Terre Castlemartyr Resort CORK Chef Vincent Crepel adds a dash of theatre to an ambitiously modern fine-dining restaurant on a traditional Irish estate. Words: Shanna McGoldrick • Photography: © Barry Murphy
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winter mist rolls through the mossy ruins of an 800-year-old castle built by The Knights Templar, slinks across frostbitten parklands stretching towards a glassy lake and wraps itself
around a stately-looking 17th-century manor house. The scene ticks just about every box on the Irish fairytale fantasy checklist – and indeed Castlemartyr Resort, which sits on 220 acres of manicured countryside just outside of Cork, does an excellent line in Celtic charm. But following Singapore-based Stanley Quek and Loh Lik Peng’s purchase of the estate in 2021, the hotel has been quietly undergoing something of a cosmopolitan, contemporary revival. Chief amongst the updates is the introduction of fine-dining restaurant Terre, which opened its doors in September. The venue is the theoretical and culinary embodiment of French chef Vincent Crepel’s professional journey – which has taken him from the kitchens of Paris to Singapore – and it offers diners a heady gastronomic experience rooted in classical Gallic cooking injected with the zesty flavours of Asia, crafted using produce from Ireland’s verdant terroir. “The philosophy is based on hospitality, ingredients and the journey,” surmises Crepel. “It’s about welcoming people to a place with a lot of heritage that’s doing things in a modern way.” This journey isn’t merely conceptual: during the course of Terre’s tasting menu, guests move physically between various rooms that differ drastically in terms of ambiance and design. Things kick off in the salon, an historical and lavish space where drinks are served
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