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19th Feb 2019

Two Irish restaurants win at the World Restaurant Awards in Paris

Alan Loughnane

Irish restaurants

A great achievement.

In an event to honour some of the best dining experiences on the planet, the inaugural World Restaurant Awards took place in Palais Brongniart in Paris Monday night.

The World Restaurant Awards claims to champion the sort of destinations, chefs and dishes that are overlooked by other culinary awards around the world.

There was good news for Irish participants as two restaurants in Cork won awards at the ceremony.

Cork’s Paradiso’s partnership with Gortnanain Farm won the Collaboration of the Year category, which rewards restaurants for their work with their suppliers. The pair have been in partnership for two decades.

Meanwhile, Ballymaloe House in Cork also won the Trolley of the Year category, a category created for those that believe table side service should always be in fashion.

The awards were given out in 18 categories, with 12 ‘Big Plates’ awarded with a view to recognising excellence while there were also six other categories of ‘Small Plates’ of a more comedic nature.

You can see a full list of the winners on the night below.
Big Plates
Original Thinking: Le Clarence, France
Off-Map Destination: Wolfgat, South Africa
No Reservations Required: Mocotó, Brazil
House Special: Lido 84 (Cacio e Pepe), Italy
Forward Drinking: Mugaritz, Spain
Event of the Year: Refugee Food Festival, various locations
Collaboration of the Year: Paradiso X Gortnanain farm, Ireland
Atmosphere: Vespertine, USA
Enduring Classic: La Mère Brazier, France
Arrival of the Year: Inua, Japan
Restaurant of the Year Wolfgat, South Africa
Small Plates
Tweezer-Free Kitchen: Bo.Lan, Thailand
Trolley of the Year: Ballymaloe House, Ireland
Tattoo-Free Chef: Alain Ducasse, France
Instagram Account: Alain Passard, France
Long-Form Journalism: Lisa Abend (Fool Magazine), USA and Sweden
Red-Wine Serving Restaurant: Noble Rot, UK

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