Trixie Navarre

The colorful seaside town of Kinslale was like eye candy to me, and it was so very charming! The town itself can be a wonderful day trip, or a get away weekend while in Ireland. The buildings along the harbor are no more than a couple stories high, original, and brightly colored. The whole village was simply adorable, and who does not like adorable?

Noted in the book ‘1000 Places to See Before You Die’, the little fishing village of Kinsale is a place you can fall in love with. This walkable charming town outside of Cork can be a welcomed day trip. The village sits along a harbor, and surrounded by hills- it is a lovely point where the sea meets the land.

Kinsale is a casual village that can be accessed by foot or bike. There are fun things to do here, like he harbour cruise that I recommend. It is a slow relaxing hour cruise around the bay with a historical narrative. Keep reading for more information on the harbour cruise.

To get to the village Kinsale is very easy. There are buses that leave the Cork city bus station every hour or so. You can buy your ticket there and hop on. The bus will bring you to the center of Kinsale, next to the Visitor’s Center.

There are several places to dine, have a drink, snack or have a coffee here. Please keep reading to find my suggestions, and reviews of where I ate in Kinsale.

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Kinsale Harbour Cruise

If you find yourself in the sweet little fishing village of Kinsale, the Harbour Cruise comes highly recommended. This one hour cruise is a relaxing, and smooth ride around the harbor with a historical narrative.

Times may vary depending on the season, and you can check cruise times at the Kinsale Visitor Center, or on the sign board at the harbor loading area. This cruise is good for all ages, as I saw people from toddler age to seniors enjoying this cruise. Plus it is a very smooth ride, although it can get windy at the top of the boat. There are also blankets on board to wrap up with, if you get too chilly.

For schedule and current pricing, please visit- Kinsale Harbour Cruises

For information and my Yelp review, Read Trixie N.‘s review of Kinsale Harbour Cruises on Yelp

—- Where I ate in Kinsale —-

Food U

I enjoyed this adorable café in Kinsale, and it was as sweet as the freshly baked cakes they sold. Food U is located at the end of the boat dock beyond the center of town. It is not long of a walk, maybe 5-10 minutes. It is a nice treat if you are down by the boats for a stroll, or taking a harbour cruise.

It is small place, but there is enough seating inside and outside. I chose to sit outside since it was relaxing watching the harbor from my bar stool in front of the café. The service was friendly here, you order inside, and they bring your food out to you. There was a nice selection of baked goods, sandwiches, and drinks (coffee and tea).

For my complete Yelp review, Read Trixie N.‘s review of Food U on Yelp

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Fishy Fishy

The town of Kinsale is a fishing village within a harbor, so it just makes sense to eat local seafood. Fishy Fishy boasted several dishes that were from sea to table; freshly caught, prepared, and on the table. That was exactly what I was looking for.

Fishy Fishy is upscale casual, and the service was wonderful, friendly, and helpful. I had asked my server which dishes were freshly caught, and which were his favorites. He directed me to the fresh cod with orzo, and I realized why this was a favorite of his. The cod melted in my mouth, and it was nicely sided with a parmesan cheese crisp and orzo. The flavors and textures complimented each other perfectly. My server was also keen on the local gin, and he recommended Black’s Gin from Kinsale. It really was a lovely gin, and presented in the prettiest glass with a Black’s black bird. I wanted that glass!

Although I did not make a reservation, I highly recommend to do so as Fishy Fishy is a very popular place. I was able to land a table quickly because I had come in during lunchtime and was solo. I could be squeezed in anywhere.

For restaurant information, please visit Fishy Fishy

For my complete Yelp review, Read Trixie N.‘s review of Fishy Fishy on Yelp

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Poet’s Corner – The Reading Café

I was wandering around town in search for a coffee place that would catch my eye. I wanted a coffee for takeaway, and possibly a snack. Poet’s Corner caught my eye. It looked inviting with the charming tables, chairs, and a wall of books.

As for beverages and snacks, they have the usual coffee drinks that are on a typical café menu board. This time around I opted for a cappuccino, and it was designed beautifully and tasted delicious. As for nibbles, Poet’s Corner offered a wonderful selection of home baked goods. I chose the Sponge Cake with jam that was covered in chocolate, and coconut, it was very good, I was happy with both, and it made for a delicious journey back on the bus to Cork.

For the traveling folk who like to read along the way, here is your book exchange café. I did bring a book with me on this trip, but I was not ready to trade it in at the time. There were many books ready for trading, which is great for us readers and book nerds.

For my complete Yelp review, Read Trixie N.‘s review of Poet’s Corner – The Reading Cafe on Yelp

⭐ For my Kinsale City Yelp review, Read Trixie N.‘s review of Kinsale City on Yelp

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I have found that every experience is a form of exploration,,,

– Ansel Adams

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