Lucinda O'Sullivan's Ireland

About The Restaurant

Clonakilty is a fantastic town, full of colour and atmosphere, from its long narrow streets lined with interesting shops and houses all painted in different colours, to its interesting, elegant and historic Georgian squares.  It is a very open and welcoming town that also has a wonderful statue of Michael Collins in Emmet Square.   It was whilst driving through Clonakilty one day that I got the most fantastic photo, quite by chance, of a colourful parrot in cage on a stand outside a house chattering away.  Clearly Mr. Parrot was out for an airing and to take in the local happenings!

Standing proud in this colourful town is An Sugan, long associated with good food in the area, and where over the years, and every year, we always have great fun with both family and friends.  There is a mighty atmosphere in An Sugan – really Irish as it should be – and you feel you are really part of the place when you are there.

You are in the heart of West Cork here so also in the heart of wonderful local shellfish and seafood from Union Hall, Castletownbere and Bantry Bay, not to mention local cheeses, and of course it is also the home of a very famous black pudding!   Starters on the evening menu indeed include a terrine of Clonakilty black and white pudding served with a tomato chutney sauce.  Homemade chicken liver pate is served with red onion marmalade, salad leaves, and toasted sourdough whilst deep fried West Cork Gubbeen cheese comes with a homemade Port and Cumberland sauce.  Warm Water Tiger prawns are crisp fried in batter and served with a spicy mayo whilst they also have fresh West Cork prawn farcies. As you would expect, they also do a mighty West Cork Seafood Chowder with chunks of fish and vegetables.   Watch out for great Tasting and Starter plates  – one featuring seafood with Bantry Bay Mussels, Union Hall smoked salmon, crab meat with mayo and dill, with wonderful brown bread, whilst the other has Gubbeen cheese, homemade chicken liver pate, Union Hall smoked and fresh salmon parfait, and crab meat in dill, all served with mixed leaves.  

You can choose between what they deem as lighter main courses such as traditional fresh fish and hand cut chips – which we all love – as well as West Cork Seafood pie.  Fresh Union Hall salmon and potato cakes are served with a lemon butter sauce and fresh leaves whilst their famous fresh local prawn farcies are tossed in garlic butter and topped with breadcrumbs and served with salad.
Main courses per se include roast half Silverhill duck, traditional style, falling off the bone with tenderness stuffed with potato and apple stuffing and served with an orange an Cointreau sauce.   They do a great Dublin Bay Prawn scampi with tartare sauce, as well as a wonderful scrumptious Duchesse of fresh Castletownbere scallops in Cognac and cream sauce topped with Round Tower cheese.  Of course they do a great Ballyburden sirloin steak with all the trimmings, whilst their signature dish is the An Sugan Atlantic Seafood Basket with fresh Dublin Bay prawns, Union Hall salmon, Castletownbere scallops, and West Cork monkfish in a white wine, cream and dill sauce, served in a filo basket.
There are always specials on the board, including lobster when available, and fresh fish of the day, which might be hake on a bed of leek, champ with a Hollandaise sauce or grilled plaice on the bone with Asian butter.

At lunchtime they do the aforementioned Tasting plate as well as great toasted sandwiches with O’Neill’s bacon or open West Cork Seafood sandwiches on brown bread with Marie Rose Sauce.   If you want something more substantial there is a wide selection including lasagna with salad and fries, their famous seafood pie, salmon and potato cakes with a citrus and chive mayo and salad, chicken goujons and Bantry Bay mussels.  Again, at lunchtime, there are always daily specials on the board.   They also do a children’s menu – just ask.

Those with a sweet tooth are also well catered for with a cracking dark Chocolate Marquise with mango coulis, steamed Sticky Toffee Pudding, Apple Pie with apples from Mealagulla Orchard, and lovely homemade lemon curd with crushed meringue and fresh cream.

The know how to feed you in Clon - you will leave An Sugan well fed, happy and contented!



 
 

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