Dublin eatery named best place to eat in Ireland at Irish Restaurant Awards

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A DUBLIN RESTAURANT has been named the best in the country at the Irish Restaurant Awards.

The annual gongs were held last night at Dublin’s Clayton Hotel.

And it was a Dublin restaurant, Etto, based on Merrion Row in the south city centre, that emerged with the evening’s star prize.

The restaurant, first established in 2013, offers a “daily changing, seasonal menu, served in a relaxed and informal environment and describe their dishes as honest and simple, using ingredients from local producers and suppliers where possible”, per the event’s organisers.

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Going by the restaurant’s Twitter output over the last 12 hours, staff are pretty happy with the result.

Over 1,000 restaurateurs and staff attended last night’s sold out black-tie event, which saw awards handed out in 21 separate categories.

Guests were treated to a six-course gala dinner, prepared by some of Ireland’s most well-known chefs.

Etto, which won in previous years at the awards in the best casual dining and best wine experience categories, had a bumper night, with victories in the Dublin regional best customer service and best chef (for Barry Sun Jian) categories to add to its overall best restaurant prize.

Other prominent victors on the night included:

• Pub of the year – Walsh’s, Dublin
• Best gastro pub – The Legal Eagle, Dublin
• Best hotel/guesthouse restaurant – Park Hotel, Kenmare, Co Kerry
• Best newcomers – Clenaghans, Craigavon, Co Armagh
• Best cafe – Pudding Row, Easky, Co Sligo
• Best wine experience – Piglet Wine Bar, Dublin

Sally O’Brien of Farmgate Restaurant and Country Store in Midleton, Co Cork, won for best restaurant manager, and Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant in Galway won the title of best chef in Ireland.

Over 90,000 online nominations were received in advance of the awards, which are now in their 10th year.