Restaurant in Cork on Valentine's Night

[Lex Foutish]

I'm hoping to take Mrs. Foutish out to dinner next Saturday night but I've left it a bit late, I think. I tried quite a few places-Luigi Malone's, Amicus, Greene's, Milano, etc. but no joy. The Market Lane do have a walk in booking going on for parties of less than six (we're just two) and that might do if I can't get anything else. The Ambassador is doing two sittings, one at 6:30 and one at 9:30-a bit early and a bit late for us. Everywhere seems to be fully booked out. Looks like the recession is taking the weekend off in Cork!

Any ideas? We'd like to stay inside in Town so we can go to our favourite haunt afterwards for a quart.

 

[DeeFox]

I used to work in one of the above named restaurants and Valentines used to make me cringe... We would have three, sometimes four, sittings on each tables. A "special" menu would be put on so that customers choices were severely limited to what was quick and easy for the kitchen - the food would be rushed out and we would be instructed to hover over the tables while the couple were having dessert to make sure that nobody went over their allocated time. There would be a set price so that the restaurant would make the maximum amount of money for the couple. I always felt the night was as romantic as a wet cat...
I would recommend cooking yourselves a nice dinner at home and heading out after for a drink or alternatively, maybe heading to Kinsale or somewhere away from the city for the evening.

 

[Lex Foutish]

Thanks Dee. Sounds like a Chinese restaurant we were in before Christmas. The staff spent the night hovering over us, topping up our water and wine glasses and, yes, giving us the firm impression that they wanted us out asap.

Anyway, we're sorted for Saturday night. A work colleague today announced that she had the same problem trying to get a restaurant for Saturday night so she's cooking dinner and has invited another couple and ourselves along also.

And tomorrow I'm going to splash out on a few bottles of Chateauneuf-Du-Pape and hopefully we'll still manage a quart afterwards, though it probably won't be in Town.

How bad!