatory attitude towards children and families. He pointed to at least 3 empty 4-seater tables and at least 3 empty 2-seater tables and asked me where he would put 5 people. We are two adults and three small children who could very easily fit at a 4-seater table. We would have come and gone within 90 minutes leaving tables free for 7.30/8 bookings. I'm wondering if this is legal? Are public places allowed refuse children? If there is a "no children" policy should restaurants not be up-front about it and have to advertise accordingly?

The food here is so friggin' good... just amazing and inventive!! The chefs mix flavors I would never think to pair, making for magical Paradiso culinary creations! We're meat lovers, but Paradiso is GOOD FOR ALL (not just vegetarians)!! And the desserts -- heavenly! We actually ate their two nights in a row so we could try more dishes. Brilliant idea! ;) We'll definitely go again the next time we're in Cork.

Having been a vegetarian for about 15 years, and spending some time in the restaurant business, I was always on the look out for good vegetarian food in restaurants. I have found few good ones in Sweden and today I do eat meat and fish again. That is simply the only way I have found to get food that someone actually has spent some time and heart into preparing. On our trip to Ireland to visit family and friends over christmas, me and my girlfriend decided to check out Café Paradiso in Cork together with her sister and husband before heading back to Sweden. Looking at the menu, you realize that there is simply too many interesting combinations to try out. We went for different starters and mains and spent the dinner trying each others food out. Simply put, this is not only the best vegetarian restaurant I have found so far, it is also one of the best I have been too. Many of the dishes manages to combine ingredients in ways I have never thought of, to create a mix of flavour yet with distinct differences in taste that can individually be noticed. That is a sign of a truly great chef. I am sure to return to this place and lure many meat eaters to try it out so they can see that vegetarian food is only bland and boring when made by bad chefs. It is not a cheap place, but reasonably prices for what you get. Treat yourself to some art and just go here!

I would take anyone here whether or not they are vegetarian! It's never a disappointment and I leave with a happy feeling that I had a vegetarian meal. I found the dishes that had dairy in them were a bit heavy, usually due to the generous amount of cheese, lol. They change their menu regularly and also have a great wine selection.

Love the place. I go ever time I'm down in cork. Great quality food, very tasty.. Rich and comforting. Loving restaurant interior and staff are nothing but pleasant. Recommend to all fellow yelpers

As a vegan on holiday in Cork, I was very much looking forward to Cafe Paradiso. It is more catered towards vegetarians, with only one vegan item on the menu. They get pretty irritated when you as what else you can alter. Maybe it was just our waitress, but we felt hurried and she was irritated with us. She even gave us the wrong dessert, and we didn't complain because it seemed pointless. For the price the food didn't impress at all. You are much better off taking your money to Jacobs on the mall.

Amazing food but small portions for very high price. Service is top notch. Great selection of wine

We had a very nice meal here. The beet root salad took the win for me as my favorite part of the meal, but we had lovely food from start through to finish. They were able to accommodate my husband and I, both of us being vegan. We were excited to try the food here as we'd heard lovely things and were staying at the farm where they source all of their local veggies and fruit.

This restaurant is truly one of a kind. My husband and I spent time in Cork, and our bed and breakfast host highly recommended it to us. As vegetarians, it was a definite for us. From the moment we walked in, the experience was impeccable. Every bite of every dish kept getting better and better. Plan to make a reservation in advance, and make an evening of this wonderful experience!

Probably the best restaurant in Cork and it's vegetarian! Everything tastes fresh and full of flavour. The atmosphere is a mix of slightly hipster and classy and the servers have always been great. It is a bit more pricey than other places in town but it is definitely worth it!

Beautiful food and top notch service. This is an experience, not just dinner.

If you are a vegetarian who once some tasty food then go here. As a fairly hardcore carnovor even I could not get enough of the house speciality which was deep fried courgette flowers with goat's cheese (at the time I was there - this could have changed). The staff are friendly and enthusiastic and the price of the food is reasonable. The atmosphere here is buzzy if not slightly bohemian. When I went here there were lots of people wearing smoking jackets and smoking roll-ups (well smoking outside at least).

I am sure I would give this place 5 stars if I was remotely a vegetarian, or into the vegetarian scene in the least bit. Truth is, this place is amazing. i went with a party of 4 and we all shared our plates. Everything was great and I found it hard to believe the dishes could taste this good without any meat. Service was great too. The price fits the product, so you wont leave feeling like you payed too much. If you are in Cork, make it a stop.

Probably the best known vegetarian restaurant in Ireland, Cafe Paradiso lives up to the hype and the cook books which bear its name. Gorgeous, healthy, organic vegetarian food at reasonable prices served by attentive and friendly staff. I love Paradiso for an evening out with friends or family, as the friendly ambience brings on good times. It's also great for impressing on a date too!

Best vegetarian food I've ever had. Beautiful food and lovely ingredients. It's one of my all-time favourite restaurants.

Simply amazing! This could be one of the best restaurants in Ireland, certainly Cork at least. I'm a dedicated carnivore and never thought vegetarian food could be this adventurous or tasty. I too found myself purchasing one of the chefs (Dennis Cotter) cookbooks after eating here.

Great veg food! Great service. Great ambiance. Close to a good hotel (Jurys Cork which is now River Lee). Several cheese ingredients on the menu so watch out vegans. Desserts were great too.

I'm a firm carnivore, but this place lives up to the hype - a vegetarian restaurant that even meat eaters will love. I had the cauliflower soup, aubergine gratin for entrée, with truffle fries and braised fennel sides, and vanilla ice cream dessert. The aubergine gratin and ice cream were the standouts - both packed full of interesting flavors. The other stuff was good but not amazing.

Lets be honest meateaters, there are very few restaurants now that are something completely different; an actual experience. But this is the first time the I can remember where everything was fresh and new and great. The menu will throw you like an unexpected leaving cert exam paper as the panic of not knowing what the dishes will taste like takes hold, but that is why its great- there was nothing on there that I had ever tasted before and every bite was amazing. You know what was also nice? walking into a high-end restaurant and not feeling like it had been designed and staffed by Brown Thomas. The place is very nice and its not cheap, but they have somehow managed to miss out on all the stuff that doesn't really make a difference in the end when the food and service can speak for itself.

A superb restaurant. Top quality food most of which is very exotic. It is a definite 5 star for anyone who can live without meat for one meal. Should be the obvious choice for any vegetarians looking to dine in Cork.

Excellent standard bearer for fine dining vegetarian. Not a fan of the recent renovation as it has spoiled the ambience but it hasn't detracted from the food.

We came to have lunch (only Saturdays). This place is probably one of the best restaurant I have ever been to. The food is so fresh and tasty. We even thought about getting the books and start making this stuff at home. Two people could have a really good dinner for about 50 Euro in total, which is a bit pricy. It is worth it!