Oh Mio Mai-o
Posted on October 3, 2008, by Conor O'Neill, under Cork, Food, Restaurants, Reviews.
We’ve had a couple of very good reviews of Mio on LouderVoice and finally got a chance to try it out last Sunday. A brilliant meal in a beautiful but shockingly empty restaurant. We’ll be back soon.
Granny Mary shooed us out the door at 5pm on Sunday and we tootled down to Clon to Mio’s. Owned by the same people as the brilliant Gleenson’s, it is two doors up and upstairs.
The room is beautifully done with a nice Italian feel to the whole place. It was empty on arrival so we got the full attention of the very friendly waiter. A couple of Italian Moretti beers saw us through the meal and we had a hard time deciding what to pick. Both the main menu and specials looked good but with quite run-of-the-mill descriptions, which as as discovered when the food arrived, didn’t do it justice at all.
Catherine had a fantastic pate to start and I had pasta-wrapped prawns with a saffron aioli. Both with very good salad with a tasty dressing.
For main I had the Capricciosa pizza which had anchovies, capers, olives and an egg. One of the best pizzas I’ve eaten in the past ten years. Catherine had a classic Caesar sald with chicken. She couldn’t finish it, it was so big. Lovely leaves and dressing, beautifully moist chicken. She didn’t go for the whole anchovies in it tho. Might be best to mention as an option to people.
Two excellent double espressos finished the evening and we were out off home, fully sated.
Unfortunately not one other person came in whilst we were there. I so hope this was a timing thing and not a regular occurrence since Clon needs a place like this that serves great food in a relaxed setting. I am concerned that the menu outside gives no hint of the high quality of the food and could be mistaken for an Eddie Rockets style place. The prices are a little high but then I say that about everywhere.
If you like great pizza and great food in general but want it in a lovely relaxed welcoming setup then Mio is worth a detour. Next time I’m trying the burger.
5 Replies to "Oh Mio Mai-o"
mary on January 18, 2009
Well conor i contacted you in december i needed to tell someone about our terrible meal in The Malt House in Clonakilty and you answered me.But now i must tell you about the most unbelieveable meal my husband and myself had in Maramatice last night in Bandon .It was our 25th Wedding Anniversay,and we are so fed up eating in resturants in Clonakilty getting substandered food,which is totally overpriced and waitresses and waiters with a chip on their shoulder when you make a complaint. So we went to Maramatice it was the most beatiful meal we had in such a long long time. The staff were polite and extremely pleasant athmosphere was wonderful.I had a tiger prawn in Marie Rose sauce served beautifully in a long legged glass lovely fresh salad leaves and a tiny dish of home made potatoe wedges.My husband had chicken liver pate with an assortment of crackers it was so light it was beautiful.The reasturant was getting fairly full and it was still only 7.45.We had a bottle of chilien white at just 20 euro my god one cant quibble with that price could you. I had a perfectly cooked fillet steak with a garlic and herb butter on the side. My husband had duck breast on a bed of red cabbage absolutly beautiful.Our veg was a selection of snap peas, roasted parsnip and carrot and potatoes were sliced and in a herb butter and baked. The whole meal was terrific service was spot on and the decor in the reaturant was lovely.We paid 94 euro that was 2 starters 2 mains and a bottle of wine,we actually paid more in the Malt House 95 euro and we only had 1 starter and 2 mains and 1 bottle of wine.So i would advise anyone who might have a special night coming up definitly try the Maramatice Resturant on the quay in Bandon.It certainly was a treat indeed,and better still we were not put sitting on that dreaded sofa that everyone seems to hate.Conor you definitly go there and take youre wife im sure she would enjoy the treat because that was what it was for us.CHEERIO now.
Conor O'Neill on January 19, 2009
Thanks for letting us know about that Mary. It sounds like Marmatiece have definitely upped their game.
Ye know, you should really consider signing up for this great little Irish reviewing site I know called loudervoice.com 
We’d love to hear about all the places you’ve tried locally.
mary on January 31, 2009
i submitted to louder voice but trying to acess it is quite difficult. I
Conor O'Neill on January 31, 2009
Can you let me know what problems you had by email to conor AT loudervoice DOT com and I’ll hopefully sort you out?
JD on October 6, 2008
That pizza looks incredible. Really really good. We will have to take a visit there soon.