QC’s Seafood Restaurant, Bar & Townhouse

Seafood Restaurant & Bar

South-west Kerry is probably one of Ireland’s most travelled and most popular routes.
Tourists flock to the area by car, bus or bike to see both the Dingle peninsula and the ring of Kerry. In fact, the question in many hostelries is ‘did you do the Ring?’ And the ring has scenery worth showing off, whether you see it in sunshine or the rain. Of course, there are so many places to see and things to do that many tourists take a couple of days to drive from Killarney to Kenmare. At the very least, there are some wonderful restaurants in the area, many specialising in seafood.

For many years, one of the nicest and best places to stop and eat has been in QCs Seafood Restaurant on the main street in Cahirciveen. And now, with the addition of five beautifully appointed bedrooms, there’s no need to rush your dinner to get to your B&B or hotel. You can relax by the wood-burning stove in the brand-new residents lounge before departing upstairs to a bedroom that can only be described as ‘unique’.

Husband and wife team Kate and Andrew Cooke opened the restaurant back in 2000 and have been one of the most popular on the ring ever since. Kate’s family – Quinlans - are in the fishing business so the Cookes can rely on the best and freshest of fish. If you drop in at lunchtime, you’ll find a blackboard with the daily specials as well as the regular menu. Starters can also be eaten as a snack if you’re not too hungry. A bowl of delicious Valentia Harbour chowder, a plate of smoked Kerry smoked salmon or shrimp cocktail will each be served with homemade brown bread. Mains offer more substantial meals such as sizzling crab claws, lobster salad in season or pan fried hake. There’s an excellent value Early Bird menu each evening from 5.30 – 7pm, with a two-course meal for two and a bottle of house wine just €55.

Dinner is special in QCs. Both Andrew and Kate work front-of-house so you can be certain of a genuine welcome and great service. The bar is comfortable with a blazing fire during the winter months – or the summer months when necessary! And you can peruse the menu here and indeed, eat here as well. An unusual but popular aperitif to have is chilled Manzanilla sherry, or perhaps a glass of Prosecco to whet the appetite. The restaurant section is towards the back and is a bit more formal. We started with calamari frito, delicious rings of squid served with homemade chilli jam and a crabmeat and prawn bisque - the hint of Pernod brought out the flavour of the fish.

Mains are divided into two sections, from the sea and from the land. The sea offers a sensational risotto, with roast hake, samphire, prawns and mussels and our choice from the meat section was rack of lamb with roast garlic and shallots, herb croquettes and root vegetables. Other choices are fillet steak and chicken tikka. All meat is sourced locally. Many of the dishes are gluten free and vegetarians are not forgotten – Moroccan vegetable tagine with preserved lemons, chill, cumin, almonds, roast aubergines, cherry tomatoes, courgette, with fig couscous is mouth-watering. Our desserts were a creamy ice-cream with QCs butterscotch sauce and Cointreau and orange crème brulee.

The international wine list makes for interesting reading. Wines are listed under headings that include drinking wines; perfectly pink pretty roses; fresh, light and crisp; unusual and aromatic; magnificent, complex. Reds come under light and easygoing, medium bodied and juicy; and rich.

If you’re staying overnight, you might take your Irish Coffee to the comfortable residents lounge, where you can relax over the day’s papers or one of the coffee table books. The five bedrooms are more than unusual, they are uniquely individual. Andrew Cooke says they listened to their customers before renovating the building. The result is spacious rooms, each with a six-foot wide bed and with good quality duvets and linen. Power showers – and with the environment a major issue everywhere, the Cookes have installed solar power on the roof, providing hot water for the rooms and restaurant. And shower stalls are a really good size, particularly in the rooms without a bath. Bathrooms themselves are more than generous, with granite from Valentia Island used for the surrounds. Two rooms have a free-standing roll-top cast-iron bath – in the bedroom. Walls are mainly pale wooden panelling, matching the wooden flooring on which a cowhide mat is another unusual feature. Each room is named after a colour and features that colour in headboards and cosy woollen throw on the bed.

Breakfast is taken in your room where there’s a small table and chairs. On a white painted wooden shelf, there’s a Nespresso coffee machine, kettle, tea and coffee, a bowl of fresh fruit and a jar of homemade granola. In the fridge, you’ll find a jar of fresh fruit salad, fruit compote, fresh milk and bottles of water and juice. Freshly baked muffins are placed outside the door during the evening. The great advantage of this is that guests can breakfast at their own convenience, either early or late.

And following a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast, guests are ready to continue driving the ring.

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Contact Details

To Contact a Member Directly, please click on the email or website below

3 Main Street
Cahirciveen
Ring of Kerry
Co Kerry
+353 (0) 66 9472244
Email: info@qcbar.com
Web: www.qcbar.com

 

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