Above: Sinead Ryan, Imperial Hotel; Alfonso Giugciano, Cornstore; Jennifer Lipinski, .Oyster Tavern, Bryan McCarthy, Greenes Restaurant & Cask; and Ronan Marshell, CoqBull, at the launch of the Cork Gourmet Trail. Photo: Joleen Cronin

The Cork Gourmet Trail, a popular trail for food lovers, returns on Saturday September 22nd with a special black tie dinner in aid of a worthy cause.

The day will begin with a drinks reception at noon at the Metropole Hotel’s Met Bar. Following on from that there will be a culinary tour of Cork that will take in some of the area’s best restaurants. Some of the restaurants taking part include Amicus, Cask, The Cornstore, Greenes, The Imperial Hotel, Docklands, Tequila Jacks, The Old Town Whiskey Bar at Bodega, Crawford & Co, The New Yorker Bar & Bistro, Olivo and The Oyster Tavern.

The trail will last until approximately 5pm and then guests will return to the Metropole Hotel for the Gourmet Trail after party with a DJ playing from 8pm. On successful completion of the trail, guests will be awarded with a goody bag. The theme of the trail is ‘hats’ and there will be prizes for the ‘Most Seafaring Hat’. Imaginations at the ready.

That evening, the Metropole will host a fundraising black tie gala dinner in aid of the RNLI in the hotel’s ballroom from 7pm. Each of the courses will be prepared by a different celebrity chef, with music to be provided by the Roaring Forties.

“We are really excited that the Metropole Hotel is the starting point for the hugely successful Cork Gourmet Trail,” said Aaron Mansworth, Group General Manager for the Trigon Hotel Group, of which the Metropole is a member. “This is such a great way to sample what’s on offer from restaurants and hotels around Cork and is a fantastic opportunity to show off menus”.

Commenting on the black tie dinner he said: “We are also really excited about the gala dinner in aid of the RNLI and we are delighted to support such a fantastic charity. September is going to be a very exciting month in all of our hotels.”

Tickets for the Gourmet Trail and the RNLI ball are currently on sale on Eventbrite at €75 per person for the Gourmet Trail and €65 per person for the black tie gala dinner.