Leinster Regional Winners Announced!
Over Forty Restaurants, Hotel Restaurants & Chefs Honoured at Prestigious Awards
April 16th2014, Dublin, Ireland.
The Leinster Regional Final of the Irish Restaurant Awards, in association with LIFE Magazine, took place in The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin tonight and named the top restaurants in the eleven counties for 2014, as well as the shortlisted Dublin restaurants.
Over 300 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. The shortlist for the Dublin nominees were also announced, and the winners in the Dublin categories will be announced at the All-Ireland awards in June.
Speaking at the awards early this evening, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said; “The Irish Restaurant Awards celebrate their sixth year this year and have become the Island’s biggest food awards. The credibility that these awards have is reflected in the amount of nominations they received this year- 19,000 votes were cast across eight categories, showing that these are the awards that everyone wants to win.
“The Irish restaurant scene is internationally recognised for its high calibre of restaurateurs and chefs. These awards celebrate the people that make the restaurant sector the dynamic and exciting industry it is. They are the people who provide 64,000 jobs to our economy and generate revenue in excess of €2 billion. We’re recognising the talent, hard work and commitment that everyone here gives to the food industry. Tonight, everyone is a winner.”
Having won the Best Restaurant and Best Chef award for Wexford in 2012 and 2013, Aldridge Lodge and chef/ owner Billy Whitty has won both titles a third consecutive time. His partner and restaurant manager Joanne Harding also took home the award for Best Restaurant Manager in Leinster.
In the Dublin nominees, newcomer Forest Avenue is shortlisted for Best Customer Service, Best Chef and Best Restaurant, marking a great first year of business for the restaurant. For a full list of winners and Dublin nominees, see below.
Food outlets were nominated under the categories of Best Customer Service, Best Gastro Pub, Best Casual Dining, Best Hotel Restaurant, Best Chef, Best Restaurant, Best Wine Experience, Best Restaurant Manager and Best Kids Size Me Menu.
All County winners now compete for the Regional and All Ireland Title which will be announced at the Irish Restaurant Awards in the Double Tree Hotel, Dublin on Monday 9th June, 2014.
There are 3 components to phase two of the process. Each element is independently assessed by Ernst and Young.
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 receive a mystery guest visit throughout the month of April and May.
2. National Awards Academy (35%) Our National Awards Academy is made up representatives from each of the regional judging panels and will meet in May to Judge the County Winners. The Academy members include food writers, journalists, academics and hospitality magazine editors.
3. Menu Judging (10%) All County winners and the Dublin Shortlist in each category are asked to submit a copy of their food menu and wine list for judging. These menus are then independently reviewed by Bord Bia.
Voting in the Industry categories has now closed online. Voting in these categories is exclusive to Restaurants Association of Ireland members only, with members competing for:
Best Club Restaurant
Best Seafood Experience
Best World Cuisine
Best Newcomer
Best Café
Most Innovative Restaurant
Best Restaurant Design
Best Cocktail Experience
Best Restaurant Manager
Best Cookery School
Best Sustainable Restaurant
Best Digital Marketing
The winners of the Industry Categories will be announced at the All-Ireland event on 9th June, 2014.
Tickets for the All-Ireland Irish Restaurant Awards 2014 Event can be bought directly from the awards team on (01) 677 9901 or awards@rai.ie.
Best Customer Service- Sponsored by TheDiningRoom.ie
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Carlow- Clashganny House Restaurant
Kildare- Vie de Châteaux
Kilkenny- Café Sol
Laois- The Candied Walnut
Longford- VM Restaurant at Viewmount House
Louth- Wm Cairnes & Son
Meath- Jules Restaurant at Trim Castle Hotel
Offaly- Sirocco’s
Westmeath- Red Earth Restaurant
Wexford- Aldridge Lodge
Wicklow- Campo de’ Fiori Restaurant
Best Restaurant – Sponsored by Dalcassian & Wakefield Wines
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Carlow- Sha-Roe Bistro
Kildare- The Brown Bear Restaurant
Kilkenny- Campagne
Laois- The Candied Walnut
Longford- Black Olive Restaurant
Louth- The Bay Tree Restaurant
Meath- Zucchini’s
Offaly- Sirocco’s
Westmeath- Kin Khao
Wexford- Aldridge Lodge
Wicklow- The Three Q’s
Dublin Shortlist for Best Restaurant:
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Ananda
Chapter One
China Sichuan
Dax Restaurant
Forest Avenue
L’Ecrivain
Restaurant Forty One
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
The Greenhouse
Thornton’s Restaurant
Best Chef – Sponsored by La Rousse Foods
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Carlow- Alan Foley, The Cellar Restaurant at Step House Hotel
Kildare- Barry Liscombe, Hartes of Kildare
Kilkenny- Cormac Rowe, The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet
Laois- Ryan Murphy, Ballyfin Demesne
Longford- Gary O’Hanlon, VM Restaurant at Viewmount House
Louth- Reuven Diaz, Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill
Meath- Robert Krawczyk, Brabazon at Tankardstown House
Offaly- Dino Fenghour, Sirocco’s
Westmeath- Feargal O’Donnell, The Fatted Calf
Wexford- Billy Whitty, Aldridge Lodge
Wicklow- Tim Daly, The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge
Dublin Shortlist for Best Chef:
Sunil Ghai, Ananda
Phil Yeung, BANG Restaurant
Ross Lewis, Chapter One
Conor Dempsey, Dax Restarant
Barry Fitzgerald, ETTO
John Wyer, Forest Avenue
Stephen Gibson, Pichet
Graham Neville, Restaurant Forty One
Michael Viljanen, The Greenhouse
Kevin Thornton, Thornton’s Restaurant
Best Gastro Pub – Sponsored by Total Produce
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Carlow- Teach Dolmain
Kildare- Fallons of Kilcullen
Kilkenny- Marble City Bar at Langtons
Laois- Lethean
Longford- The Rustic Inn
Louth- PJ O’Hares
Meath- The Central Bar
Offaly- The Thatch
Westmeath- The Fatted Calf
Wexford- The Lobster Pot
Wicklow- Byrne & Woods
Dublin Shortlist for Best Gastro Pub:
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Ashton Gastropub
Bison Bar & BBQ
Ely gastropub
House Dublin
Le Bon Crubeen
Matt the Threshers
Tap House Bar & Kitchen
The Chop House
The Exchequer
The Purty Kitchen
Best Casual Dining – Sponsored by Bunzl McLaughlin
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
v Carlow- Lennons @ Visual
v Kildare- Avenue Café & Restaurant
v Kilkenny- Foodworks
v Laois- Seasons Bistro
v Longford- Aubergine Gallery Café
v Louth- Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill
v Meath- La Bucca
v Offaly- Emma’s Café
v Westmeath- An Tintean Restaurant
v Wexford- The Kitchen
v Wicklow- Firehouse Bakery
Dublin Shortlist for Best Casual Dining:
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
777
ETTO
Fade Street Social Restaurant
Hartley’s Restaurant
Las Tapas de Lola
Saba
San Lorenzo’s
Sea Point
The Fumbally
Whitefriar Grill
Best Hotel Restaurant – Sponsored by Pallas Foods
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
v Carlow- The Cellar Restaurant at Step House Hotel
v Kildare- The River Room at The K Club
v Kilkenny- The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet
v Laois- The Restaurant at Preston House
v Longford- VM Restaurant at Viewmount House
v Louth- Fine Dining Restaurant at Scholars Townhouse Hotel
v Meath- Brabazon at Tankardstown House
v Offaly- Slí Dala Restaurant at Kinnity Castle Hotel
v Westmeath- The Restaurant at Wineport Lodge
v Wexford- Ristorante Vista Mare at Seafield Golf & Spa Hotel
v Wicklow- The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge
Dublin Shortlist for Best Hotel Restaurant
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Bram Stoker Hotel
Citron Restaurant at The Fitzwilliam Hotel
Dylan Restaurant at Dylan Hotel
Samphire at The Waterside House Hotel
Seasons Restaurant at The Four Seasons
The Brasserie at The Marker
The Cellar Restaurant at The Merrion Hotel
The Cliff Townhouse
The Saddle Room at The Shelbourne
Wilde at The Westbury
Dublin Shortlist for Best Customer Service
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
BANG Restaurant
Chapter One
China Sichuan
Dax Restaurant
Dublin Wine Rooms
Forest Avenue
Jaipur Dalkey
Rasam
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
The Brass Monkey
Best Wine Experience – Sponsored by Classic Drinks & Roundhill
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Carlow- Sha-Roe Bistro
Kildare- The River Room at The K Club
Kilkenny- The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet
Laois- Castle Durrow Restaurant at Castle Durrow Country House Hotel
Longford- VM Restaurant at Viewmount House
Louth- Eastern Seaboard Bar & Grill
Meath- Corks Café & Winebar
Offaly- Sirocco’s
Westmeath- The Restaurant at Wineport Lodge
Wexford- Greenacres
Wicklow- The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge
Dublin Shortlist for Best Wine Experience
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
64 Wine
Dax Restaurant
Dublin Wine Rooms
Ely winebar
Fallon & Byrne
L’Ecrivain
Monty’s of Kathmandu
One Pico
Restaurant Forty One
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
Best Kids Size Me – Sponsored by Heinz
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Black Olive Restaurant, Longford
Best Restaurant Manager- Sponsored by the Restaurants Association of Ireland
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Joanne Harding, Aldridge Lodge, Wexford
Dublin Shortlist for Best Restaurant Manager
@ The Irish Restaurant Awards 2014
Keith Hallaway, Brasserie 15
John Healy, The Restaurant at Brown Thomas
Carol Walsh, Chameleon
Declan Maxwell, Chapter One
Olivier Meisonnave, Dax Restaurant
Jayraj Poojary, Jaipur Dalkey
Stéphane Robin, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud
James Sheridan, The Saddle Room at The Shelbourne Hotel
ENDS
For further information contact:
Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive Officer
Restaurants Association of Ireland
Mobile: +353 86 8263311
Telephone: +353 1 6779901
Fax: +353 1 6718414
Email: awards@rai.ie
Website: www.irishrestaurantawards.com
Twitter: @restawards
Facebook: www.facebook.com/IrishRestaurantAwards