The best restaurants in Ireland revealed at The Irish Restaurant Awards

How many of these have you dined in?

Luna in Dublin was the big winner at the Irish Restaurant Awards 2016 that took place in the The DoubleTree by Hilton in Dublin on Monday night. The restaurant, located in Drury Street in Dublin, has been open for less than a year but despite its youth, it took home the award for best restaurant at a ceremony that was attended by over 900 restaurateurs and staff. Loam in Galway, The Pigeon House in Wicklow, 1826 Adare in Limerick and Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge in Derry took home the regional awards, while the best chef award went to Enda McEvoy of Loam in Galway. Awards were dished out for best hotel restaurant, best gastro pub, best café, best casual dining, best world dining and a host of other categories and you can see all of the award winners on the Irish Restaurant Awards website.

Irish Restaurant Awards 2016

Best Restaurant

All-Ireland – Luna, Dublin Dublin – Luna, Dublin Connaught – Loam, Galway Leinster – The Pigeon House, Wicklow Munster – 1826 Adare, Limerick Ulster – Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge, Derry

Best Chef

All-Ireland – Enda McEvoy of Loam, Galway Dublin – John Wyer of Forest Avenue, Dublin Connaught – Enda McEvoy of Loam, Galway Leinster – Rob Krawczyk of Brabazon at Tankardstown House, Meath Munster – David Hurley of The Dining Room at Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare Ulster – David Gillmore of James Street South, Antrim

Best Restaurant Manager

All-Ireland – Alain Kerloc’h of OX, Antrim Dublin – Declan Maxwell of Luna

Best Hotel Restaurant

All-Ireland – The Dining Room at Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare Dublin – The Brasserie at The Marker, Dublin Connaught – The Library Restaurant at Belleek Castle, Mayo Leinster – The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet, Kilkenny Munster – The Dining Room at Gregans Castle Hotel, Clare Ulster – Harvey’s Restaurant at Harvey’s Point, Donegal

Best Casual Dining

All-Ireland – ETTO, Dublin Dublin – ETTO, Dublin Connaught – The Pantry and Corkscrew, Mayo Leinster – Foodworks, Kilkenny Munster – Elbow Lane Brew & Smokehouse, Cork Ulster – The Ginger Bistro, Antrim

Best Gastro Pub

All-Ireland – The Oarsman, Leitrim Dublin – Mulligan Grocer, Dublin Connaught – The Oarsman, Leitrim Leinster – Left Bank, Kilkenny Munster – Merry’s Gastro Pub, Waterford Ulster – Sweet Afton Bar & Kitchen, Antrim

Best Café

All-Ireland – Rua, Mayo Dublin – The Pepper Pot, Dublin Connaught – Rua, Mayo Leinster – Blackberry Café, Kilkenny Munster – The Granary Café, Waterford Ulster – Aroma Café, Donegal

Best World Cuisine

All-Ireland – Chakra by Jaipur, Wicklow Dublin – Boqueria, Dublin Connaught -Miso Sushi, Sligo Leinster – Chakra by Jaipur, Wicklow Munster – Iyer’s, Cork Ulster – DinaDina, Antrim

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine

All-Ireland – Locks 1 Windsor Terrace, Dublin Dublin – Locks 1 Windsor Terrace, Dublin