Patrick Guilbaud’s wins best restaurant in ireland at the IRISH RESTAURANT AWARDS 2015

• Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud named Best Restaurant in Ireland
• Mickael Viljanen of The Greenhouse crowned Best Chef in Ireland

May 26^th 2015, Dublin, Ireland.

Over 800 restaurateurs and industry players turned out in black tie at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2015 in the DoubleTree by Hilton on Monday May 25^th to celebrate their hard work and dedication at Ireland’s biggest ever Restaurant awards.  A lavish six course gala was created by the top five chefs in Ireland who had previously won at the Irish Restaurant Regional Awards.  Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud took home the prize of Best Restaurant in Ireland and Mickael Viljanen of The Greenhouse was crowned Best Chef in Ireland.  The Regional and All-Ireland winners were announced in the following categories

Best Restaurant in Ireland Sponsored by Dalcassian Wines & Spirits and Wakefield Wines

• Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

Best Chef in Ireland Sponsored by La Rousse

• Mickael Viljanen of The Greenhouse, Dublin

Best Hotel Restaurant in Ireland Sponsored by San Pellegrino

• The Oakroom Restaurant at Adare Manor Hotel, Limerick

Best Casual Dining in Ireland Sponsored by Total Produce

• Rua, Mayo

Best Gastro Pub in Ireland Sponsored by Bunzl McLaughlin

• The Poacher’s Pocket, Down

Best Wine Experience in Ireland Sponsored by Classic Drinks & Champagne Pannier

• OX, Antrim

Best Customer Service in Ireland Sponsored by TheTaste.ie

• Ristorante Rinuccini, Kilkenny

Best Newcomer in Ireland Sponsored by Elavon

• Deanes EIPIC, Belfast

Best Restaurant Manager in Ireland Sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants and Emiliana Organic Vineyards

• Saul McConnell of Deanes at Queens, Belfast

Best Kids Size Me in Ireland Sponsored by Heinz

• Beaufield Mews, Dublin

Local Food Hero, Ireland Sponsored by Rewarding Times

• Ronan Byrne “The Friendly Farmer”, Galway

Best Café in Ireland Sponsored by Aryzta and Coup de Pates

• Idaho Café, Cork

Best Cocktail Experience in Ireland Sponsored by Ketel One and Diageo Reserve

• Vintage Cocktail Club, Dublin

Best Cookery School in Ireland Sponsored by Avonmore

• Dublin Cookery School

Best Digital Marketing in Ireland Sponsored by Gansee Films

• The Happy Pear, Wicklow

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine in Ireland Sponsored by Odaios Foods

• Loam, Galway

Best Private Dining Club Restaurant in Ireland Sponsored by Richmond Marketing and Fever Tree

• Restaurant Forty One at Residence, Dublin

Best Seafood Experience in Ireland Sponsored by Keenan Seafood

• Fishy Fishy Restaurant, Cork

Best Eco Friendly Restaurant in Ireland Sponsored by Calor

• The Ocean Restaurant at The Maritime Hotel, Cork

Best World Cuisine in Ireland Sponsored by Curley’s Wiberg Ireland

• Ananda, Dublin

For a full list of winners, see below.

Anthony Gray, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland commented:

“This year’s awards have been the biggest, brightest and the best. They are the awards everyone wants to be associated with, and everyone wants to be a winner. As a testament to their success, we’ve seen a huge increase in nominations and votes since last year, with over 30,000 nominations for Ireland’s favourite restaurants, chefs, gastro pubs, hotel restaurants and restaurant managers throughout the country. The Irish Restaurant Awards are all about celebrating those who have brought acclaim to the Irish food scene from abroad and who keep the restaurant industry thriving at home.

Ireland has so much to offer to the culinary tourist, and these Awards remind everyone of the quality and class of Irish restaurants and Chefs. The Irish restaurant scene is vital to the economy, employing 72,000 people and generating revenue in excess of €2 billion per year, it’s great to celebrate the work that all of our restaurateurs around the country do to keep this aspect of our culture alive and kicking.”

The Menu for the six-course Gala was created by five chefs who had previously won Best Chef titles at the Irish Restaurant Regional Awards. This year’s sumptuous menu was devised by the following Chefs;

Opening Course- Frankie Mallon, An Port Mór – Connaught

Mary Regan’s Pork Belly with Apple and Kelly’s of Newport Black Pudding

Kindly sponsored by La Rousse Foods & Total Produce

Soup Course- Kevin Aherne, Sage – Munster

Skeaghanore Irish Duck Broth, Cured Yolk, Beech Mushrooms, Sea Radish, Potato Bread

Kindly sponsored by La Rousse Foods & Total Produce

Fish Course- Brian McMonagle, The Brewers House – Ulster

Keenan’s Irish Whiskey & Maple Cured Salmon, Picked White Crab, Apple and Red Hand Pale Ale Gel, Lemon Infused Broighter, Gold Rapeseed Oil, Apple Blossoms

Kindly sponsored by Keenan Seafood

Main Course- Stephen Gibson, Pichet – Dublin

Killenure Dexter Beef Brisket, Celeriac, Roast Carrots, Spring Cabbage Salsa

Kindly sponsored by La Rousse Foods & Total Produce

Dessert Course- Billy Whitty, Aldridge Lodge – Leinster

Valrhona Manjari Chocolate Torte, Dehydrated Meringue, Popping Candy, Mövenpick Raspberry Sorbet

Kindly sponsored by Odaios Foods

All Ireland Cheese Board

Killeen Farmhouse Goats Cheese (Connaught) – Carrigbyrne Humming Bark (Leinster)

Toonsbridge Dairy Smoked Scamorza (Munster) Causeway Cheese – Coolkeeran Cheddar with Northern Irish Dulse (Ulster)

Served with Corleggy Port Jelly and Peter’s Yard Crisp Breads

ABOUT THE AWARDS

The 2015 Irish Restaurant Awards are brought to you by The Restaurants Association of Ireland. The awards are the largest and most coveted awards in the Irish Restaurant Industry.

The Awards recognise achievement and excellence in the Restaurant and Hospitality Industry throughout the 32 counties of the Island of Ireland in 20 categories and celebrate all aspects of the Industry from Chefs and Restaurants, Cafes and Gastro Pubs, to Food Producers, Restaurant Managers and Cookery Schools.

The nomination & awards selection process is independently audited by BDO to ensure that best practices & standards have been adhered to throughout the process.

The 2015 Awards process ran from February 6th until 25th May 2015. It is a detailed and thorough process whereby nominated Restaurants face rigorous scrutiny from the Consumer, Regional Judges, a Mystery Guest Visitor and finally the National Awards Academy. The Irish Restaurant Awards are the only kind restaurant awards in the country that carry out mystery guest inspections.

County winners were announced at a number of Regional Awards during March and April and the All-Ireland Awards took place last night, Monday 25th May 2015 in the DoubleTree by Hilton, Dublin.

There are two phases of voting. Phase one comprises of the public nomination, which went online on www.irishtimes.com/irishrestaurantawards , bringing in over 30,000 votes in the three weeks of the public voting.

There are 3 components to phase two of the process;

1. Mystery Guest Visit (55%) This component of the awards is conducted by Prism Consulting headed by Hugo Arnold, independent food writer and consultant. All County Winners received a mystery guest visit throughout the month of April.
2. National Awards Academy (35%) Our National Awards Academy is made up representatives from each of the regional judging panels and met in May to Judge the County Winners.
3. Menu Judging (10%) All County winners and the Dublin Shortlist in each category were asked to submit a copy of their food menu and wine list for judging.

Full list of Regional & All-Ireland Award Winners:

Best Restaurant Kindly Sponsored by Dalcassian Wines & Spirits and Wakefield Wines

• Connaught – Kai Café & Restaurant, Galway
• Dublin – Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
• Leinster – Campagne, Kilkenny
• Munster – 1826 Adare, Limerick
• Ulster – Ox, Antrim
• All-Ireland- Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

Best Chef Kindly Sponsored by La Rousse

• Connaught – Jessica Murphy of Kai Café and Restaurant, Galway
• Dublin – Mickael Viljanen of The Greenhouse
• Leinster – Rob Krawczyk of Brabazon at Tankardstown House, Meath
• Munster – David Hurley of The Dining Room at Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare
• Ulster – Neven Maguire of MacNean House and Restaurant, Cavan
• All-Ireland- Mickael Viljanen of The Greenhouse, Dublin

Best Hotel Restaurant Kindly Sponsored by San Pellegrino

• Connaught- West at The Twelve, Galway
• Dublin – The Cliff Townhouse
• Leinster – The Cellar Restaurant at Step House Hotel, Carlow
• Munster – The Oakroom Restaurant at Adare Manor Hotel, Limerick
• Ulster – Ardtara Country House, Derry
• All-Ireland- The Oakroom Restaurant at Adare Manor Hotel, Limerick

Best Casual Dining Kindly Sponsored by Total Produce

• Connaught- Rua, Mayo
• Dublin – ETTO
• Leinster – Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill, Louth
• Munster – Liberty Grill, Cork
• Ulster – Graze, Antrim
• All-Ireland- Rua, Mayo

Best Gastro Pub Kindly Sponsored by Bunzl McLaughlin

• Connaught- Blakes Corner Bar, Galway
• Dublin – East Side Tavern
• Leinster – Hartes of Kildare, Kildare
• Munster – Toddies at the Bulman, Cork
• Ulster – The Poacher’s Pocket, Down
• All-Ireland- The Poacher’s Pocket, Down

Best Newcomer Kindly Sponsored by Elavon

• Connaught – The Dough Bro’s Wood Fired Pizza, Galway
• Dublin – Amuse
• Leinster – La Côte, Wexford
• Munster – AROI, Limerick
• Ulster – Deanes EIPIC, Belfast
• All-Ireland – Deanes EIPIC, Belfast

Best Wine Experience Kindly Sponsored by Classic Drinks & Champagne Pannier

• Connaught- West at The Twelve, Galway
• Dublin – Montys of Kathmandu
• Leinster – Greenacres, Wexford
• Munster – The Black Pig, Cork
• Ulster – Ox, Antrim
• All-Ireland- Ox, Antrim

Best Customer Service Kindly Sponsored by TheTaste.ie

• Connaught- Roisin Dubh Restaurant at Renvyle House Hotel, Galway
• Dublin – Jaipur, Dalkey
• Leinster – Ristorante Rinuccini, Kilkenny
• Munster – La Bohème Restaurant & Wine Bar, Waterford
• Ulster – Church Street Restaurant, Derry
• All-Ireland- Ristorante Rinuccini, Kilkenny

Best Kids Size Me Kindly Sponsored by Heinz and Kids Size Me

• Dublin- Beaufield Mews
• All-Ireland- Beaufield Mews, Dublin

Best Restaurant Manager Kindly Sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants and Emiliana Organic Vineyards

• Dublin – Stéphane Robin of Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
• All-Ireland – Saul McConnell of Deanes at Queens, Belfast

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine Kindly Sponsored by Odaios Foods

• Dublin – Delahunt
• All-Ireland – Loam, Galway

ENDS

For further information contact:

Adrian Cummins,

Chief Executive Officer

Mobile: +353 86 8263311

Telephone: +353 1 6779901

Email: awards@rai.ie

Twitter: @restawards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/IrishRestaurantAwards

www.irishrestaurantawards.com