A new influence and an interior uplift allow for an ever-evolving dining experience at Rare Restaurant in Kinsale
Rare has continually evolved since opening in 2020, executed by Managing Director Ciaran Fitzgerald and Head Chef Meeran Manzoor. With the menu influenced by Meeran’s Tamil Nadu heritage, changes have been made to the interiors to equal the refinement in Rare’s unique menu and the marriage of Irish produce to Indian flavours.
Born in Chennai, India, Meeran Manzoor started cooking for his family at age 12. At the age of 17, he moved to London to do a Bachelor’s Degree in Culinary Arts. He went on to work in the Metropolitan Hotel Park Lane and then 45 Park Lane at The Dorchester. From there he went to Florida’s Frenchman’s Creek and then onto Belgium, where he worked in a number of prolific restaurants.
Meeran took the Executive Chef position at The Blue Haven Collection in 2019. The concept of Rare was born throughout Covid from Meeran’s vision of bringing all that he had learned and applying it to incredible local producers. During the numerous lockdowns, he worked on bringing the concept to life, designing the kitchen, and spending time visiting and getting to know local artisan suppliers.
Meeran said, “The style of food is very simple – let the local seasonal ingredients shine and my food dances when the energy is happy. Using influence from rural south Indian cuisines and techniques, we use flavours to uplift our locally sourced ingredients”
With the new enhancements to the dining room’s look and feel, Rare provides an ever-evolving experience to its guests. Speaking about the recent changes Ciaran said, “Our ethos in Rare is the fusion of the best local produce on our doorstep in Cork, with the incredible creativity, techniques and passion of our chefs, drawing on their own food experiences from both their classical training and creative food journeys. Our goal was to reflect this in our decor and styling of Rare”
Locally sourced ingredients extend beyond the food menu, with a carefully curated cocktail menu including locally foraged ingredients and spirits sourced in West Cork distilleries prepared by the restaurant’s master mixologist. Rare also houses a unique Irish whiskey collection featuring rare and exclusive whiskeys. Wines are exclusively selected by Rare’s expert sommelier and include organic, vegan, and biodynamic wines.
The cocktail menu includes their own creations such as ‘The Perfect Spritz’ or ‘Mexican Rabbits’, plus their take on classics. ‘Mai Oh Mai’ is the Rare version of a Mai Tai. Sip on one while enjoying the new artworks by local artist Philip Grey which adorn the walls.
Keep up to date with the latest news by following Rare on social at @rarekinsale
