The town that sparked Ireland’s culinary revolution, with fresh local produce and hardly a potato in sight
Forty years ago, Kinsale set out to change Ireland’s reputation for terrible cooking. Today, the proof is in the puddings and purées of the colourful harbour town’s vibrant Eat Street
If you were to look for chef Olivier Queva during the day, it wouldn’t be a great idea to start in his kitchen. The rangy Frenchman is far more likely to be found roaming the hedgerows around his Irish hometown, in search of wild herbs and succulents, or free diving in the chilly Celtic Sea, spearfishing for that night’s specials.
Queva and his wife are the back- and front-of-house team at Max’s, one of the leading restaurants in Kinsale, on Ireland’s southern coast. They’re adept in a philosophy that is putting the town into fresh culinary waters as an exciting destination for a rising phenomenon: modern Irish cuisine.
With both the bountiful ocean and lush green fields of Munster province on its doorstep, Kinsale has always been a lively town. Over the years, its location and lifestyle have attracted adventurers, artists and entrepreneurs, imbuing the town with an independent and cosmopolitan edge.
Its maritime position also put it at the crux of pivotal battles against the British, who, in the 17th century, built a pair of forts to guard this valuable harbour. James Fort and star-shaped Charles Fort still cast stern shadows over its glistening waters.
The handsome harbour reveals itself as the visitor sweeps in on a road framed by sycamore and ash trees. From the water’s edge, narrow medieval streets fan out into steep hills studded with grand Georgian buildings, whose distinctive slate-fronted facades cast a patrician gaze over the gaily coloured buildings in the commercial hub below. Crowning the downtown lanes is “Eat Street”, as Kinsale’s most popular attraction is locally known, with a vibrant and aromatic rainbow of cafes, bars and restaurants.
Forty years ago, the town boldly declared itself the “Gourmet capital of Ireland”, open all seasons in a country with little taste for fancy fare. It is a label today’s restaurateurs disavow – the burden of expectation is too great, the arrogance too obvious – but the reputation has stuck and some people maintain that, while there have been ups and downs, it is no exaggeration.