THE MICHELIN GUIDE’S annual ceremony for Britain and Ireland is being held in Dublin’s Convention Centre this evening in the ceremony’s first Irish outing.

The ceremony will see the announcement of Michelin stars for Irish restaurants as well as Bib Gourmands, the latter a recognition of restaurants that serve high-quality, locally-sourced food at reasonable prices. 

Five Irish restaurants were awarded Bib Gourmands last week. Three of these were in Dublin, one in Waterford, and one in Belfast.

Michelin stars are globally recognised as the mark of a world-class restaurant. The highest number of stars available is three, and the position of a three-star restaurant is coveted by fine dining establishments. 

There are 157 of these in the world – but none yet in Ireland. Across the island, 23 restaurants hold at least one star, and five of those 23 have two stars.

Dublin’s Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen is thought to be in with a chance of earning its third star this evening, but the restaurant’s two-star peers are stiff competition.

Turkish restaurant Dede in Baltimore, Liath by Damien Grey in Blackrock, Dublin’s Patrick Guilbaud, and Terre in Castlemartyr in Co Cork also hold two stars.

It’s not all good news though, because the only thing harder than earning a star is keeping it. Any lost stars won’t be announced at the ceremony, but the guide will be updated to reflect this.

The ceremony will kick off at 6pm and is available to watch live on the Michelin Guide’s YouTube channel. 

The full Irish Michelin Guide is available to view here and will be updated following the ceremony.