Here are the top spots for Guinness in Cork, according to the Guinness Guru. Did your favourite pub make the list?
A man in Ireland is dedicated to taste-testing every pint of Guinness on offer. This man is Daragh Curran, AKA the Guinness Guru. Curran’s vocation is no easy task, yet he is dedicated to informing the people of the world of the best pubs for pints.
We think he ought to be canonised, and we’re sure you’d be inclined to agree. Here are the places for the best Guinness in Cork, according to Saint Daragh Curran, the Guinness Guru. Read on to see if your favourite pub made the cut.
4. The Oval – a highly-recommended pint
The Oval Bar was one of the most highly-recommended pubs for the Guinness Guru to visit, and he was not disappointed. The pub itself is pretty dark, but the atmosphere is magnificent. The price of a pint is five euros.
Despite a few bubbles in the head, this pint got an impressive 8.1 out of 10 in the rating system. The Oval is one of our own favourites, so we were most pleased to see it made it onto his radar.
If you asked us, we would say it was the best Guinness in Cork, but we don’t have quite the same gift for these things as the Guinness Guru does.
Address: 25 S Main St, Centre, Cork, T12 Y15D
3. Sin É – a very decent pint
That’s it; Sin É does “a very good, decent pint”, in the Guru’s own words. The price of a pint here is five euros. He considers the Sin É pint a solid sup with a great “shtick”, which is an essential indicator of what makes a good pint of Guinness in the Guru’s books.
The Guinness in this pub was awarded an 8.2 out of 10. Sin É was another highly-recommended spot for Curran to try out, and with a 4.7-star rating on Google, we’re not at all surprised he agreed to put it to the test.
Address: 8 Coburg St, Victorian Quarter, Cork, T23 KF5N
2. Mutton Lane – an impressive pint of plain
The Guru was pleasantly surprised that this pub was not a hipster bar. Despite being down a funky alleyway, this spot is a gorgeous old man’s pub.
Served up in an unmarked glass for five euros, he was happy yet not overly blown away.
That said, he awarded the pint an impressive 8.3 out of 10, making it the second-best Guinness in Cork. The pub itself seems to have a great atmosphere and is on our list of spots to visit next time we visit Cork.
Address: 3 St Patrick’s St, Mutton Ln, Centre, Cork, T12 RV07
1. The Castle Inn – a perfectly poured pint
The Guru was most impressed with the creamy pints from The Castle Inn on Main Street. The creaminess was so beautiful, he exclaimed, “It’s almost like drinking a glass of milk”.
While he said it might be better if it was slightly colder, he was still very impressed by the cream provided in this pub. 8.5 out of 10 makes this the best Guinness in Cork.
Address: 99 S Main St, Centre, Cork, T12 XD6
Honourable mentions
Beamish – Cork’s stout of choice
While visiting Cork, Curran saw it only suitable to sample his first-ever pint of Beamish in the Rebel County.
While barmen warned him about trying it in case he gets converted into a Beamish Guru, the Guinness Guru couldn’t be swayed, claiming it wasn’t his “pint of G”.
Murphy’s – another Cork classic
Murphy’s is also a famous and beloved stout in Cork, so Curran decided to sample another of the county’s produce in his top-rated pub, The Castle Inn.
We can see from his sampling that he is out of his comfort zone here, saying he was unable to tell the difference between the Beamish and the Murphy’s, saying, “Everyone watching from Cork probably thinks I’m an eejit now”.
It’s ok, Daragh; you call yourself the Guinness Guru, not the Murphy’s or Beamish Guru, so we can forgive you. We hope the people of Cork do too.
