Kilkenny restaurants win big at the Leinster regionals of the Irish Restaurant Awards

A number of Kilkenny restaurants are celebrating after being named winners in the the first of four regional finals at this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards.

The event took place in the Knightsbrook Hotel, Trim, where 165 awards were presented to the country’s leading chefs, restaurants and pubs. Over 550 people attended the Leinster Regional Final on Wednesday evening where the top establishments in each county were named.

The awards covered a wide range of venues and the winners from each of Leinster’s 11 counties were selected from the following categories: Best Casual Dining, Best Emerging Irish Cuisine, Best Kids Size Me, Best ‘Free From’, Best World Cuisine, Best Restaurant Manager, Best Wine Experience, Pub of the Year, Best Café, Best Customer Service, Best Gastro Pub, Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant, Best Newcomer, Best Chef and Best Restaurant. There was also a special Regional award for Leinster’s Local Food Hero.

Kilkenny Winners Are As Follows:

Best Casual Dining sponsored by San Pellegrino - Truffles Restaurant and Wine Bar
Best Emerging Irish Cuisine sponsored by Odaios Foods - Kernel Bar & Kitchen
Best Kids Size Me sponsored by Dubliner Cheese - Langton House Hotel
Best 'Free From' sponsored by Peroni Nastro Azzurro Gluten Free - Rive Gauche
Best World Cuisine sponsored by Aryzta - Indique
Best Restaurant Manager - Milko Mihaylov of Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar
Best Wine Experience sponsored by Classic Drinks - Ristorante Rinuccini
Pub of the Year sponsored by Bushmills - Billy Byrnes Bar and Guesthouse
Best Café sponsored by Illy - Cakeface Patisserie
Best Customer Service - Ristorante Rinuccini
Best Gastro Pub sponsored by Coca Cola & Schweppes - Left Bank
Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant sponsored by BWG Foodservice - Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate
Best Newcomer sponsored by Elavon - Kernal Bar And Kitchen
Best Chef sponsored by Nisbets - Ken Harker at Lady Helen Dining Room at Mount Juliet Estate
Best Restaurant sponsored by Tindal Wine Merchants - Campagne.

Speaking at the awards, Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) said:

“Now in their tenth year, the Irish Restaurant Awards continue to showcase the exquisite and admirable calibre of food available in our restaurants and pubs nationwide. Online nominations have increased from 9,000 in 2013 to over 80,000 this year and with the increase in interest comes an increase in standards, making the judging process more difficult than ever.

“Our small island boasts everything from fine dining to high quality gastropubs, from the exotic taste explosions of world cuisine to the comfort of traditional dishes. We have an appreciation for what we eat, for the journey of our food from farm to fork, and for the dedication of those working in the food industry to serve up Ireland’s finest food.”