Winners announced for Ireland's most prestigious and authoritative culinary awards

The winners of the 13th annual FOOD&WINE Magazine / Maison Louis Latour Restaurant of the Year Awards were announced at a gala luncheon on Sunday 25 August at The Four Seasons, Dublin 4. These awards, now in their 13th year, are considered one of the most prestigious and authoritative culinary awards in the Irish calendar.

Recognising the best Irish restaurants and culinary talent, diners from all over Ireland were invited to nominate their favourite restaurants and chefs, with the top entries going forward for deliberation by a national culinary panel of judges, made up of industry experts and national food critics. After much deliberation on each category, each judge votes in secret for their top 10 in each category, including the top 10 restaurants and chefs from all four provinces, with Dublin treated separately.
The national awards for Overall Best Chef and and Overall Best Restaurant are put through a further judging process, whereby the entire judging panel and all previous panel members vote electronically and in private to ensure a measured choice for these important awards. All of the regional and national winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 25 August. In addition to Best Chef and Best Restaurant, awards will also be presented for Best Sommelier, Best Service, Best World Cuisine and Best Wine Experience.



“In recent years, Ireland’s food sector has faced difficult business conditions, however, many chefs and restaurateurs have responded with better value and creativity. The 2013 shortlist sees some excellent new talents emerging, but also shows that old favourites continue to maintain standards while adapting with the times and offering exceptional quality and value for money,” commented Miriam Atkins, editor of FOOD&WINE Magazine.

Gregory Alken, representing the title sponsor, Maison Louis Latour, reiterated that point adding, “Working in collaboration with the hospitality industry and partnering restaurants and food emporia around the 32 counties of Ireland, we admire how this sector has embraced the challenges by making so many changes, improving standards and yet offering even better value while promoting fresh Irish food at its best”.

And the Irish FOOD&WINE Magazine Restaurant of the Year Awards 2013 Winners are..


Best Restaurant Ulster SHORTLIST
Balloo House, Down
Browns Restaurant, Derry
Deanes Restaurant, Howard St, Belfast
James Street South, Belfast
MacNean House and Restaurant, Cavan
Ox, Belfast
Rayanne House, Belfast
Shu, Belfast
The Boat House Restaurant, Down
The Catalina Restaurant, Lough Erne, Fermanagh
WINNER The Catalina Restaurant


Best Chef Ulster SHORTLIST
Alan Foster, Tedfords, Belfast
Brian McCann, Shu, Belfast
Conor McClellend, Rayanne House, Belfast
Danny Millar, Balloo House, Down
Gearoid Lynch, The Olde Post Inn, Cavan
Joery Castel, The Boat House Restaurant, Down
Neven Maguire, MacNean House & Restaurant, Cavan
Noel McMeel, The Catalina Restaurant, Fermanagh
Simon Toye, Deanes Restaurant, Belfast
Stephen Toman, Ox, Belfast
WINNER Stephen Toman, Ox


Best Restaurant Munster SHORTLIST
Ballymaloe House, Cork
Farmgate Restaurant, Midleton, Cork
Gregan's Castle, Clare
Les Gourmandises, Cork
Longueville House Restaurant, Cork
No. 5 Fenns Quay, Cork
The Cliff House Hotel, Waterford
The Old Convent, Tipperary
The Tannery, Waterford
Wild Honey Inn, Clare
WINNER  The Tannery


Best Chef Munster SHORTLIST
Aidan McGrath, Wild Honey Inn, Clare
David Hurley, formerly Gregans Castle, Clare
Dermot Gannon, The Old Convent, Tipperary
Eric Kavanagh, Longueville House, Cork
Eric Theze, La Boheme, Waterford
Kate Lawlor, No. 5 Fenns Quay, Cork
Martijn Kajuiter, The Cliff House, Waterford
Michael Quinn, formerly Waterford Castle, Waterford
Paul Flynn, The Tannery, Dungarvan, Waterford
Wade Murphy, 1826 Adare, Limerick
WINNER Paul Flynn, The Tannery


Best Restaurant Leinster SHORTLIST
A Caviston, Greystones, Wicklow
Aldridge Lodge Restaurant, Wexford
Campagne, Kilkenny
Campo De' Fiori, Bray
Chakra By Jaipur, Greystones
Dunbrody Country House Hotel, Wexford
Lady Helen Restaurant, Kilkenny
Sha-Roe, Carlow
The Strawberry Tree, Brooklodge, Wicklow
Viewmont House, Longford
WINNER Campagne


Best Chef Leinster SHORTLIST
Aidan McManus, King Sitric, Howth
Billy Whitty, Aldridge Lodge, Wexford
Cormac Rowe, Lady Helen Restaurant, Kilkenny
Daniel Cruikshank, A Caviston , Greystones
Garrett Byrne, Campagne , Kilkenny
Gary O'Hanlon, Viewmount House , Longford
Henry Stone, Sha-Roe, Carlow
Marco Roccasalvo, Campo de' Fiori , Bray
Oliver Dunne, Bon Appetit, Howth
Robbie Krawczyk, Harvest Room, Dunbrody, Wexford
WINNER Garrett Byrne, Campagne


Best Restaurant Connaught SHORTLIST
An Port Mor, Westport
Aniar, Galway
Ballynahinch Castle, Connemara
Coopershill House, Co Sligo
Inis Meain Restaurant, Aran Islands, Galway
Kai Café, Galway
La Fougere Restaurant, Knockranny, Westport
Renvyle House Hotel, Galway
The Oarsman, Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim
Upstairs @ West, The Twelve Hotel, Galway
WINNER Kai Café


Best Chef Connaught SHORTLIST
Campbell White, West @ The Twelve Hotel , Galway
Christina McCauley, Coopershill House , Co Sligo
Frankie Mallon, An Port Mor , Westport
Jessica Murphy, Kai Café, Galway
Jonathan Keane, Wilde's Restaurant, Lisloughrey Lodge , Mayo
Martin O'Donnell, Pins @ The Twelve, Galway
Seamus Commons, La Fougere , Mayo
Tim O'Sullivan, Renvyle House Hotel Galway
Ultan Cooke, Aniar , Galway
Xin Sun, Ballynahinch Castle, Galway
WINNER Seamus Commons, La Fougere


Best Restaurant Dublin SHORTLIST
Ananda, Dundrum, D16
Chapter One, D1
Dax Restaurant, Pembroke St, D2
l'Ecrivain, D2
Nede, D2
Restaurant Forty One, Residence, D2
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, D2
The Greenhouse, D2
Thornton's, D2
Triple seven/777
WINNER Restaurant Forty One


Best Chef Dublin SHORTLIST
Conor Dempsey, Dax
Derry Clarke, l'Ecrivain
Dylan McGrath, Fade Street Social
Graham Neville, Restaurant Forty One
Guillaume Lebrun, Patrick Guilbaud
Kevin Thornton, Thornton's
Mickael Viljanen, The Greenhouse
Rory Carville (formerly Locks)
Ross Lewis, Chapter One
Sunil Ghai, Ananda
WINNER Graham Neville, Restaurant Forty One

Best Wine Experience National SHORTLIST
Cellar Bar & Restaurant, Merrion Hotel, Dublin
Chapter One, Dublin
Dax, Dublin
Ely Wine Bar, Dublin
Fallon & Byrne, Dublin
Greenacres, Wexford
Kellys, Wexford
La Fougere, Mayo
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin
West at The Twelve Hotel, Galway
WINNER Greenacres, Wexford


Best Sommelier SHORTLIST
Alain Kerloc'h, Ox
Colm McCann, Ballymaloe
Damian Corr, The Cellar, Dublin
Ed Jolliffe, Chapter One, Dublin
Lorraine Harmon, The Green House, Dublin
Martina Delaney, l'Ecrivain Restaurant, Dublin
Naoise Doddy, The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin
Nicholas Faujours, La Fougere, Mayo
Olivier Meisonnave, DAX, Dublin
Pierre-Marie Faure, Rest Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin
Soizic Kiely, Les Gourmandises, Cork
WINNER Nicolas Faujours, La Fougere


Best Ethnic & World Cuisine SHORTLIST
777, Dublin 2
Ananda, Dundrum
Chakra by Jaipur, Greystones
China Sichuan, Sandyford
Jaipur, Dalkey
Kinara, Clontarf Road, D3
M&L Chinese Restaurant, Cathedral St, D1
Maks, Dublin 6
Saba, Clarendon St, D2
The Silk Road Café, Castle St, D2
WINNER Ananda, Dundrum


Best Service SHORTLIST
Aldridge Lodge, Wexford
Ananda, Dundrum
Chapter One, D1
Dax Restaurant, D2
l'Ecrivain, D2
MacNean House and Restaurant, Cavan
Rayanne House, Belfast
Renvyle House Hotel, Galway
Restaurant Forty-One, Residence, Dublin
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin
WINNER l'Ecrivain, D2


Best Casual Dining SHORTLIST
777, Dublin 2
A. Caviston, Greystones
Campo De' Fiori, Bray
Eastern Seaboard, Drogheda
Fade St. Social, D2
Ginger, Belfast
Hatch & Sons, D2
Las Tapas De Lola, Dublin 2
Maks, Dublin 6
Terre Madre, Dublin 1
WINNER 777, Dublin 2


Avant Garde Award - Fade Street Social, Dublin

Readers' Choice Award - Campo di Fiori, Bray, Co Wicklow

Hall of Fame - Nick Price, Nick's Warehouse, Dublin

Hall of Fame - Peter Caviston, Cavistons, Greystones, Co Wicklow


For more Irish Food news from Zack go to www.IrishFoodGuide.ie