The Cottage - Bantry

Our family and friends party (10 in total enjoyed great sea food at this restaurant. I really liked the traditional feel of the premises (old stained glass entrance doors etc. , and that its family run. I also enjoyed the strong welcome we received and how the dishes were advertised described by the owner. You do pay a little extra for the food, as this place offers fresh seafood, which many other places wont provide. I found my own meal of scallops was very good (with a very tasty white sauce , and the mashed potato, and carrot and parsnip veg were excellent. I did not have the smoked salmon and prawns platter, but from seeing it delivered to other tables, it looked a favorite dish here, generously proportioned. I would gladly revisit again.

This has to be the strangest bar/restaurant we have ever been to. The atmosphere that the owners create is felt the minite you walk in the door. The place needs a complete makeover. It is very grubby and almost as unwelcoming as you are made to feel. The food is average . But I am writing the review soley because the owners especially the wife are destroying their own buisness. The husband literally is hustling customers in from the road and the wife lacks all personality . Between the 2 of them the experience is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Almost entertaining as they remind you of the couple from Father Ted. The only positive compliment I can give is to the young waiter working there Very friendly and warm even though he was being harrassed by the wife every available moment. Despite this he continued to display excellent customer service skills which the owners lack in abundance. My daughter needed to use the bathroom which were upstairs and again very grubby. The water from the hot tap was scalding hot. So much so I burnt my finger. Luckiky i had gone with my daughter as she could have been scalded. I told the wife when I came back down. Without even looking at me she muttered she would go and have a look and that was it .

The food and service were excellent. The pizza was perfect for satisfying a hungry family after a long journey. The owners were very welcoming.

Despite the nice traditional style, the place was not well looked after. The owner rushed us from start to finish. The food was poor at worst and averagely ugly at best. Too expensive. Quality/price ratio was not appropriate. Would not reccomend not come back.

We got food there in May 2023. One main course of fish. One margarita pizza and a small plate with two scoops of mashed potato on it and a ramacan of gravy. They charged 25 euro for the fish, 25 euro for the pizza and €12.50 for the two scoops of mashed potato and the gravy. Outrageously expensive for very standard to poor food. Will not return.