Irish Breakfast Awards 2007 NATIONAL WINNER

Farmgate Café, Englishmarket, Cork City

A younger sister of the Farmgate Country Store and Restaurant in Midleton, Kay Harte’s Farmgate Café shares the same commitment to serving fresh, local food - and, as it is located in the gallery above the English Market, where ingredients are purchased daily, it doesn’t come much fresher or more local than this.

The atmosphere is lively and busy, (especially in the self-service area) as people come and go from the market below, giving a great sense of being at the heart of things - and, however simple, everything is perfectly cooked. Many people make a point of calling in here for a good breakfast to set them up for a long day’s shopping: either a full cooked or continental breakfast is offered, with self-service or table service available - making it ideal for everyone, whether you’re in a rush or in the mood for a leisurely spread.

Menus are not over-extensive but the details tell the tale: freshly squeezed orange juice, porridge made with organic oatflakes, honey & cream, delicious home-baked breads. Quality is invariably outstanding and, as an example, the mini-Irish breakfast is marvellous value at EUR6.50; for this you get: bacon, sausage, black & white pudding, tomato, lovely toast and marmalade and abundant first rate coffee.

All this and the buzz of the market too: simply superb.

Sponsored by Rudd’s