Orso go for Pembroke

“WE’VE enough on our plate for the moment,” says foodie Conrad Howard, one of an entrepreneurial trio that opened its third Cork eating house this week.

He, his wife Judy Howard, and their business partner Tracey Corbett, are cementing a 20-year career in the hospitality business in London and Cork cities, adding Orso to their business tally that includes the brewery Elbow Lane, the Market Lane Restaurant — which employs 46 — and The Castle (another 28 jobs here) at Blackrock Castle.

Not bad for a downturn, and since redundancy loomed for Conrad Howard back in 2007 when the Bodega, which he’d managed, changed hands, prompting thoughts of going it alone.

Driven by an instinct, respect for food and ability to see openings in the market, Orso, on the city’s Pembroke Street facing the venerable Imperial Hotel, is now helping to swell a critical mass of quality eating, drinking and entertainment spots in what’s a bit of an unexpected resurgence in tough trading times. It’s to be managed by Dee Munnelly.

A slick, tempting to the eye premises and now employing seven, Orso, with its 400 sq ft at ground level and 250 sq ft kitchen overhead, snuggles up to one of Cork’s most recent super-successful venues, Arthur Maynes, which was opened earlier this spring by the irrepressible Benny McCabe and which casually links back to one of McCabe’s other rocking ventures, Crane Lane.

Also new-ish on Pembroke Street by the GPO are the Imperial’s Fish Hatch, and the Bookshelf cafe by South Mall, while bars like Counihans and Cantys are old hands at putting out the welcome mat — Canty’s this year celebrated 120 years in business. “And what I like about the street is the fact that there’s such a variety of business here, with some very long established family firms; it’s far from an identikit line of retailers,” notes Howard.

While there’s one definable nucleus now at Pembroke Street, there’s another built up by the trio’s first joint venture, Market Lane up the way on Oliver Plunkett Street by Milanos: it includes a reinvigorated Meades wine bar with food offering, leased by Finbarr Bradley of The Roundy, and adjuncts like Mahers coffee and Brennans cookware shop, while close by is Idaho. “There’s a lot of local heroes in Cork right now, like Idaho, Liberty Grill and Star Anise: the standard in Cork has come on in leaps and bounds in the last 10 years,” say Orso’s founders.

The premises (previously Peppercorns) was vacant for several years, and is now graced by a bold limestone slab with the name Orso lettered on it. Agent Cearbhall Behan of Frank V Murphy & Co acted for Orso, who’ve a 25-year lease. Rents in the hinterland average €30 psf.

Opening daily at 8am, menu is North African meets Mediterranean via Cork, with coffees, teas, cocktails (it’s open three nights a week) and its own four Elbow Lane beers on hand.

Details Frank V Murphy & Co 021-4274204, www.orso.ie