Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Antonio's in Ballydehob


Sofie, Wendy and myself went for a lovely spin to Mizen Head on Sunday. The day was perfect for it. Sunny spells, no rain in sight, enough wind to let you feel that you were outside and 3 girls who got the giggles....what more is there to a perfect Sunday...??? Of course, a great meal. We stopped on the way back to Cork in Ballydehob as Wendy mentioned Antonio's being a good restaurant. Ballydehob is not really on my culinary map but we were hungry from the fresh air so we decided to trust Wendy's tastebuds.

Located on Main Street in Ballydehob it has a friendly exterior. Run by Antonio (you couldn't see him but hear him) in the kitchen and his wife as front of house - quite eccentric woman. Italian music in the background (Azzuro anyone??), little knickknacks everywhere - fine dining does not come to mind. We arrived at 6 without reservations - there was some type of racing on and tickets were handed out for the locals but we got seated anyway. Plastic covered menus presented the usual suspects. Waiters and waitresses looked as if they came straight out of the cradle and acted accordingly. Did I like it?? Yes I did actually. Food was simple but well made. Don't expect anything fancy but if you want a relaxed night out, go to Antonio's - the perfect neighbourhood 'joint'.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

The character and ambience of Antonio's is enhanced by the unusual and appealing character of the lady at the front of house. On the many evenings whereupon we eat at Antonio's, the waiters are delightful and professional. The noises from the kitchen certainly add to the amusement of the night. Believe it or not, we have experienced the Ritz in Paris and the staff in Antonio's surpass them.

Anonymous said...

rang antonios to make a reservation and was told that while they usually are open they had something else to be doing tonight! VERY DISSAPOINTING!!!!

Elke said...

The same happened when we went but they made room when we arrived. The food is really worth the trip. Don't give up on it and let me know what you think when you eat there

Elke

Anonymous said...

Poor food. My Pizza was burnt and the topping stewed. I have eaten better supermarket Pizzas. My guest is more polite, but was not charmed with the blandness of the meal. I certainly wasn't going to risk desert. Front of house gave the excuse that the chef had burnt the meals and done a runner.(I was tempted to do the same), but the meals were payed in full with a firm promise to NEVER re visit.

Elke said...

Hi Anonymous,

So sorry you had a bad experience. My last visit is way over a year ago and it may have changed in the meantime. I might give it another go to see if this is just a glitsch or if the quality really went donw. Would be a pity tho

Elke