Kilkenny restaurants sweep the boards at regional awards

Some of Kilkenny's finest eateries swept the boards at the Regional Final of Irish Restaurant Awards which took place in the Killashee House Hotel last night where the top restaurants in each county for 2019 were announced.

Over 600 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.

Speaking at the awards early this evening Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, 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 gastropubs, 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”.

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, Best Kids Size Me Menu, Local Food Hero, Best Emerging Irish Cuisine and Best Newcomer.

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 in Dublin on May 13.

Kilkenny winners were: 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 and Best World Cuisine - Indique Indian Restaurant.

Other winners included: Best “Free From” –  The Cutting Vedge, Best Kids Size Me - The Hungry Moose, Best Local Food Hero – Kilkenny- Siobhan Lawler of Glasraí & Goodies, Best Emerging Irish Cuisine - Barrows Keep and Best Casual Dining - Truffles Restaurant & Wine Bar.