Skibbereen's iconic Dillon’s Corner reopened in 2021 under the stewardship of partners Ruairí Melvin Dunne and Dawn Price-Latorre, who returned to West Cork from London after stints at Italian restaurants Trullo and Padella.
Dillon’s Corner is a bakery, a deli, open for breakfast, lunch, and - three nights a week - dinner. Really tasty things can be expected here: organic sourdough bread and pizza bases (fermented for at least 25 hours for healthier, gut-friendly, and tastier breads), and pasta freshly handmade daily, with many a seasonal topping.
But this is only half the story at Dillon’s Corner. At the back of the restaurant is an enormous wood-fired oven and, as well as baking bread and pizza, they make skilful use of it in every possible way: meats cooked until meltingly soft; slow cooked brassicas; smoked this and wood-fired that.
It's an atmospheric spot with a warm and friendly welcome and a buzz in the air. There are large jars full of things fermenting on the counter top, and the open kitchen - a signature of Dillon’s Corner since Carmel Somers opened her Good Things Café here - has remained largely intact, extended even, with the advent of the very “now” wood-fired oven, so diners can enjoy the theatre as the kitchen crew put up plates of deliciousness.
The evening menu is a mix of small plates, pasta, pizza and main courses which change seasonally - local and seasonal are at the core of the Dillon’s Corner ethos and some of the producers they support are named.
The wine list is two pages long and features only natural and organic wines, red, white and rose from all over the world – including Slovakia, which piques the interest - ranging in price from about €20 to €80 per bottle. Bubbles are of the Spanish Cava kind and exceptional value for money; a seasonal pet-nat from Romania is also offered as a recommended aperitif. It’s a cleverly curated wine menu, offering interesting and seriously drinkable wines at seriously good prices.
You might start with small plates to share - house-marinaded olives, boquerones on house sourdough, local Macroom Buffalo Mozzarella with smashed broad beans, mint, house preserved lemons and toasted hazelnuts... Portions are generous, plating is easy and unpretentious, and of those mentioned it may well be the mozzarella dish that will steal the show. Earthy, sweet, silky, crunchy, with a hint of the salty-sour lemon, the outer skin of the young broad beans is included in the smash – which all to the good, adding texture in an otherwise soft and slinking dish.
For mains, the pizza and pasta are enticing (slow cooked pork ragu and parpadelle being an especially tempting option), but so also are main courses such as Slow Cooked Pork Belly (sweet unctuous meat with shatteringly crisp crackling) served with wood-roasted balsamic radicchio, salsa crudo (a salad of raw, finely diced vegetables), and crispy chickpeas. Meats are majestic here but vegetable lovers will be delighted too, with dishes such as whole roasted baby cauliflower, lightly spiced (and lightly cooked) roasted in the wood fire, with an aubergine and caper pesto, dressed rocket and toasted almonds.
When it comes to dessert, be prepared to take time picking from four equally tempting choices - flourless chocolate cake, lemon tart, housemade pistachio ice cream or wood fired nectarines, perhaps - any of which would round off a meal here with a glow of satisfaction.
Every plate put out here is sure to please, and not only is the service knowledgeable and friendly but it doesn’t miss a beat, despite the regular flow of happy takeaway customers popping in to pick up their pizzas. The atmosphere is warm and convivial - the sound of corks popping, diners cheerfully chatting, the clatter of cutlery on plates, and heads nodding in agreement at the deliciousness of their fare. The standard of everything at Dillon's Corner is fabulous and the food joyful - once found, you'll want to be back soon.
Lucky Skibbereen.
