CHAPTER ONE restaurant on Parnell Square in Dublin has once again been named Ireland’s best restaurant.
It is the seventh time in total and the fourth year in a row the Michelin-starred establishment has scooped the top prize at the Irish Restaurant Awards.
Chapter One was set up by Ross Lewis and Martin Corbett 20 years ago and has remained one of the most consistently praised restaurants in the country.
It was first chosen as Ireland’s restaurant of the year in 2003, won it again in 2006 and 2007 and has retained it since 2009.
It finally won a coveted Michelin star in 2007 and has kept it since.
It is located in the basement of the Dublin Writers Museum and underwent substantial renovation four years ago.
Mr Lewis won best chef in Dublin, but lost out on the best chef in Ireland to Garrett Byrne, who previously worked at his restaurant.
Mr Byrne’s Campagne restaurant in his native Kilkenny has gone from strength to strength despite opening in 2008 at the outset of the recession. He serves modern French food using local Irish produce, and the restaurant’s interior was painted by local artist Catherine Barron.
It was also chosen as the best restaurant in Leinster, while Chapter One won best restaurant in Dublin.
The best restaurant in Ulster was James Street South in Belfast, the best in Munster was Les Gourmandises in Cork city, and the best in Connacht was Artisan in Galway’s Latin quarter.
The Long Room at Doonbeg in Co Clare won best hotel restaurant and The Chop House near the Aviva Stadium won best gastro pub. The awards were presented by the Restaurant Association of Ireland at a ceremony in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin.
They are sponsored by Santa Rita/Sunday Independent Life magazine and attracted 6,000 nominations in total.
The best chef in Ulster went to Dutchman Joery Castel from the Boathouse in Bangor; in Munster it went to Wade Murphy at the Long Room in Doonbeg; and French native Philippe Farineau won best chef in Connacht for his cooking at the restaurant in the four-star Mount Falcon hotel in Ballina, Co Mayo.
Harveys Point Hotel on the shores of Lough Eske outside Donegal town won best customer service. The restaurant judged to be the best value in Ireland was Thyme on the banks of the Shannon in Athlone.
The best newcomer to the restaurant scene was the Greenhouse, next door to the Mansion House in Dublin.
It was set up by restaurateur Eamonn O’Reilly and Finnish head chef Mickael Viljanen, previously of Gregans Castle in Co Clare. He won best chef in Ireland at last year’s awards.
