Timoleague restaurant makes it onto McKennas 100 best list

Michelle O’Mahony and Gavin Moore’s restaurant in Timoleague has been named in Sally and John McKenna’s ‘100 Best’ in Ireland.

MONK’S Lane, in the heart of Timoleague, West Cork, has become the newest establishment in the country to make it on to the prestigious McKennas’ Guides ‘100 Best Restaurants in Ireland’ list.

Opened in July 2014, Monk’s Lane is food and wine destination on the Wild Atlantic Way, run by couple Michelle O’Mahony and Gavin Moore, nephew of Christy Moore and Luka Bloom.

Both have extensive experience in the hospitality sector and this, their first venture together, has seen them use their passion for local produce and fresh, seasonal ingredients to create a destination dining experience worthy of inclusion in the respected food guide.

Monk’s Lane menu showcases the best of local produce including the restaurant’s signature dish, the ‘West Cork Plate’ with Gubbeen Chorizo cooked in red wine, potted crab, Toonsbridge buffalo cheese, crostini and Ummera Smoked Salmon.

Michelle – the daughter of Drinagh’s well-known stores manager, Martin O’Mahony and his wife, Monica – said: ‘We wanted to create an affordable dining experience that is casual but with ethically produced food, and a cosy atmosphere that makes you want to linger. We have been able to do this thanks to the wealth of quality suppliers and producers we have locally.’

Since opening last summer, Monk’s Lane – which is called after a nearby Cistercian Abbey – has created 18 jobs, and firmly established itself in the West Cork culinary landscape, with the latest accolade reaffirming its position.