Behind a freshly painted traditional blue frontage alongside Timoleague's historic abbey, Michelle O'Mahony and Gavin Moore’s restaurant opened quietly in 2014 - but very soon the word was well and truly out, with fans happily travelling from Kinsale and Cork city for the pleasure of a wholesome bite here.
Set in three spacious rooms with old timber flooring and a few seats at the bar, there are ecclesiastical echoes to the furnishings - including a snug that could well have been a confessional. Good solid tables are decorated with candles and little jars of specially gathered wild or garden flowers and leaves, and there's a lovely outdoor eating area too.
The third room is a couple of steps across the lane. It started out as a gin bar and private dining room but is now used for regular dining. It's also a great space for groups of 20-40 . And, indeed, in the lane itself, there is a beer garden (revamped in 2021), part of it covered, an inviting summertime venue
Menus are not overlong but well constructed to showcase the best of local produce, with the many producers name checked including Macroom buffalo mozzarella, Ummera organic smoked salmon, O'Neill's black pudding, Skeaghanore duck, Rosscarbery pork and Dunworley herbs. And the cooking is creative, with no resort to standard dishes. The black pudding beloved of West Cork, for example, may appear as a starter in an unusual dish of O'Neill's black pudding pie, with sherry soaked raisins, cabbage slaw and aioli, while an excellent vegetarian starter of Macroom buffalo mozzarella with sundried tomato pesto, smoked almonds and puffed wild rice could be elevated by the inclusion of deliciously fragrant home-grown tomatoes.
Among the eight or so mains offered, good fish dishes may include Hake with a parmesan & herb crust, crushed potatoes and dill cream sauce, while flavoursome Slow cooked Spanish style lamb, herb potatoes, fresh mint, parsley, flaked almonds would be a special highlight for carnivores - a treat not to be missed if you are lucky enough to spot it on the day.
Friendly, engaging service and fresh local produce is what Monk's Lane is all about - and that extends to the bar lists, where drinks include a very good choice of craft beers and ciders as well as wines offered in several glass sizes, as well as by the carafe or bottle. No shortage of gins and spirits, cocktails too, of course, and non-alcoholic drinks are also included in the range.
The monks at the abbey knew their beers and how to entertain their guests - and, in their own modern style, Michelle and Gavin proudly continue that fine tradition.
