Ivory Tower (The), Cork

First, a disclaimer. I had to fill in the earliest date I could in the date field in order to post, but My DH and I were acquainted with Seamus and his antics far longer ago than that.... How amusing to hear that nothing has changed...My DH and I ate at Ivory Tower a number of times when residing in Cork in the mid-1990's. Seamus was a friend-of-a-friend. He had a thing for anise/fennel/pernod back then as well, in fact his version of braised lamb and fennel was so bad it spurred me on to perfect the dish at home!DH and I would go out of sheer desperation hoping to catch him on a good day because the restaurant scene in Cork at the time was in its infancy and there wasn't much about to keep one's mind going. While many things on his menu could never be found on other Cork menus at the time, and therefore would have been described as unique and creative, his kitchen was famously disorganised and I got food poisoning every time I went. . Ahhh, the good old days...

Just reading the comments above I am shocked to discover that customers enjoyed the 'ambience' of the Ivory Tower which has been described over the years as a visit one must have. I apologise now for my crude, harsh but quite frankly honest comments. My family members and I visited last week, indeed looking forward to unique, exciting food. However due to the lack of heating, decent wall structures, cobwebs, mildew in the bathrooms it turned out to be a complete nightmare. I am still wondering why we did not walk out considering we had to leave our jackets and scarves on all evening, my sisters fod was not cooked as was ordered and the fact that the place is FILTHY!! I love the characteristics that comes along with old style, victorian buildings and interiors but this was something else. When covered with dirt, cobwebs and as for the bathroom which any women who is size 16 or over would not get into I was so so so disappointed. I have written a letter of complaint and am still awaiting, surprised? No I am not because the chef would not even stay for us to complain. What a joke, please spent your money somewhere else. The reputation it has been given as superb is only leading you into a false sense of superiority. Tony's bistro I think would probably be cleaner...and that is saying something.

On entering the building there was a smell from the toilets that was an immediate turn off. The restaurant was freezing cold, other guests chose to wear their overcoats troughout the meal. We ordered red wine that was served at room temperature (somewhere around freezing !) The starters and main courses were a joke. My steak was overdone to the point of being tough, my partner's venison was almost raw. We sat with dirty plates in front of us for 20 minutes before having to ask the only waitress to remove them. And then, to crown it all we had to part with e150 for the privilage. This was so bad that it was actually funny. This restaurant had a very good reputation but obviously something has changed recently. Far and away the worst dining experience I've ever had.

we went there last night and i can honestly say i have had better meals in burgerking........ it was soo soo sooooo bad that it got really funny.......... we were actually betting money on what they could mess up next....... the food was diabolical especially the veggie options............ the first starter was artichoke which was so undercooked that it was physically inediable as in it felt like chewing twigs...... the main course was so bad i thought they had nipped to the chinese next door got a tub of curry sauce and threw some cous cous in it......and it was a morrocan dish served with the most northern african of accompaniments of roast potatoes, cold carrot mash, green beens and undercooked purple headed brocolli..... and the desert a chocolate foundant was burnt........i mean come on like.........even i can make a decent stab at what essentially is a chocolate cake plus everything reeked of aniseed, half the dishes tasted of pernod, it seemed like this was his "thing" or something......... and then there was the service........oh my god i couldn't make the following up......... 1. they changed our reservation from 7 to 6.30 2. we arrived 10 minutes early and the doors were closed so we stood waiting in the rain 3. despite the fact that we were the third group in there our orders were taken 45 minutes after we arrived and after everyone else had been dealt with 4. we got the wrong starters, we got the wrong second course, we got the wrong main course but fair dues to them they managed to give us the correct deserts 5. we were in there for 3 hours and twenty minutes of which approximately half an hour was spent eating so after 3 and a half hours and eating the culinary and volumetric equivalent of a three day old pot noodle we were charged 126e...... i mean the place had 26 patrons, we were that bored between courses that we counted, 4 waitresses and 5 people in the kitchen yet still it felt like everybodies first day..... i whole heartedly recommend ye going just for the sheer comedy value........ seriously they should put this stuff in movies.......

The only half decent thing about this place was the toilet. We booked a table but needn't have bothered as we were the only people there and we soon found out why when we had our meal. The food was overpriced and not as nice as Iceland's (as in Kerry Katona advert). Portions were really stingy, although it was only a lunchtime meal. Asked for a bottle of Rose Sancere twice and got the wrong bottle brought to us, which just happened to be a lot more expensive than the bottle we ordered. The bill came to 85 Euros and the owner gave us 3 Euros change out of100 Euros with no explanation as to what happened to the rest. I hope it was VAT because they didn't deserve it for the food or the service.

Great place if you want a variety of things to eat. I loved the meat, very good, in quality and flavor. 4.5 out of 5

From the minute i entered this adorable restaurant it was extraordinary. The building while old and slightly decrepit, allowed for the most romantic of ambiances. The waiting staff were competent and extremely friendly. The food was creative, fresh, seasonal and inspired. Good value considering the quality of the food. I would recommend to those looking for something a little special.

I booked this place for our wedding anniversery 3 weeks ago we were going to make a real go of it and this Place was to be the Pinnical of our celebrations.. we arrived at 21:00 our time. and we were met by another customer waiting for a table. we were told that due to another party arriving with more people than they had booked for we would have to wait.. we were told to go away and come back or wait in the hall outside the toilets for a table to be free.. I asked how long he told me I have no Idea. this place Ruined our weekend and our anniversery and we didnt get to eat there we had to return to our hotel. who after we had explained what had happened made a table available for us even though they were fully booked now there is a place worth its Standing Thank You Kingsley Hotel for stepping to the line for your Patrons I will never visit the Ivory towers again and i will make it my business to ensure no one goes through the Dissapointment and Hurt we did.. I felt Like I didnt matter ... well they got the money from the extra people so the only ones who lost out were my wife and I

The food is as eccentric as the place - it may not always work, but on my two visits it certainly did!

I can not say enough good things about this restaurant. For my wife and I it was the highlight of our time in Cork. We had the surprise sampler, and there was not one course (of nine) that we did not thoroughly enjoy. The service was excellent, and Seamus O'Connell delivered a couple of courses to our table personally. How often do you get to have a world class chef cook just for you? The restaurant only seats about 35 so it has a very intimate feel. We can't wait to go back!