LOAM RESTAURANT IN Galway has been named the best restaurant in Ireland.

The restaurant took the top award at the All-Ireland Best Restaurant Awards in the Clayton Hotel in Dublin tonight.

Other winners included Graham Neville of Dax in Dublin who was named Best Chef and Everett’s restaurant in Waterford which was named Best Newcomer.

The Pub of the Year award went to Doheny and Nesbitt in Dublin.

Speaking at the awards, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said the standard for judging this year was “very high”.

Over 90,000 nominations were received from the public in January and over 2,000 restaurateurs attended regional awards in Kildare, Monaghan, Limerick and Sligo.

“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 through 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,” Cummins said.