Vote for your favourite restaurants and be in with a chance of winning a two-night gourmet break

Nominations from the public are the first round in a four-month judging process

Paul Lenehan, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, at the launch of the Irish Restaurant Awards. Photograph: Paul Sherwood
Paul Lenehan, president of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, at the launch of the Irish Restaurant Awards. Photograph: Paul Sherwood

Voting is open for the 2023 Irish Restaurant Awards, an annual nationwide initiative now in its 14th year, run by the Restaurants Association of Ireland. Members of the public can nominate their favourites in 21 categories, including best restaurant, best chef, best gastropub and best newcomer. Nominations are being accepted online at www.irishtimes.com/sponsored/restaurant-awards-ireland and will remain open until noon on January 26th.

Those who vote will be entered into a drawn to win a break at one of two Ireland’s Blue Book properties. There are two-night bed and breakfast short breaks for two people, with dinner on one night, at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork and the Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge, in Co Limerick, to be won.

Winners in each county and provincial winners will be revealed at a series of regional events in March, before the national winners are announced at a gala dinner that will be attended by in the region of 1,000 industry representatives at the Burlington Hotel in Dublin in May.

In 2022, when the the awards were revived after a two-year break due to Covid 19, the best restaurant title went to Chapter One in Dublin, with Ahmet Dede of Restaurant Dede in Baltimore named best chef.

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As well as the public vote, the assessment process includes regional and national judging panels and mystery guest inspections.

The Irish Restaurant Awards were launched in Lock's Restaurant in Dublin. Photograph: Paul Sherwood
The Irish Restaurant Awards were launched in Lock's Restaurant in Dublin. Photograph: Paul Sherwood

The complete list of categories in which public votes can be cast is as follows:

Best restaurant

Best chef

Best casual dining

Pub of the ear

Best hotel and guesthouse restaurant

Best gastro pub

Best customer service

Best wine experience

Best newcomer

Best sustainable practices

Innovator of the year

Best world cuisine

Best ‘free-from’

Best cafe

Local Food Hero

Best emerging Irish cuisine

Best restaurant manager

Best cocktail experience

Best learning and development

Best private dining and club restaurant

Best cookery school

Marie Claire Digby

Marie Claire Digby

Marie Claire Digby is the former Senior Food Writer at The Irish Times