Ichigo Ichie

Ichigo Ichie is the only kaiseki restaurant in Ireland. Chef-patron Takashi Miyazaki trained in Kyoto and Osaka before settling in Cork, opening the restaurant in 2018; the Michelin star arrived in 2019. The 24-seat dining room sits on Sheares Street, a five-minute walk from the English Market.

A single omakase menu runs at €165 per person and changes monthly. The progression follows the classical kaiseki structure — sakizuke, hassun, mukouzuke, takiawase, yakimono, shiizakana, shokuji, kanmi — but uses Irish ingredients where the tradition would call for Japanese. Castletownbere scallops for sashimi. West Cork ribeye for the yakimono. Wexford strawberries in the kanmi.

The name 'Ichigo Ichie' translates loosely as 'one time, one meeting' — a Japanese tea-ceremony concept that treats each encounter as unrepeatable. The kitchen cooks for one seating per evening; there is no turnover and no second round. Dinner begins at 19:30 and runs until roughly 22:30.

Sake pairings (€95 and €140 flights) are the kitchen's other genuine achievement. Miyazaki curates the list personally and includes several Japanese producers who are exclusive to the restaurant in Ireland. The non-alcoholic tea pairing (€65) is equally well-considered.

Ichigo Ichie is the best solo-dining experience in Ireland. The counter format means every seat faces the kitchen; the 2.5-hour pacing and the sake service remove any awkwardness of dining alone. Book a Tuesday or Wednesday evening for the quietest sittings. For impress-clients dining, the counter is also the play — the shared pacing around a single omakase removes the business-dinner artifice and creates an evening that feels personal rather than transactional.