Do you crave warm and delicious Chinese food to fill your appetite after a long day or week? You’re in luck because we picked out some of the best Chinese restaurants in Cork!
For these options we’ve curated, you may opt to dine in or enjoy a takeaway. But if you’re ordering at home with a special someone, you may also read our quick guide to planning a romantic home date afterwards.
But before we look into top Cork Chinese restaurants, it’s wise to consider the costs first.
How Much Does Dining at Chinese Restaurants in Cork Cost
Prices at Chinese restaurants in Cork vary. Several of these also offer international dishes other than Chinese food.
Other factors affecting the price may also include the ambience and add-ons for order and delivery services.
For easy reference, here are the estimated costs of dining at Chinese restaurants in Cork:
The Best Chinese Restaurants in Cork
We assessed the best Chinese restaurants in Cork based on the following criteria:
1. Yuan Ming Yuan
| FOOD | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re looking for a Chinese restaurant in Cork with a classic or traditional space, we recommend trying out Yuan Ming Yuan!
We found this restaurant after just a 2-minute walk from the English Market in Cork. That’s why if you happen to go there, we think this location would be convenient!
As we entered the restaurant, we were smitten by their ornate gold decor and lattice screens. We believe their fascinating interiors bring out the authenticity of Chinese culture.
We also like their dimly lit ambience that makes dining feel more appetising. We believe their quality Chinese meals and cosy atmosphere attract lots of repeat customers.
But while their steamed buns, chicken, spring rolls, and corn soup are quite tasty, we noticed that their dessert and wine selection seem pretty limited.
But, we’re glad to be helped out by their friendly and welcoming staff to pick alternatives. They were attentive to our needs and efficient with their service.
While some customers we’ve talked to say the costs lean towards the pricier side, we know their delicious dishes more than make up for it.
All in all, we believe Yuan Ming Yuan is among the best Chinese restaurants in Cork. So whether you’re passing by the English Market or not, you should check them out!
Pros
- Fairly traditional, well-decorated space
- Good selection with hearty portions
- Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
- Pleasant and efficient staff
- Clean toilets
Cons
- The exterior look does not match the interiors
- Slightly on the pricier side
- Moderate waiting times
Customer Reviews
Absolutely no competition
“Easily the best Chinese restaurant in Cork, with absolutely no competition. The food is delicious and it’s one of the only places in Cork that I have seen Dim Sum being offered. If you love Chinese food and live in or around Cork, you’re doing yourself a disservice if you haven’t come here yet.” – Ian Montes
Highly recommended
“One of the best Chinese restaurants I’ve ever tried. Delicious food, lovely and warm staff. Highly recommended.” – Malwina Bernady
2. The Royal Palace
| FOOD | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| SERVICE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Another popular oriental hub we suggest is The Royal Palace. We found that this restaurant is well-loved by locals, tourists, foodies, and even high-profile dignitaries!
It was easy for us to take in its luxurious ambience and oriental vibe. We believe this is fit for simple family lunches and romantic dinners to corporate events and other special celebrations.
We also relished their lovely steak and chicken, and we’re glad to receive complimentary crackers! We also like that they accommodate vegetarians with their tasty spring rolls and noodles.
Aside from their scrumptious food, we also had a delightful taste of their Tsingtao beer. We enjoyed its pleasant aroma, partnered with a nice, malty flavour and overall balanced taste.
We also appreciate their nice and friendly staff who make people’s birthdays extra special by singing to them!
We’d just like to note that a downside of this restaurant could be the stairs leading up to it. We didn’t see any elevator for wheelchair users or those with mobility problems.
We also think they could improve on their order and delivery to match the quality of their dining services. This is because several customers we reached out to say that they’ve experienced long waiting times.
Several of them have also told us the quality of food delivered is sometimes not on par with their initial expectations.
Other than that, the dining experience we had was satisfactory and we recommend them when you’re looking to eat Chinese food in Cork.
Pros
- Warm and cosy ambience
- Quality meals at reasonable prices
- Friendly and helpful staff
- Vegetarian options available
Cons
- No elevator leading up to the restaurant
- Could get crowded at times
- Delivery times may take a while
Customer Reviews
One of the best
“Well, one of the best I think around the city! Someone was saying that customer service was bad, but I wouldn’t agree with that. The staff was really nice and helpful to us anyway. Our meal quality was way higher than the price we paid for it! We had a good time with the view there. Definitely, we will come back there!” – Tomas Ruskonis
Very nice
“All staff so nice and friendly. We visit this restaurant for our daughter’s birthday and the staff made her day by singing happy birthday. Very nice service.” – Magda Nadgorska
3. Wilton Willow Restaurant
| FOOD | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
If you love Chinese food like Chow Mein, we think you’ll love Wilton Willow’s own take on the dish!
While we feel this is not the traditional Chinese restaurant you might be looking for, there’s something about their food that amazingly fits the local taste.
We believe this wonderful restaurant serves a wide range of items with plenty of flavours to entice the customers.
Some diners also told us they’ve been frequenting this restaurant for years! What they like best is the consistency of their fresh and tasty dishes.
We feel that this place is family and child-friendly too!
They seem to have enough tables and chairs per group of people. Because of this, we know you can choose them whenever you just feel like treating your loved ones to a nice meal.
We also like their hearty portions and their lovely pot of tea to wash it all down.
Their staff treated us well too! We find them very friendly as they took our orders and their service adds to the restaurant’s cosy atmosphere.
We think the prices are also reasonably matched with the food and quality they provide.
Although, there were instances when we thought we waited longer for some dishes. There were occasional times when some of the food looked a bit overcooked too.
We just had to check our orders to ensure a fulfilling dining experience all throughout. Still, Wilton Willow is a great pick for good Chinese food at reasonable prices.
Pros
- Chinese food that fits local taste
- Cosy and quaint atmosphere
- Pleasant staff
- Reasonable prices
Cons
- Can experience long waiting times
- Need to check for occasionally overcooked dishes
Customer Reviews
Fantastic
“Goes here nearly every morning for breakfast I have to say the breakfast is absolutely amazing you get a big portion and lovely pot of tea to wash it down the premises is very clean and the staff can’t do enough for ya very friendly great service I would recommend this place to everyone 110% FANTASTIC.” – John Paul O Driscoll
Great stuff
“This is one of my favourite restaurant in cork. Great stuff, very fast and delicious food.
I paid with Groupon 29 euro we had one fried king prawns with some vegetables and hot species, one beef with soya sauce which is great and two glasses of wine Merlot.
The prices there are great you can get a great meal at 15 euro including a starter. I recommend.” – Walid Amri
4. Aroma
| FOOD | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| SERVICE | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
If you’re okay to pay a little more for quality, we believe Aroma Chinese restaurant should be up for your consideration!
Many visitors told us they eat here regularly because of the wide menu selection. We can enjoy tasty Chinese meals, as well as other international flavours too!
Aside from their amazing King Prawns, we also indulged in their tasty Thai Green Curry. We noticed they have good veggie choices too, although there seem to be no gluten-free options.
But if you have a preference for sweet sauces, we know you’ll have a good time here. This is because we noticed most of the meals they served here were covered in it.
We also want to commend their friendly and attentive staff who made sure we had a fantastic time from start to finish.
Just a comment though, we think their food portions were a bit small. So if you or your company have a big appetite, this is something you want to take note of.
We also observed that due to them having lots of customers, their carpet could use more cleaning. However, we think this isn’t that big of a con compared to their satisfactory offerings.
In the end, we know you’ll be in for a treat when you try Aroma’s savoury food selection and decent service. See for yourself!
Pros
- Adapts food to local taste
- Offers Chinese and international flavours
- Attentive staff
- Vegetarian options available
Cons
- Not strictly authentic Chinese
- Small portions may be inadequate
- No gluten-free options
Customer Reviews
No better Chinese
“Food is unbelievable. Quite expensive for the smallish portions but there’s no better Chinese in the city!!! And the staff are so friendly. Hygienic and Covid aware! Food is just phenomenal. Highly recommended!!!” – Mary McCarthy
Will order again
“Don’t normally get Chinese, ordered to collect on the way home from town. Was ready within 20 minutes with prawn crackers thrown in. Got black bean chicken with fried rice and spring rolls. Will order again.” – Emma Cashman
5. Pearl River
| FOOD | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| SERVICE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| VALUE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| ATMOSPHERE | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
For Chinese food enthusiasts, particularly duck and chicken lovers, we urge you to stop by Pearl River at your earliest convenience!
If you want some peace and quiet, we believe you can find it here too. Although their location is a bit out of the way, the inside was not as packed as the others.
With their cosy environment, we think you can easily relax here with your loved ones – great for enjoying your favourite comfort food.
Initially, we believed that they were better known for their standard Chinese takeaway, but we’re glad that they have a good inside seating area too.
Many customers we talked to also vouch for their Chow Mein dish! We’d love for you to try their spicy box and curry as well.
Not only that, but their staff is also friendly and generous! They were helpful with our other needs throughout.
We just want to note that their restaurant may be too cold for some customers. We think it’s best to bring a jacket if you’re staying for a while.
We also think they could do a bit more cleaning as well. We know this would be more fitting since many customers also celebrate special occasions here like birthdays.
Overall, we believe you can enjoy tasty and healthy food options here in Pearl River at relatively cheap prices!
Pros
- Good selection
- Relatively cheap
- Good portions
- Friendly staff
Cons
- Restaurant may be too cold to some
- May need a bit more cleaning
Customer Reviews
Great
“Great staff, tasty food (big portions too) and they were very careful in asking for the COVID certs which was great.” – J P (CyberByte727)
Would definitely recommend it
“Never once had I have to give a bad review to one of the staff, the prices aren’t too high and the staff are so friendly, they would always put a smile on your face. The food is really nice and starters are cheap. My favourite thing about their restaurant is their chicken wings. Would definitely recommend it.” – Kelsey Horgan
FAQs About Chinese Restaurant in Cork
And there you go! We hope you liked our review of some of the best Chinese restaurants in Cork and may you satisfy your cravings soon.
If you want to find more food-related articles, start with our review of the best cooking classes in Dublin to learn more!