Aniar
53 Dominick Street Lower, Galway; 091-535947; aniarrestaurant.ie
Aniar is so much more than a Michelin-starred restaurant. After all, owner JP McMahon is truly dedicated to Irish food. Following 13 years in business, Aniar recently underwent a refit in conjunction with Marmar Architects, and the result is an interior that guides the diner through the 24-course tasting menu experience, all the time subtly mirroring the landscape of the west of Ireland. Joanne Cronin
Ballyfin
Co Laois, R32 PN34; 057-8755866, ballyfin.com
There’s a lot of talk about Ballyfin this year, the ultra-expensive hotel where Amal and George Clooney once stayed and Kanye and Kim honeymooned. The Michelin guide awarded the hotel three keys (the equivalent of three stars for hotels) and posted glowing pictures of the food, promptly adding to the speculation that it is primed to land a star. UK chef Richard Picard-Edwards has made no secret of his ambition, and with dishes like pea cream and broad beans with Belgian caviar, Mossfield ravioli in onion consommé and squab pigeon with foie gras and leg ravioli, it may just be the time to pop an email to see if one of those non-resident tables for the €145 tasting menu is available. Corinna Hardgrave
Bramley
10 Main Street, Abbeyleix, Co Laois; 057-8757749, bramleyabbeyleix.com
Sam and Emily Moody’s fine-dining spot in Abbeyleix focuses on local, seasonal ingredients and precise cooking, drawing on Sam’s pedigree (Ballyfin, Bath Priory). The lunch menu and midweek “Supper at Six” offer great value but dinner is where the kitchen shines, with a la carte and tasting menus (€75) using vegetables from their walled garden. Highlights include honey-glazed quail with leek emulsion and organic slow roast duck. CH
George V
Ashford Castle, Cong, Co Mayo; 094-9546003, ashfordcastle.com
Change is in the air at Ashford Castle. The stately, dark wood panelling of the George V diningroom is now home to executive head chef Liam Finnegan, who works closely with the estate’s newly planted kitchen garden and local suppliers to bring a modern touch to the classics-inspired menu. The wine cellar is famously richly stocked, and has an extensive list of wines by the glass. JC
Homestead Cottage
Luogh North, Doolin, Co Clare; 065-6794133, homesteadcottagedoolin.com
In a restored 200-year-old cottage, Michelin-starred chef Robbie McCauley crafts precise, seasonal dishes, using produce from his own organic garden and ducks he raises himself. With his wife Sophie running the front of house, the experience is both personal and polished. Dishes such as fallow deer with fermented red cabbage or Liscannor Bay crab with garden kohlrabi show the kitchen’s sensitivity to seasonality on the eight-course tasting menu (€109). From November a seven-course afternoon menu (€70), running from 2pm-6pm, adds another option. CH
Liath
Blackrock Market, Blackrock, Co Dublin; 01-2123676, liathrestaurant.com
Owner Damien Grey recently announced on Instagram that Liath is looking for a new home. But fear not – for the time being the Blackrock Market continues to host this tiny fine-dining powerhouse. Liath has a philosophy that espouses exploration of the senses, so the diner is drawn inward over the course of the meal into the imagination of Grey and head chef, Jozef Radacovsky. JC
MacNean House and Restaurant
Main Street, Blacklion, Co Cavan; 071-9853022, nevenmaguire.com
Despite being possibly the busiest man in Irish cooking, with television shows, demonstrations and cookware ranges, Neven Maguire’s MacNean House and Restaurant remains one of the most popular destinations in Ireland for a special meal. Often booked out months in advance, the generous hospitality and even more generous cooking from head chef Carmel McGirr feels very special indeed. JC
Restaurant Chestnut
The Chestnut Tree, Staball Hill, Ballydehob, Co Cork; 028-25766, restaurantchestnutwestcork.ie
Rob Krawczyk’s Michelin-starred tasting menu is all about restraint, showcasing local ingredients with skill. His home-made charcuterie and organic produce from Lisheen Greens flow through the courses. The four-course menu (€70) offers a taste of his craft, while the Signature Tasting (€149) includes wild halibut with Roaring Water Bay mussels. Upstairs, it’s more laid-back with “Small Plates, Nibbles & Snacks.” Closes through January. CH
Terre
Castlemartyr Resort, Castlemartyr, Co Cork; 021-4219053, terre.ie
Dining at Terre is a spectacle from the moment you set foot inside, and it’s not just the open kitchen where French chef Vincent Crepel overseas the dramatically lit pass. It’s the quality of produce and the precision of cooking that makes this two-Michelin-starred restaurant so special. Age-old French cooking methods are coupled with a strong Asian influence on the €250, 11-course tasting menu, with dishes such as hamachi with home-made kosho and Ballycotton lobster with whey sauce. CH
The Oak Room
Adare Manor, Adare, Co Limerick; 061-605200, adaremanor.com
The lavish Oak Room delivers all the grandeur that one would expect at one of Ireland’s finest hotels. Service is impeccable, allowing the spotlight to shine on chef Mike Tweedie’s elegant and polished cooking. Since taking over in 2017, Tweedie has truly settled in, finding his way unerringly to the best Irish produce including Doonbeg lobster, Dooncastle oysters and meat from Higgin’s butchers. JC
The Owenmore Restaurant at Ballynahinch Castle
Recess, Connemara, Co Galway; 095-31006, ballynahinchcastle.com
Chef Danni Barry works magic with the freshest seasonal ingredients, crafting visually stunning plates with a light, refined touch. The four-course table d’hote menu (€90) highlights this simplicity: cured scallops with cucumber and nasturtiums, perfectly cooked halibut with morels, and wild venison with garden beets. The Library, which was recently redecorated, now has a conservatory and terrace, and is perfect for a pre-dinner cocktail. CH
