Youghal Restaurants Guide: The Best Places To Eat In Youghal For A Tasty Feed Tonight

In search of the best restaurants in Youghal? Our Youghal restaurants guide will make your belly happy!

This stunning seaside resort town is on the estuary of the River Blackwater and is the most easterly town in the county and one of the more popular towns in Cork.

Tourism has played a vital role here which has influenced the taste buds of locals. Finding local Irish cuisine is a given but there are other culinary delights here that will surprise you.

In the guide below, you’ll discover the best Youghal restaurants on offer, with a little bit of something to tickle every fancy (and budget!).

Our favourite Restaurants In Youghal

This town is home to some outstanding places to dine and many restaurants in Youghal have racked up mighty reviews online.

The first section of this guide tackles our favourite Youghal restaurants, from the brilliant Rendezvous Restaurant to some often-missed spots. 

1. Rendezvous Restaurant

Perfectly located opposite the unique Clock Gate Tower (a visit to which is one of the more popular things to do in Youghal), this cosy restaurant serves up all the classics like fish and chips, paninis and also Rib Eye Steaks.

If you arrive on a fine day, try and nab a seat in the outdoor seating area where you can eat al fresco while doing a bit of people-watching.

For anyone with a sweet tooth, the cafe has French toast, pancakes and creamy tiramisu! All great with freshly roasted coffee.

2. The Old Imperial Hotel

Located in the heart of the town centre is the Old Imperial Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in Youghal, dating as far back as the 18th century.

The restaurant in the hotel serves up everything from light bites and 3-course meals to carefully selected daily specials.

Although the menu is packed with the usual Irish classics, there’s also a nice bit of variety, with everything from Tandoori Chicken Wraps to Curried Lamb Kofta on offer.

One of the beauties of this place is that it’s a short walk from the sea (1km), so you can head for a post-dinner stroll when you finish up.

3. Luigi’s at La Bella Roma

Next up is Luigi’s at La Bella Roma – this is one of the few restaurants in Youghal that I’d actually travel miles to visit!

Visitors here can expect everything from calzones and pizzas to bruschetta, pasta, tomato buns, cannelloni and so much more.

If the opportunity arises, make sure you try the pizza fritta – it’s incredible. The restaurant also has cupcakes, perfect with some freshly brewed Italian coffee.

All ingredients are locally sourced and of high-quality, so expect lots of flavour with anything you eat here. 

4. Clancy’s Bar & Restaurant

If you’re in search of Youghal restaurants that pack a punch, then a visit to Clancy’s is a must! This spot boasts a combination of Irish hospitality and contemporary cuisine, with some excellent views, too!

If you’re a fan of seafood, the chowder and tempura prawns are worth a bash – they’re caught from the harbour, cooked and popped right on the plate.

If you are looking for a light bite, there are plenty of salads and wraps on offer. For something more filling, you got the oven baked salmon or roast stuffed turkey and ham or even the Striploin Steak.

Other great Restaurants in Youghal worth nipping into

As you’ve probably gathered at this stage, there’s an almost endless number of great places to eat in Youghal on offer.

If you’re still not sold on any of the previous choices, the section below is packed with some more highly-reviewed Youghal restaurants.

1. The Red Store, Bar & Restaurant

Situated adjacent to the historic Raleigh Quarter, this bar and restaurant is set inside a beautifully renovated grain store building. 

It’s a lovely spot for breakfast (it’s hard to beat the scones and homemade jam from here!) and a great place for a hearty lunch.

Dinner wise, you’ve everything from the usual pub grub to a carvery that’s amassed some solid reviews online.

2. Ahernes Seafood Restaurant

This family run business has been serving locals and tourists alike since 1923, which makes it one of the longest running of the many Cork hotels.

It started off as a traditional pub and shop before becoming a restaurant that specialises in dishing up some of the finest seafood for miles.

Ahernes was voted one of “Ireland’s most romantic restaurants” by Bridgestone Guide, so it’s a good option if you’re looking to mark a special occasion.

Although seafood is their forte, you can also opt for steak or one of several tasty vegetarian options. Well worth nipping into!

3. The Quays

You’ll find The Quays located, unsurprisingly enough, right on the Quay, where it boasts wonderful views of the sea, especially if you opt to dine al fresco on the decking area.

There’s a bar menu and a lunch menu on offer, here, with everything from homemade beef lasagne and warm cajun chicken salad to fish and chips and more up for grabs.

If you’ve a sweet tooth, the warm apple pie and the double chocolate fudge both pack a punch, while the lemon meringue and the Baileys cheese cake both get mentioned in many online reviews.

4. Priory Coffee Co.

This place should be called ‘Priority Coffee’ because it’s the best place for high-quality coffee in town… OK, terrible pun, I know…

The small and stylish cafe doesn’t just serve up freshly brewed coffee, there is a wide selection of teas on offer, too.

You can also enjoy homemade scones and biscuits, or for something more filling, there are a number of gourmet toasties on offer. The smoked chicken, goat’s cheese or veggie ploughman toasties are highly recommended. 

For the health-conscious out there, the smashed avocado with feta and peppers is superb. You might even have two!

5. Supermacs

Ah, Supermacs, Ireland’s best kept secret! Unless you live here, of course – then the chances are you’ll have nipped in here after a night on the town!

Supermacs is an Irish fast food chain with more than 100 locations in Ireland. You’ll find this place down near the harbour.

Expect the usual fast-food favourites, like burgers and chips, but you’ll also find everything from breakfast and fish here, too!

If you’re on the lookout for casual places to eat in Youghal, Supermacs is a handy, cheap spot for a tasty feed.

6. Bites

Last but by no means least is Bites – another of the more casual restaurants Youghal has to offer that’s perfect if you’re after a bit of comfort food!

Although the pizza steals the show, there’s also everything from wraps and kebabs to chips, burgers, fish and more.

Everything is reasonably priced here and it’s a handy ramble from a some of the best pubs in the town. 

What great places to eat in Youghal have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some other great restaurants in Youghal from the guide above.

If you have a favourite Youghal restaurants that you’d like to recommend, drop a comment into the comments section below.

FAQs about the best Youghal restaurants

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from what are the best restaurants in Youghal for a fancy feed to which Youghal restaurants are nice and chilled.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.