The Leinster Regional Final of Irish Restaurant Awards took place in the Knightsbrook Hotel Wednesday 26th February where the top restaurants in each county for 2020 were announced.

Over 700 restaurant owners and staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the Awards, which saw many well-known restaurateurs of Leinster turn out to see if they had won one of the prestigious awards.

Speaking at the awards early this evening Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, Adrian Cummins, said; “Now in their 12^th year, the Irish Restaurant Awards continue to showcase the incredible food that is on offer in the cafes, pubs and restaurants of Ireland, as well as recognising the teams behind these establishments and the hard work and dedication that they put in. With well over 100,000 nominations received from the public this year, the standard for the judging process was higher than ever.

Ireland may be a small country, but it boasts everything from fine dining to high quality gastropubs, from the comfort of traditional Irish food to exploring the world though exotic world cuisine, the Irish restaurant industry has much to offer. We have an appreciation for what we eat and where our food comes from, as well as the dedication of those working in the food industry”.

Food outlets were nominated under the categories of Best Customer Service, Best Café, Best Gastro Pub, Best ‘Free From’, Best Casual Dining, Best World Cuisine, Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant, Best Chef, Best Restaurant, Best Wine Experience, Pub of the Year, Best Restaurant Manager, Best Kids Size Me, Local Food Hero, Best Emerging Irish Cuisine and Best Newcomer.

All of the county winners now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Titles, which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards. These will be held in the Clayton Hotel, Burlington Road, Dublin on Monday 18^th May, 2020.

The winners on the night were:

Best Restaurant – Sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants

• Carlow – Sha-Roe Bistro
• Kildare – TwoCooks Restaurant and Wine Bar
• Kilkenny – Campagne
• Laois – Batoni’s
• Longford – VM Restaurant at Viewmount House
• Louth – The Bay Tree Restaurant
• Meath – Zucchini’s Restaurant
• Offaly – The Blue Apron Restaurant
• Westmeath – Thyme Restaurant
• Wexford – La Côte Seafood Restaurant
• Wicklow – The Pigeon House Delgany

Best Chef – Sponsored by BWG Foodservice

• Carlow – Robert White of Clashganny House Restaurant
• Kildare – Jordan Bailey of Aimsir
• Kilkenny – Keith Boyle of Restaurant Lady Anne
• Laois – Padraic Flynn of Roundwood House
• Longford – Marcio Laan of Viewmount House
• Louth – Conor Woods of The Bay Tree Restaurant
• Meath – Paul McCullagh of Zucchini’s Restaurant
• Offaly – Kenan Pehlivan of The Blue Apron Restaurant
• Westmeath – Deirdre Adamson of The Fatted Calf
• Wexford – Paul Hynes of La Côte Seafood Restaurant
• Wicklow – Oisin Kehoe-Clarke of The Pigeon House Delgany

Best Newcomer – Sponsored by Monin

• Carlow- Coolanowle Foodhall, Bistro 7 & Organic Butchery
• Kildare- Aimsir
• Kilkenny- Barrows Keep
• Laois- Croft Alley
• Longford- Wilder & Gold
• Louth- Square Restaurant
• Meath- TRIBE
• Offaly- Conway & Co
• Westmeath – Wholesome Kitchen
• Wexford- One Hundred Degrees
• Wicklow- Double 8

Best Restaurant Manager – AIB Merchant Services

• Carlow- Stephanie Stone of Sha-Roe Bistro
• Kildare- Majken Bech Christensen of Aimsir
• Kilkenny- Morgan Van Der Kamer of Barrows Keep
• Laois- Ailish McCoy of Tommy’s Loft
• Longford- Beryl Kearney of Viewmount House
• Louth- Amy McGuirk of The Trinity Quarter  
• Meath- Patrick Reilly of Jules Restaurant
• Offaly- Paula Moran-Tahraoui of Sirocco’s
• Westmeath- Martina Linehan of Beans and Leaves
• Wexford- Diane Cullen of Mary Barry’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant
• Wicklow- Jay Johance of Pink Salt Indian Restaurant

Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant – Sponsored by Frylite

• Carlow – The Cellar Restaurant at the Step House Hotel
• Kildare- Restaurant 1180 at Kilkea Castle
• Kilkenny – Lady Helen Restaurant at Mount Juliet Estate
• Laois- Castle Durrow
• Longford- Courtyard Restaurant at Cooney’s Hotel
• Louth- The Restaurant at Ghan House
• Meath- Brabazon Restaurant at Tankardstown
• Offaly- Slí Dala Restaurant at Kinnitty Castle
• Westmeath- Wineport Lodge
• Wexford- Clonganny House
• Wicklow- The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge & Macreddin Village

Best Customer Service – Sponsored by Dolmen Insurance Brokers

• Carlow- Clashganny House Restaurant
• Kildare- TwoCooks Restaurant and Wine Bar
• Kilkenny- Truffles Restaurant and Wine Bar
• Laois- Indian Prince Restaurant
• Longford – Nine Arches Restaurant
• Louth- Fitzpatrick’s Bar and Restaurant
• Meath- Room8
• Offaly- Lana Asian Street Food Tullamore
• Westmeath- The Left Bank Bistro
• Wexford- The Duck at Marlfield House
• Wicklow- Chakra by Jaipur

Best Gastro Pub – Sponsored by Elavon

• Carlow- Teach Dolmain
• Kildare- The Ballymore Inn
• Kilkenny- Left Bank
• Laois- The Bog Road
• Longford- The Rustic Inn
• Louth- The Smugglers Rest
• Meath- The Central
• Offaly- Hennessy’s
• Westmeath- Dead Centre Brewing
• Wexford- Mary Barry’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant
• Wicklow- Wicklow Heather Restaurant & House

Best Café – Sponsored by Illy

• Carlow- Arboretum Home & Garden Heaven Leighlinbridge
• Kildare- The Green Barn
• Kilkenny- Cafe La Coco
• Laois- Bowe’s Foodhall and Café
• Longford- Torc Café and Foodhall
• Louth- Rocksalt Café
• Meath- The Happy Cup Café
• Offaly- The Foxy Bean
• Westmeath- Chocolate Brown Mullingar
• Wexford- Karoo Farmshop & Café
• Wicklow- The Fat Fox

Pub of the Year – Sponsored by Jameson

• Carlow- Carpe Diem
• Kildare- Hayden’s Bar
• Kilkenny- Tynans Bridge House Bar
• Laois- Bob’s Bar
• Longford- J.V. Donoghoe’s
• Louth- Russell’s Saloon
• Meath- James O’Connell
• Offaly- The Chestnut  
• Westmeath – The Snug Bar
• Wexford- The Porter House Castlebridge
• Wicklow- The Glenmalure Lodge

Best Wine Experience – Sponsored by Gilbeys with Bibendum

• Carlow- The Lord Bagenal Signature Restaurant
• Kildare- Ely Wine Store  
• Kilkenny- Barrows Keep
• Laois- Batoni’s
• Longford- Vocella’s
• Louth- The Clermont
• Meath- TRIBE
• Offaly- Spinners on Castle Street
• Westmeath- Fine Wine and Food Co.
• Wexford- Green Acres
• Wicklow- Ripasso Restaurant and Wine Bar

Best World Cuisine – Sponsored by Stafford Lynch – San Pellegrino

• Carlow- Pimento
• Kildare- Vie De Châteaux
• Kilkenny- Ristorante Rinuccini
• Laois- Mayur Indian Restaurant
• Longford- Spice India Longford
• Louth- Atami Japanese Cuisine
• Meath- Cinnamon Garden
• Offaly- Shishir
• Westmeath- Kin Khao Thai – Athlone
• Wexford- The Red Elephant
• Wicklow- Chakra by Jaipur

Best “Free From” – Sponsored by Peroni Libera

• Carlow- Thrive Café
• Kildare- Beetroot Healthy Food
• Kilkenny- The Cutting Vedge
• Laois- The Pantry Portlaoise
• Longford- Moments Café & Restaurant
• Louth- Strandfield
• Meath- Inside Out
• Offaly- Woodfield Café
• Westmeath- Bastion Kitchen
• Wexford- Cistín Eile
• Wicklow- The Happy Pear

Best Kids Size Me

• Carlow- The Plum Tree Bistro at Woodford Dolmen Hotel
• Kildare- The Ballymore Inn
• Kilkenny- Paris Texas Bar and Restaurant
• Laois- Treacy’s Bar & Restaurant
• Longford- Jac-O-Bites Café
• Louth- The Spotted Dog
• Meath- The Little Guys Ashbourne
• Offaly- The King Oak
• Westmeath- Corner House Bistro
• Wexford- Ohana Café
• Wicklow- Tiffin by Sunil

Best Local Food Hero – Sponsored by The Irish Times

• Carlow- Jimmy Mulhall of Coolanowle Organic Farm
• Kildare- David Sexton of Kildare Farm Foods
• Kilkenny- Nicole & Bart Pawlukojc of Áran
• Laois- Blathnaid Bergin of The Restaurant Advisor
• Longford- Fiona Egan of Cloughan Farm and Cookery School
• Louth- Maria Flynn of Ballymakenny Farm
• Meath- Olivia Duff of Maperath Farm
• Offaly- Margaret Deverell of Hereford & More
• Westmeath- Lynda Mcfarland of Lowe & Co
• Wexford- Nicholas and Judith Dunne of Killowen Farm
• Wicklow- Hilda Crampton & Dominic Quinn of Castleruddery Organic Farm

Leinster Regional Local Food Hero – Sponsored by The Irish Times

• Meath- Olivia Duff of Maperath Farm

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine – Sponsored by Manor Farm

• Carlow- Lennons @ Visual
• Kildare- Aimsir
• Kilkenny- Lil’s at Avalon House Hotel
• Laois- O’Gormans Bar and Restaurant
• Longford- Tus Nua Restaurant
• Louth- Square Restaurant
• Meath- Inside Out
• Offaly- Woodfield Café
• Westmeath- Thyme Restaurant
• Wexford- Aldridge Lodge Restaurant and Guesthouse
• Wicklow- Strawberry Tree Restaurant at Brooklodge & Macreddin Village

Best Casual Dining – Sponsored by Just Eat

• Carlow- Mimosa Bar De Tapas
• Kildare- Hartes Of Kildare
• Kilkenny- Foodworks
• Laois- Kelly’s Steakhouse at Midlands Park Hotel
• Longford- Moments Café and Restaurant
• Louth- The Spotted Dog
• Meath- Browne’s Bar at Slane Castle
• Offaly- The Brewery Tap
• Westmeath- Corner House Bistro
• Wexford- Kelly’s Café
• Wicklow- Box Burger

The Restaurants Association of Ireland would like to extend a huge thank you to our sponsors of this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards:

The Irish Times, Tindal Wine Merchants, BWG Foodservice, Elavon, Dolmen Insurance Brokers, Frylite, Just Eat, Jameson, Monin, Stafford Lynch – San Pellegrino, Peroni Libera, Illy, Gilbeys with Bibendum, AIB Merchant Services and Manor Farm.