15 Best Places for Lunch in Midleton: A Chefs Guide

Looking for lunch in Midleton, my list of the best places for lunch in Midleton will include everything you need. Below, you will find a list of some of the best restaurants and cafes serving up excellent lunches in Midleton.

From the best places to sit in for lunch to lunch on the go, this list has everything you need to choose the best place for lunch in Midleton.

Make sure to read my list of the Best Restaurants in Midleton and my Things to do in Midleton for a full list of where to go and where to eat.

Sit Down Lunch in Midleton

1. Lunch at Roastie Midleton

best burger in cork Roastie Midleton

Roastie in Midleton is one of the top places to have a sit-down lunch in Midleton town. The Restaurant offers free parking in the riverside car park, just a short walk from the main street.

Roastie does not offer sandwiches on its lunch menu, but it’s an excellent spot for a salad, burger, or fantastic fish and chips. If you want something light, I highly recommend their Goat Cheese Salad. Their Caesar salad is flavoured, but you may opt for the small Caesar, as the significant portion will keep you full until the following day.

Another lovely dish is their chicken or duck liver pate, which is a nice treat for lunch if you want something to enjoy with a glass of lunch wine (lunch wine should be a thing!).

If you are in the mood for chips, here’s a secret dish off the menu, but if you ask, they will make it. Ask for their Garlic Chips with Cheese. It’s their house fries with mature cheddar cheese and homemade garlic mayo. Just say JJ recommended it, and they will know who told you.

For more information, visit the Roastie Restaurant website.

2. Leonardos Italian Bistro Lunch Midleton

Leonardos Bistro Midleton
Photos via Leonardos Midleton

Leonardos Italian Bistro is located along Midleton Main Street and is very popular with the locals. Leonardos Bistro is a nice little spot to pop in for lunch during the week and is usually pretty busy, so you will nearly always be guaranteed a seat.

Leonardos Bistro is open from noon most days of the week, so it’s always an excellent option for lunch in Midleton. They offer a range of Italian pasta dishes, pizzas, burgers, and fish. Their steak sandwich is famous.

The dining room is painted white, adorable, and cool in the summertime, which can be a nice break from the summer sun when we get it. They also have an enclosed outdoor seating area. I would avoid this seating area because it is mainly used by diners who smoke.

If you visit Leonardos, bring cash, as their card machine has been “broken” for several years. 

For more information, visit Leonardoes Restaurant‘s website.

3. Pan Restaurant Lunch Midleton

Pan Cafe Midleton
Photos via Pan Midleton

Pan Restaurant in Midleton is located on the lower end of Midleton Main Street. It has gained a following for providing some of the best breakfasts in Midleton town and also serves a great lunch in Midleton.

Pan Cafe Midleton serves toasted sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, and desserts. It can get hectic sometimes, so you may have to wait for a table during lunch.

The food is delicious, and the salads and sandwiches use a lot of local produce. It’s an excellent spot for a coffee with a friend, a toasted sandwich, and soup.

Pan is usually our go-to spot for a breakfast treat now and then, but it’s also an excellent choice for a sit-down lunch in Midleton.

For more information, visit the Pan Cafe Facebook page.

4. The Granary Foodstore Lunch Midleton

the granary foodstore Midleton
Photos via The Granary Foodstore Midleton

The Granary Foodstore in Midleton is a hidden secret only locals know about. You will find the Granary Foodstore down the side lane beside the Black Barrel Restaurant along Midleton Main Street.

This is where regular locals sit with a cup of tea or coffee, a slice of cake, and a chat. The store is rustic, but the food is homemade and delicious.

The Granary Foodstore is an excellent place for lunch in Midleton because they use only the best local ingredients, some of which they sell inside the store. From local Ice Cream to vegetables, the Granary Foodstore is a little gem hidden in Midleton.

For lunch in Midleton, you can expect homemade lasagna, shepherd’s pie, fish pie, quiche and a range of salads and wraps.

For more information, visit the Granary Foodstore website.

5. BiteSize Cafe Lunch Midleton

Bitesize Cafe Midleton
Photos via Bitesize Cafe Midleton

BiteSize Cafe in Midleton is another nice little spot for lunch. Often known for great coffee, BiteSize is a great place to pop in for a quick lunch. 

Located along Main Street in Midleton, the BiteSize cafe offers a variety of ready-made sandwiches and wraps, as well as sweet treats such as pastries, scones, and cakes. They also have an excellent selection of canapes and, recently, have started offering toasted sandwiches. 

There is a small area for sitting inside and a small section outdoors for dining. BiteSize Cafe is an excellent place for lunch in Midleton, where you can meet friends over good coffee and a freshly made scone.

For more information, visit the BiteSize Cafe website.

6. O’Briens Sandwich Cafe Lunch Midleton

O'Briens Cafe Midleton
Photos via O’Briens Cafe Midleton

O’Briens Sandwich Cafe in Midleton is another excellent option for lunch in Midleton if you want a sandwich. 

Located across from the Library on Main Street in Midleton, O’Briens Sandwich Cafe is part of a chain of sandwich cafes across Ireland that serves a delicious range of sandwiches.

With seating inside, O’Briens is excellent for a quick bite inside or an order for takeaway.

For more information, visit the O’Briens Sandwich Cafe’s Facebook page.

7. Al’s Restaurant Lunch Midleton

Als Restaurant Midleton
Photos via Al’s Restaurant Midleton

Al’s Restaurant is located in Market Green Shopping Centre and is a perfect spot for lunch in Midleton.

With ample seating inside, Al’s Restaurant always has space for someone looking for a quick lunch in Midleton.

Al’s Restaurant makes a range of sandwiches and home-cooked foods to order. Most days, when you enter the Market Green Shopping Centre, you can smell the aroma of Curry from the direction of Al’s Restaurant. Their Chicken curry is a very popular lunchtime dish.

If you are in a hurry, Al’s Restaurant has a range of premade sandwiches, wraps, and paninis ready to go from its service counter, making it the perfect place for a quick lunch in Midleton.

For more information, visit Al’s Restaurant Instagram page.

8. Ballyseedy Cafe Lunch Midleton

Ballyseedy Cafe Midleton
Photos via Ballyseedy Cafe Midleton

Another great spot for lunch in Midleton is the Ballyseedy Cafe. It is beside the CoOp, Market Green Shopping Centre, and the Fire Station.

Here, you can get the usual made-to-order sandwiches and wraps, soup of the day or a range of cooked dishes.

From fish and chips to their veggie burger or dirty fries, they have much to offer for a tasty lunch in Midleton.

Parking is free, and there is plenty of it, which is a bonus. It’s also away from the busy main street, so you don’t have to deal with the busy traffic going through Midleton Town.

For more information, visit the Ballyseedy Cafe Facebook page.

9. Salinas Bistro Lunch Midleton

salinas Bistro Midleton
Photos via Salinas Bistro Midleton

Salinas Bistro, located on Main Street Midleton, next to Homesavers, is a good choice for lunch in Midleton. Salinas is renowned for its delicious Middle Eastern food. Dishes like their lamb kofta and mezze platter are a delicious treat for a tasty lunch in Midleton.

The customer service at Salinas Bistro is fantastic, and you will always be guaranteed the best service each time you visit. Plenty of seating is available, so it’s an excellent place for a walk-in lunch in Midleton.

For more information, visit Salinas Bistro’s Instagram page.

10. The Pantry Cafe Lunch Midleton

The Pantry Cafe Midleton
Photos via Ballyseedy Cafe Midleton

The Pantry Cafe in Midleton is a small cafe offering delicious lunch. Located a short distance from the Jameson Distillery, the Pantry offers a range of tasty burgers on its lunch menu. Besides their burgers, you will find delicious home-cooked beef stew, lasagna, cottage pie, fish and chips and Asian stir-fried noodles.

The PantryPantry offers a selection of pizzas on its lunch menu and a small kids’ menu. The Pantry is an excellent choice for lunch with friends or family in Midleton.

For more information, visit the Pantry Cafe website.

Grab and Go Lunch Midleton

11. Toastie Cafe

Toastie Cafe Midleton
Photos via Ballyseedy Cafe Midleton

Toastie Cafe is located next to the Library on the main street in Midleton. This unique cafe serves a fantastic range of toasted sandwiches for which they are renowned. Toasties probably have some of the best coffee in Midleton, and you will often see people queuing early in the morning to get their coffee fix.

As well as delicious toasted sandwiches, they also have delicious pizza subs and probably one of the best hotdogs in Midleton. Made using German sausage served in a crisp roll with their homemade coleslaw, curry mayo, and crispy onion, it has to be tried to be believed.

You will also get a range of fantastic ready-made salads, pastries, sweet treats and more.

Toastie is a real hub in Midleton, and the town would be a different place if they weren’t serving their top-class food with fantastic service.

For more information, visit Toastie Cafe’s Instagram page.

12. Monty’s Cafe

Montys Cafe Midleton
Photos via Montys Cafe Midleton

Monty’s Cafe in Midleton is another excellent option for lunch on the go. It is located at the bottom of the main street, near the Jameson Distillery, and offers the perfect place for a quick lunch.

Besides serving fantastic coffee, Monty’s Cafe also serves delicious, made-to-order sandwiches, paninis and one of my favourites, their pear and almond scones.

For more information, visit Monty’s Cafe Facebook page.

13. An Poc Fada

An Poc Fada Midleton
Photos via An Poc Fada Midleton

An Poc Fada on Distillery Walk has served Midleton for over a decade. It’s the go-to place in the morning to grab a sandwich or a roll before work for people going to school and work.

They have a range of ready-made rolls and sandwiches on display, or they can make them to order. They also have a selection of hot food from their deli counter that is great for a quick bite for lunch.

For more information, visit An Poc Fada’s Facebook page.

14. Kennedy On The Green

Kennedy on the green midleton
Photos via Kennedy on the Green Midleton

Kennedy on the Green is a popular place in Midleton where people regularly meet for coffee and a chat. The seating is limited, but outside seating is also available for those with some time to spare for a coffee.

Kennedy is an excellent option for lunch on the go in Midleton. Its ham and cheese-filled croissants, as are its range of sandwiches, wraps, and salads, are delicious.

For more information, visit Kennedy On The Green Facebook page.

15. Subway Midleton

Lunch in Midleton
Photos via Subway Midleton

Who doesn’t love a sneaky Subway for lunch? Subway in Midleton is located across from Market Green Shopping Centre. It is one of the busiest places for lunch on the go in Midleton, where people will be queuing for food during their lunch break. Luckily, the staff there are excellent and quickly get through orders.

Everyone knows what Subway does. It has decent sandwich subs with a drink and a cookie or crisps.

If you want to grab food on the go for lunch in Midleton, then Subway is a great option.

For more information, visit Subway Midleton’s website.

Midleton Lunch Spots

Whether you’re looking for a sit-in lunch or lunch on the go, this list of the best places for lunch in Midleton will have you covered.

We are fortunate to be blessed with a great choice of places for lunch in Midleton. 

Getting out and supporting local businesses when possible is even more critical these days. Buying the odd lunch here and there from one of these businesses helps keep your money in the local economy. It also helps these businesses stay in business, which is excellent for everyone.

About the author
J.J. Sheridan
My Name is JJ Sheridan, born in Cork Ireland but spent most of my childhood in County Tipperary. I've been a Chef for a large number of years and have worked in a number of award winning restaurants. I love using local ingredients whenever possible in my food so that I can showcase the best of Irish. My passion is to share with you the best restaurants across Ireland from a Chefs perspective. For many years restaurants have been at the hands of the "food critic". Most of the time these critics will visit the same old restaurants and heap praise on them. Often forgetting about the smaller restaurants who are paving the way for Irish Cuisine. My Goal is to higlight all restaurants, especially the ones the so called food experts never visit and give you a complete list of the best Irish Restaurants to visit.

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