Ireland's best restaurant, pub, café, and more revealed at this year's Irish Restaurant Awards

The Irish Restaurant Awards 2022 revealed its winners in Dublin on Monday, September 19.

Almost 900 restaurant and hospitality business owners and staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the Awards Event in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD), which saw many well-known restaurateurs, hospitality businesses, and staff turn out to see if they had won one of the prestigious awards.

Paul Lenehan, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, said at Monday's event: “This has been an outstanding year for the Irish Restaurant Awards.

"In its 13th year now after a two-year break due to COVID, we have surpassed previous years' online public nominations with over 100,000 received in June, and our Regional Events held in August and September in Meath, Cavan, Cork, and Leitrim had almost 3,000 attendees. 

“The Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the existing and up-and-coming talent in the sector and are a reminder that hospitality is nothing without the dedicated and passionate staff in the industry.

"We are delighted to have the Awards back up and running again and it has been a fantastic display of what the industry has to offer here tonight in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).”

All of the Regional and All Ireland Winners were announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards All Ireland Final on Monday, September 19 in the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).

The winners of the Irish Restaurant Awards 2022 are:

Best Cookery School, All Ireland

• Aniar Restaurant & Boutique Cookery School 

Best Seafood Experience, All Ireland

• Beach House, Tramore

Best Cocktail Experience, All Ireland

• Hilliards, Skirmantas “Mossy” Lelys

Private Dining & Club, All Ireland

• No 25 Fitzwilliam Place

Best Digital Marketing, All Ireland

• Michael’s, Mount Merrion 

Local Food Hero, sponsored by The Irish Times

• Leinster: Butcher Restaurant Kilkenny, Mark Williams
• Ulster: Native Seafood, Stevie And Rebecca Mccarry
• Munster: Paradiso Cork City, Denis Cotter
• Connaught: Kylemore Farmhouse Cheese, Teresa Roche
• Dublin: Bread 41, Eoin McCluskly
• All Ireland: Bread 41, Eoin McCluskly

Best Sustainable Practices, sponsored by Gas Networks Ireland

• Leinster: The Green Barn Restaurant
• Ulster: Olde Post Inn
• Munster: Grow HQ Waterford
• Connaught: Sweet Beat Café
• Dublin: Airfield Estate
• All Ireland: Grow HQ Waterford

Best Free From, sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro

• Leinster: Truffles Restaurant, Kilkenny
• Ulster: The Hive
• Munster: Copia Green
• Connaught: Greens & Co.
• Dublin: Vietnom
• All Ireland: Copia Green

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine, sponsored by FBD

• Leinster: The Heritage, Killenard
• Ulster: Clenaghans Restaurant
• Munster: Old Couch Café
• Connaught: Fish And Bean, Rosses Point
• Dublin: Margadh Food & Wine, Howth
• All Ireland: Old Couch Café

Best Restaurant Manager, sponsored by AIB Merchant Services 

• Leinster: Vanilla Pod Restaurant Kells, Lareina Quigley
• Ulster: Noble, Saul Mcconnel
• Munster: The Mustard Seed, John Edward Joyce
• Connaught: Buffalo Boy, Gabriel Camburu
• Dublin: Nightmarket, Conor Sexton
• All Ireland: Nightmarket, Conor Sexton

Best Wine Experience, sponsored by Bibendum Ireland

• Leinster: Ely Wine Store, Maynooth
• Ulster: Ox Cave, Belfast
• Munster: Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare
• Connaught: Walker 1781, Sligo
• Dublin: NOTE, Dublin
• All Ireland: Ely Wine Store, Maynooth

Best Café, sponsored by Illy

• Leinster: Mullichain Cafe, Glynn
• Ulster: Brøn Cafe Bar and Restaurant
• Munster: Café Lógr, Adare
• Connaught: Lyons Cafe And Bakeshop, Sligo
• Dublin: Tiller + Grain
• All Ireland: Tiller + Grain

Best World Cuisine, sponsored by San Pellegrino

• Leinster: Pink Salt Indian Restaurant
• Ulster: Chandpur Restaurant, Donegal
• Munster: Mezze, Tramore
• Connaught: Miso Izakaya, Sligo
• Dublin: BIGFAN
• All Ireland: Mezze, Tramore

Best Newcomer, sponsored by Square

• Leinster: Canal Square, Kilkenny
• Ulster: Frae, Holywood
• Munster: Beach House, Tramore
• Connaught: Éan
• Dublin: Orwell Road Restaurant
• All Ireland: Orwell Road Restaurant

Pub of the Year, sponsored by Jameson

• Leinster: The Sky & the Ground
• Ulster: Charlie’s Bar, Enniskillen
• Munster: Mutton Lane Inn
• Connaught: Lowry’s Bar, Clifden
• Dublin: The Old Stand
• All Ireland: The Sky & the Ground

Best Casual Dining, sponsored by Musgrave Marketplace 

• Leinster: The Enniskerry Inn
• Ulster: The Copper Tap & 1806
• Munster: Goldie Cork City
• Connaught: Poacher Restaurant, Ballina
• Dublin: Nannetti’s
• All Ireland: Goldie, Cork City

Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant, sponsored By Frylite 

• Leinster: Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown
• Ulster: McNean House And Restaurant, Blacklion
• Munster: Cashel Palace Hotel
• Connaught: Foyles Hotel Clifden
• Dublin: The Shelbourne Hotel
• All Ireland: Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown

Best Customer Service Sponsored Restaurant-Insurance.ie Provided by Dolmen

• Leinster: Treacy’s Bar and Restaurant
• Ulster: Oak Room Restaurant
• Munster: Mitchel House Restaurant
• Connaught: The Twelve
• Dublin: Uno Mas
• All Ireland: Uno Mas

Best Gastro Pub, sponsored by Worldpay from FIS

• Leinster: Butler and Barry Gastrobar
• Ulster: The Rusty Mackerel
• Munster: The Glenbeigh Hotel
• Connaught: Coyne’s Gastropub, Kilkieran
• Dublin: Davy Byrnes
• All Ireland: The Rusty Mackerel

Best Chef, sponsored by BWG Foodservice

• Leinster: Lady Helen Restaurant Thomastown, John Kelly
• Ulster: The Olde Glen Bar Carrickart, Ciaran Sweeny
• Munster: Dede, Ahmet Dede
• Connaught: Enda McEvoy, Galway
• Dublin: Dax Restaurant, Graham Neville
• All Ireland: Dede, Ahmet Dede

Best Restaurant, sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants 

• Leinster: Aimsir
• Ulster: Deanes Eipic Belfast
• Munster: Restaurant Chestnut
• Connaught: Lignum
• Dublin: Chapter One
• All Ireland: Chapter One