Fare play! All Kilkenny winners at 2019 regional ‘food Oscars’ revealed
KILKENNY restaurants and gastro-bars served up a treat in the regional round of the Irish ‘food Oscars’.
Some of the city and county’s best loved eateries and establishments – as well as some exciting new ventures – received some well deserved recognition at the Leinster Regional Final of Irish Restaurant Awards.
Fine dining establishment Campagne was named ‘Restaurant of the Year’, while John Kelly of Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate (pictured above) received the Best Chef accolade.
Other local winners include Butcher Restaurant (Best Newcomer), Zuni, pictured below, (Best Customer Service), The Dylan Whiskey Bar (Best Pub) and Paris Texas Bar and Restaurant (Best Gastro Pub).
There were also awards for Knockdrinna Farm Shop & Artisan Café, Barrows Keep, Indique Indian Restaurant, Cutting Vedge, The Hungry Moose, Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar and Siobhan Lawler of Glasraí & Goodies.
Meanwhile, Riccardo Cavaliere of Ristorante Rinuccini received a prestigious personal accolade when he was named Best Restaurant Manager.
The awards took place in the Killashee House Hotel last night, where the top restaurants in each county for 2019 were announced.
More than 600 restaurant owners and staff celebrated their hard work and achievements at the Awards.
Restaurants Association of Ireland chief executive Adrian Cummins said: “Now in their 11th 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 90,000 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 gastro-pubs, 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.”
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, Dublin on Monday, May 13.
Irish Restaurant Awards 2019 – full list of Kilkenny Winners
Best Restaurant – Campagne
Best Chef – John Kelly of Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate
Best Newcomer – Butcher Restaurant
Best Restaurant Manager –Riccardo Cavaliere of Ristorante Rinuccini
Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant – Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate
Best Customer Service – Zuni Restaurant, Bar & Boutique Hotel
Best Gastro Pub – Paris Texas Bar and Restaurant
Best Cafe – Knockdrinna Farm Shop & Artisan Café
Pub of the Year – The Dylan Whiskey Bar
Best Wine Experience – Barrows Keep
Best World Cuisine – Indique Indian Restaurant
Best “Free From” – The Cutting Vedge
Best Kids Size Me – The Hungry Moose
Best Local Food Hero – Siobhan Lawler of Glasraí & Goodies
Best Emerging Irish Cuisine – Barrows Keep
Best Casual Dining – Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar
