Aishling Moore, the talented young chef and owner of this small but very exciting fish restaurant in the centre of Cork, has earned wide acclaim for her courageous and adventurous new approach to sustainability. The fish comes almost exclusively from small day boats fishing out of Ballycotton, and they operate a 'whole catch policy' which means that they accept whatever is in the catch of the day - and then apply a 'gill to tail' approach, which involves using as much of the fish as possible. So you'll find all kinds of lesser known fish and innovative dishes here that are unlikely to be seen on other menus.
There aren't too many places in Ireland where you'll find the likes of crunchy fish spines served with house Japanes spice blend togarashi, made with hops from Cork's Elbow Lane brewery, for example, or even a snack of Pollock collar teriyaki. But that could be the future for fish cookery, in professional kitchens at least. Abroad, Australian chef Joss Niland is leading the posse with his 'fin to tail' cooking - and, as anyone whom was lucky enough to hear his inspiring address at Galway's Food On the Edge symposium in October 2019 will know, it's a convincing way to go.
Menus change daily depending on the catch and the cooking is dynamic, with new dishes constantly evolving. Small plates / starters could include Harty's Oysters from Dungarvan with Mealagulla cider vinegar, or Steamed mussels or cockles with cider and creamed watercress and a tempting vegetarian option could be along the lines of of Beetroot with gherkin ketchup, Velvet Cloud sheeps yoghurt and horseradish.
When it comes to the main dishes, the fishi won’t all be unusual. There could be Steamed plaice with leeks, fennel and taramasalata, for example, and, in addition to a vegetarian choice, determined meat-eaters may be given a chicken option - Roast Ross Chicken with greens, lemon and anchovy sauce, perhaps - and, while there's no fish and chips as such, Sea salt & malt vinegar shoestring chipsmay feature among a tempting quartert of unusual sides.
On the drinks side, the wine list favours whites and offers some classics for fish including Picpoul de Pinet and Vinho Verde, all available by the glass, pichet or bottle. But they also serve beers from the Elbow Lane micro brewery just across the street, and they are terrific. The Jawbone Pale Lager (5%) in particular, sold by the pint or half, is superb with the fish.
Goldie has attracted well-deserved attention for its environmental policy, exciting cooking and the move to encourage pairing fish with beer - but the warm and engaged service from well-informed staff is outstanding too, and it's just a very relaxing place to enjoy a meal.
And, if you're visiting Cork and wondering about the name Goldie, take a stroll over to St Anne’s church in Shandon, just north of the city centre, and look up at the famous Shandon Bells. Above them you'll see the much loved ‘Goldie’ fish-shaped weathervane, symbolising the historical importance of fishing to Cork. What an inspired name for this special little restaurant.
