Behind a freshly painted traditional blue frontage alongside Timoleague's historic abbey, Michelle O'Mahony and Gavin Moore’s restaurant opened quietly in 2014 - but very soon the word was well and truly out, with fans happily travelling from Kinsale and Cork city for the pleasure of a wholesome bite here.
Set in two spacious rooms with old timber flooring and a few seats at the bar, there are ecclesiastical echoes to the furnishings - including a snug that could well have been a confessional. Good solid tables are decorated with candles and little jars of specially gathered wild or garden flowers and leaves, and there's a lovely outdoor eating area too.
Open all day, it's a great place to know about when travelling in West Cork as you can just drop in for coffee and cake (look out for their apricot and raspberry cake, with fruit, ice-cream and cream on the side...), afternoon tea of scones, jam and cream, or something more substantial for lunch or dinner.
There are some beautiful lunchtime sandwiches - local Ummera smoked salmon with Dijon sauce and leaves, perhaps, O’ Neill’s Sirloin Steak Sandwich on homemade focaccia with sautéed onions, aoili, hand cut chips and salad.
You'll find terrific platters of local cheeses and charcuterie too, and the special one to look out for is the West Cork Plate, which is a combination of great local foods including Gubbeen chorizo cooked in red wine, smoked free range chicken, Gubbeen cheese crostini, Ummera smoked organic salmon with Dunworley leaves, all for just €13.50.
Menus are well constructed for flexibility depending on the time and appetite, with several dishes - including a salad of the famous black and white Clonakilty pudding - offered in a choice of sizes, and popular mains too, such as Pan-fried fillet of Plaice, sweet potato cubes, purple sprouting broccoli, creamy saffron sauce (€21.95), or a classic sirloin steak with handcut chips, green salad, sautéed onions and mushrooms (22.95).
Friendly, engaging service and fresh local produce is what Monk's Lane is all about - and that extends to the bar lists, where drinks include a very good choice of craft beers and ciders as well as wines offered in several glass sizes, as well as by the carafe or bottle.
The monks at the abbey knew their beers and how to entertain their guests - and, in their own modern style, Michelle and Gavin proudly continue that fine tradition.
