Best places to eat in Clonakilty

The Field Kitchen at Camus Farm, now in its sixth season is firmly established as a West Cork destination for seekers of special dining experiences. As an organic Farm, sustainability, biodiversity and animal welfare are at the heart of everything. Set in the West Cork hills close to Clonakilty and Rosscarbery, the award-winning Restaurant offers an authentic farm-to-table experience, with much of the produce grown on the Farm. Proprietors, Victor and Deborah, bought Camus Farm in 2006 and set about renovating the derelict stone barns, in which they now reside. The Farm is centred on 3 large stone-built barns dating from 1850. They took a regenerative approach to farming from the outset and have been organic certified since 2011. The Field Kitchen Restaurant opened in 2020 winning ‘Newcomer of the Year Award’ and subsequently listed in ‘The Irish Times Guide to 100 of the Best Places to Eat in Ireland’ and in their ‘Top 7 Outdoor Dining Spots’. The farm-to-fork zero waste ethos attracting considerable national and international media coverage. All courses are homemade from fresh ingredients. Vegetables, grown in our walled garden and two large tunnels, are harvested hours before service to ensure maximum freshness. We offer outstanding vegetarian and vegan menus along with gluten-free and dairy-free options. Specify any special dietary requirements on booking. The food is complimented by local craft beers on draught and old world wines featuring small scale producers. Performing arts have always featured strongly at Camus Farm utilising the buildings and land as natural venues for theatre and music. Summer entertainment at Camus Farm includes the first Sunday each month from May to July, culminating in ‘Fair Days’ Music Festival on August Holiday Weekend. Education programmes attract many school, college and club tours to the farm which allows us to showcase our approach to sustainable practices and eco-tourism. Our outreach programme takes us into schools and clubs to give presentations about organic farming and sustainable business practices. Recent additions include walkways and nature trails around the farm allowing visitors to get up close to the cattle and wildlife. Peregrine falcons, kestrels and buzzards are regularly seen, and dusk brings bats along with occasional sightings of owls. One of the earliest Irish domesticated cattle breeds, the Dexter, descended from the predominantly black livestock of the early Celts, were selected for the Camus Farm herd. The smallest native breed of cattle in Ireland, hardy and dual-purpose, producing excellent beef and milk. The herd is now used mainly for conservation grazing to maintain the permanent pastures on the farm. Sustainable practices include water drawn from the on-Farm well. Solar thermal panels contribute to our hot water and solar photovoltaic panels contribute to our electrical power. A large log-burning stove, using our own farm grown firewood provides the heating over Winter. The small amount of food waste generated by the Restaurant is composted on-farm and used to improve our soils. This supports our zero waste and zero food miles ambitions. Biodiversity is prioritised through our organic farming practices and through our establishment of permanent pastures, hedgerows and tree groves. Organic also means that we don’t apply herbicides or pesticides. The grasslands were seeded with a mixture of heritage grasses such as dogstail, cocksfoot and foxtail, along with clovers. The field boundaries are marked by hedges using native species such as hawthorn, blackthorn and buckthorn. The groves feature native trees such as oak, ash and alder. Over the years these have become full hedgerows and mature trees. Animal welfare is also prioritised through our organic farming practices and extensive farming methods which allocate increased grazing areas per head of cattle. Our cattle are not castrated, dehorned or given routine antibiotics. Over Winter they are housed in a large open-plan straw-bedded shed. Beyond the restaurant, there are nature trails and farm walks to explore with panoramic views over Clonakilty Bay, or get up close to our suckler herd of native Irish Dexter Cattle. The Restaurant also offers free camping and free overnight parking for diners. The Field Kitchen Restaurant is one of the best places to eat in Clonakilty. Authentic farm-to-table farm-to-fork experience.