Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

There was a house in Kinsale, facing the famous Man Friday restaurant and The Spaniard pub, on a sharp bend that curls around from the aptly named Heartbreak Hill, that had a note pinned on its door saying ‘The Front Door is Around the Back’. It was just the sort of quirky thing that the then owner, the late Peter Barry, would do. 

Well, the new Fork & Wheel, at Whiterock between Midleton and Castlemartyr is a bit like that. The magic really starts when you go around the back. I’ve whizzed along the N25 for years, glancing at the former Two Mile Inn, a popular local pub, overlooked by the ruins of a moviesque small church and historic graveyard with crooked and weather worn gravestones, but frankly never been tempted to veer off the road. 

However, having changed hands two years ago, a massive restoration job has been done on the place by new owner, Ballina man and Midleton resident, David Jordan, who also founded 5 Mile Coffee. Jordan is also Executive Director of Innovation & Research of Paul Fitzgerald and Sean O’Driscoll’s Cliste Hospitality, who have an extensive collection of hotels and restaurants.

Retaining the old bar to the front, and adding a stylish restaurant and a café to the back, the premises being beautifully set in lush green oasis, by a bubbling stream.

We wheeled up one early afternoon having done a tour of restaurants, markets and other foodie places of interest in the area, and were quickly seated on a leather banquette in a room that has that comfortable brasserie feel. 

We were late for the midweek carvery lunch (12-3pm) after which the A La Carte dinner menu comes into play. There’s something here for everyone at good prices with starters and mains including a dry aged Murphy’s of Midleton 10oz local sirloin with all the trimmings at the high end of the scale, plus Skeanghanore Duck Breast with fondant potato, black cherry puree, chilli greens and blood orange crisp. There were double smash burgers, a crispy fried chicken burger, and beer battered hake, plus a spatchcock chicken sharing platter for two.

We stuck to sharing two small plates and one main between us, kicking off with four delicious pan-seared Ballycotton scallops on smoked sweet potato puree, tweaked with candied apple, Parma crunch and McCarthy’s black pudding. Our second plate was an Indonesian style vegetarian curry with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, a crispy poppadom, and chilli and fresh coriander infused saffron rice. Very pleasant, if on the mild side for me. If you like it spicier, perhaps ask.

To round off our meal, we then had an apricot and thyme baked Tipperary cheese and a showstopping gluten free Eton mess served in a Knickerbocker Glory glass. 

A great addition and restoration job breathing life back into this historic location. 

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