Named after the nearby English Market that supplies so much of the produce used in their kitchens, Market Lane Restaurant & Bar was once a pub.
Luckily it caught the eye of business partners and hospitality professionals Conrad and Judy Howard and Tracy Corbett, who transformed the substantial two-storey premises into an attractive restaurant and bar that became the flagship restaurant of the quality-led group (Orso Kitchen Bar; Castle Café at Blackrock Castle; and Elbow Lane, with Elbow Lane Brew & Smokehouse) that is now doing so much to confirm Cork’s reputation for good food.
This Cork restaurants a friendly and welcoming place with terrific staff, flavour-filled contemporary cooking and a lively atmosphere - and, having celebrated a decade in business, the ‘eat local’ philosophy that led them to name their business after the English Market still drives everything they do. Supporting local producers and suppliers ties in with a wider environmental commitment too - most of the produce used in their kitchens travels a very short distance (from the English Market) and, following recent investment in the ingenious Green Space organic hydronponics system producing food in the city centre, their already low food miles have been reduced even further.
The other constant theme is giving real value for money: they want the special foods they serve to be accessible to everyone. It was a policy that proved timely and probably kept them in business initially, as they headed straight into the recession when they opened in 2007, and it’s fundamental to what they do - when putting unusual products such as the very special Blasket Islands autumn lamb on the menu, for example, they keep the price down so that regular customers can enjoy it. Buying it by the carcass (from Dingle butcher Jerry Kennedy) - and working with English Market butcher Tom Durcan to get the best possible use of every cut - helps to make that possible.
Take a glance at the exceptionally informative Market Lane website and - as well as the full range of tempting and very reasonably priced seasonal menus created by Group Head Chef Pamela Kelly-Gough and her team - and you’ll be in no doubt about the Market Lane philosophy.
Much more than just a Suppliers list, it has separate sections dedicated to The English Market and Our Suppliers - and the detail on suppliers is an education. It includes an interactive map as well as a comprehensive catalogue of suppliers, listed under ‘Cork and Local’ and ‘Other Parts of Ireland’ - each of which has live links so, for example, clicking onto the entries for suppliers like Ballycottons Seafoods, Tom Durcan Meats or Rosscarbery Recipes will take you through to their own sites. It’s fascinating and very interesting, so an hour or two will slip by very easily... And - very unusually - the list is dated and updated every quarter.
It would be hard to find another supplier list in Ireland to match this and, together with their overall philosophy - and, of course, the delicious and accessibly priced food that they serve - the Market Lane team deserve huge credit for the lively and engaging way in which they convey their inspiring sourcing policy to customers.
Families are welcome, of course - there's a small children’s menu (including a homemade baby bowl) - also plenty of vegetarian choices, and a coeliac menu is available on request.
This is a restaurant with its heart in the right place – no wonder it’s always busy.
*Orso, The Castle Café at historic Blackrock Castle, Cork, and Elbow Lane (with nanobrewery) are under the same management.
