Amanda was great. She sang to us twice and has an incredible voice. She showed us all through Cork and then took us to the English market and introduced us to the best vendors. We tried samples and came back the next day for full courses. Her recommendation for dinner was one of the best meals we had in Ireland.
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Kimberly
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Outstanding culinary tour in downtown Cork. Frances spoke lovingly and knowledgeably about this area in which she grew up. We had an Irish coffee in a very old Irish pub. Then we strolled through the English Market and enjoyed samples of local beef, sausage, fish, cheese, bread, strawberries, olives, and more. We concluded with pate, tomatoes & mozzarella, and a beer or wine at a different pub. We thoroughly enjoyed this tour and give it an A++. Highly recommend this experience in Cork. Frances provides a similar tour in Bordeaux, France which we would love to do someday.
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Anne R.
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I had an amazing first tour of Ireland with Frances and Bonner Travel! Our trip was Pottery based with a bonus of extra time spent learning about Ireland and emersing ourselves in the Irish culture. Frances was a wealth of knowledge, and although there were some glitches due to Covid, she found work-arounds that were suitable. I loved meeting and working with local artisans and exploring the different counties. The bulk of our time was spent in Kinsale and I would go back in a heartbeat! Thank you Frances for making our trip such a joy!
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Wendy I
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I've just returned from my best vacation ever, 2 weeks in Ireland, with the international potter's group (ICAN), arranged by Francis at Bonner travel, for 22 travellers. There were both potters attending workshops and non-potters on our tour of the Emerald Isle, so alternate activities were arranged for workshop times. Francis rose to the challenge of herding so many cats and went beyond expectations to ensure enjoyable experiences were had by all. Frances kept us very informed, advised and entertained during our excursions. She had the best cuisine recommendations, shops to visit and assistance with reservations for our unplanned time. Our tour driver was very knowledgeable about the highways and byways and got us safely and very comfortably shuttled around, from Dublin to Kinsale and the Wild Atlantic Way, with sights to be enjoyed off the beaten path. Our tour was a perfect mix of scheduled itinerary vs spontaneous opportunity, (such as the hilarious and spooky premier return of the Kinsale Ghost tour from Covid hiatus). Our tour would have been a good value at twice the price, for the memories and new friends made. I didn't want to leave Ireland when it was time to go. I'm planning to return soonest. Bonner Travel will be the first call I make to arrange a much longer stay.
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Colette D.
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I really enjoyed this tour. I found it very interesting and loved the the local stories that the guide (Frances) shared with us about the people and places of Cork. We walked around and sampled hand-made sweets, Irish coffees and even Oysters in the English Market. We then had lunch in a lovely old bar off the main drag. The city is small enough to stroll around, so you don't need to be super fit to take part :-). I didn't know any of the people in the group, but made some friends during the day. Highly recommend if you are a foodie like me.
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Kristin M.
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I had a great time on the Cork Culinary Tour with Frances. It was informative, interesting and full of tasty treats. Frances is a local and knows the history of the city. Highly recommend.
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Ciara D.
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This was a great event, easily organized. Francis was a super guide with loads of information, lots of great tasting and of course the amazing Irish Coffee. Thanks Francis for an amazing experience.
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Claire
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Perfect choice of food and drink places: from the English market to Le Chateau (the only pub on St. Patrick's street with a load of history). We walked from one place to another while listening to countless fascinating historical facts. Loved the Irish coffee and the seafood chowder! Yum :)
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Olga S.
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The tour was excellent. Went very smooth, we felt welcomed at every place we visited. Had a pleasure to taste best local snacks Cork has to offer. I live in Kinsale for more than 10 years and did not suspect that there yet were some local gems to discover so close from where I live. Learnt a lot of interesting history facts about the food industry in Cork area. Well done Frances!
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Pasha
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I took this tour last week and loved every minute. It is a great way to see the city and taste some of the best locally produced food. Fran,our guide was outstanding . Not only did we have delicious food but we also got lots of history on Cork. Try not to eat before you attend!! Leave room a perfect Irish coffee,Irish cheeses,award winning marmalades,fresh oysters and fish, and top it all off with a light lunch and beverage. I highly recommend this Cork Culinary tour to anybody who wants to discover the city and the best local food.
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Ella
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My friend Kirsty and I went on this tour and I'm so happy we did. It was fantastic!! It was such an enjoyable day. Valerie our tour guide was so knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions we asked. She gave us as much time as we needed in each place. We learned so much about the history of Cork while indulging in some yummy oysters, local cheeses, local handmade sweets and many more...We finished the day off with lunch in the Bodega (which I would highly recommend). Leo the owner gave us a history lesson on the building and had many great stories to tell. It was a very relaxed tour with just enough history to take it all in and delicious food along the way. Definitely a must do tour!!
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Tracy K.
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My friend and I had a great time on this tour! It's perfect for a number of reasons....there was just the right amount of history, food samples, drinks and shopping! As well as a great lunch! Our tour guide Valerie was excellent! She was extremely helpful and even gave us information on other places to visit while in Cork. I would recommend this tour to anyone - foodies or not.
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Joanne M.
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Originally from Cork but living abroad so joined Valerie on her tour, truly a memorable experience, a walk down memory lane, I was blown away by the English Market. Overall a terrific way to get to know the wonderful city of Cork, its eateries and the lovely Château Bar on Patrick St. Valerie makes everyone feel so welcome. Thrilled I went along.
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Marelise
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I and my two friends enjoyed the tour very much! Valerie was our tour guide and simply gorgeous. Our group was very small and consisted only of us, 3 other people and Valerie. This was very nice and created a familiar atmosphere. The food is delicious and also the hosts of each stop are very nice and attentive. Last but not least, one gets to know a lot of Cork and its food industry and each stop. Highly recommend it!
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CVS
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This is a SPECTACULAR tour. Very intimate and DELICIOUS. Valerie was a charming guide and added a very personal touch.
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SRD
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I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who goes to Cork. You learn and see so much about the city while trying delicious food. We had Fran as our tour guide and she was amazing!!! She was a local of Cork and brought a personal touch to the tour. We even had teenagers on the tour and she made sure we stopped at the local candy shop for them. It was really thoughtful. Everyone was so welcoming and the food was to die for.
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Meghan
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A great way to get a taste of Cork City! I really enjoyed this tour on a misty day in the city which started off with an excellent Irish Coffee in the historic Le Chateau pub on Patrick Street followed by tastings of oysters and smoked fish, local cheeses, chocolates and strawberries during a tour of the famous English Market in the city centre. It was great to be greeted by the local stall holders who filled us in on the history of this bustling market before our very knowledgeable guide, Frances from Cork city, led us past a few local historic pubs in the area before we settled down in the Bodega - set in the old original Irish market for fish and meat - for a delicious lunch of seafood chowder and smoked salmon served with brown soda bread. If you love food and historic buildings you will love this tour - I would recommend!
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Helen
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Frances our excellent guide started us off with a pre lunch Irish Coffee before we enjoyed the delights of the English Market which is a great place to visit and enjoy the range of stalls and quality food. The characterful Irish Market was the final stop on a highly engaging tour. Our group was small - 5 - a couple, two friends and a solo and with Frances talking interestingly both of food and the city, we all quickly got on well. Tour is rightly recommended as is the City of Cork itself.
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Childwall
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I truly recommended the tour to anyone visiting or living in Cork . I loved every bit of it! The group was perfect size with friendly atmosphere and Francesa, our guide was very passionate and knowledgeable Lady. The tour was not only a sampling of delicious local produce but also a great lesson of Cork's history. Thank you very much for a great day!
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Piotr B.
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Frances was a delight, as was Kinsale (where we ultimately ended up). It was a nice wee tour. Recommended.
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Peter S.
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We had an amazing time on our tour with our guides Valerie and Karen. The food was delicious and they made sure that we were happy with what we were seeing, eating, and learning about the entire time! It was a great way to explore Cork and we had a great time. Would recommend to all!!
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Stefanie M.
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Although the weather was dreadful, Susanna did a great job as she took us to four different food venues. I tried many foods that normally I would not have chosen. We were also introduced to food venues that I would have missed if we were not taken there by Susanna.
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Margaret N.
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Absolutely fantastic tour with Karen from Bonner Travel. A lovely way to explore Cork by foot whilst learning about Cork's history and stories about the locals. The food was out of this world. Our small group of six kicked off with the best Irish Coffee I have ever tasted at one of Cork's oldest bars - a great way to make friends with our fellow tourists! Delicious food at every stop: cheeses & chutneys, organic fruit, sausages, oysters, prawns, crayfish, anchovies, spiced beef and smoked salmon on sourdough and a bowl of traditional seafood chowder and sample of the local stout to end. And handmade chocolates! So much fun. Karen went out of her way to show us the Rory Gallagher statue (my husband's idol), the Crawford Art Museum and we stopped to view the inside of a beautiful old church. Throughout, Karen was a font of knowledge giving us information on where to go for great food, music & art & what to explore in Cork and surrounds. We did this tour on our first day in Cork which was a great way to get the lay of the land. Highly recommend!
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Mel C.
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Had an amazing tour. The food was delicious at each stop and the Cork history was informative. Very well organized and fun. Thank you Bonner Travel! I want all my friends from the US to go on this tour if they are in Cork. Thank you.
