Cork and Dublin have been named as the second and third friendliest cities in Europe.

The Condé Nast Reader's Choice Awards have handed the accolades to the Irish cities over rivals in Finland, Spain, Croatia and Slovenia.

Cork narrowly missed out on the top spot to the Italian city of Siena.

Helsinki, Belgrade, Malaga, San Sebastián, Dubrovnik, Bucharest and Ljubljana round out the top 10.

Announcing the awards, Condé Nast praised Cork's people and culinary scene.

"Although Cork might be the Republic of Ireland's second-largest city, the port town is even more friendly than the capital, according to our readers," it said.

"This place has a big personality, an exciting culinary scene, plenty of coffee shops, galleries, museums, and an iconic food market."

File photo shows the Samuel Beckett Bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin, in front of the Convention Centre Dublin

For Dublin, the publication suggested it was an "unsurprising inclusion."

"From curb-side fiddle-playing to lively nightlife that rages on into the early morning, Ireland's capital seamlessly combines its zest for life with nods to its radical history in the form of landmarks, museums, and the stories told by strangers-turned-friends met along the way," it said.

Dublin was also named as the fifth best city in Europe by readers.

"Millions of tourists descend on the Republic of Ireland’s capital each year - and it’s still a favourite among our readers, rounding out the top five," the publication said.

"A mass of fabulous new hotels in Dublin for every type of traveller [have] opened, alongside lots of exciting things to do, and the restaurants here are some of our favourites in Ireland," it added.

Main image: Shops and traffic on St Patrick's Street in Cork city in September 2014. Image: Eric James / Alamy Stock Photo