8.1 / 10 Cork Xtra score
The Breakfast
The hunt for Cork's best breakfast brought us to the Silver Key Bar & Restaurant on Churchyard Lane in Ballinlough, and we'll say this straight away - this was the largest Full Irish we've been served to date, by a distance. This one was actually hard to finish.
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The Fry, Piece by Piece
The fry itself was really good with quality ingredients across the plate.
The sausages were a little on the smaller side, but it's not the size of the boat, it's the motion in the ocean - they delivered on flavour.
The rashers were a tad greasy, but one of them was a proper chunky cut and overall they tasted really good.
The breakfast sandwich was excellent and somehow got tastier the further we got into it. We added the white pudding into the second sandwich and that combination was one of the stars of the show - really tasty.
The potatoes were thinly sliced and very tasty.
The beans - we're not the biggest fans of beans, but these were pretty good.
The mushrooms were decent. Nothing that stole the show, but they did the job.
"The white pudding sandwich was one of the stars of the show."
The Staff
The staff deserve a mention here. Everyone was really friendly and made us feel right at home - a definite positive point for the Silver Key.
The Price
This is where the Silver Key takes a hit. The breakfast was €15.95 not including coffee, and the total came to €20.30. That's about €5 more than Puccino's - though to be fair, it's way more food.
How It Compares
- Puccino's was lighter, cheaper and slightly healthier.
- Silver Key was just as nice, much more food, and a little bit greasier.
- And at this price point, this was everything the Pavilion was not.
- For the absolute value benchmark, Dunnes Bishopstown still rules at €9.35 for the works.
Cork Xtra Verdict
If you're after the biggest fry in Cork with quality ingredients and friendly service, the Silver Key delivers - just bring an appetite and a few extra euro. The hunt for Cork's best breakfast continues.
- Location: 8.0/10
- Facility: 8.5/10
- Staff: 8.5/10
- Food: 8.0/10
- Value: 7.0/10
- Overall: 8.1/10
Pros
- Largest Full Irish portion we've had in Cork to date
- White pudding breakfast sandwich - star of the show
- Quality ingredients throughout
- Really friendly staff
- One properly thick chunky-cut rasher in the mix
- Thinly sliced and tasty potatoes
Cons
- On the pricier side - €15.95 for the breakfast, €20.30 with coffee
- About €5 more than Puccino's
- A little greasier than the lighter city-centre options
- Sausages a little on the smaller side
More details
- Price
- €€