Two restaurants run by celebrity chef Richard Corrigan open tomorrow in the Village at Lyons, Tony Ryan's restored Kildare demesne, writes Kate McMorrow

To describe The Village at Lyons, as exquisite is not, for once, an over-the-top statement. The 18th century canalside village at Lyons Estate, near Celbridge in Co Kildare was mostly in ruins when airline boss Dr Tony Ryan acquired the 600-acre demesne in 1997.

Having restored the main house, he set his attentions to the cluster of buildings, which functioned as a mill village in the early 19th century.

Eight of the houses have been restored to a very fine standard under the supervision of a team of architects. Two restaurants under the stewardship of celebrity chef Richard Corrigan will have their official opening tomorrow.

The cuisine will replicate Corrigan's award-winning London restaurants, Lindsay House and Bentleys. Café La Serre's menu is based on Bentleys, while the more formal Mill restaurant will resemble Lindsay House.

They will be managed by Síle Nolan, formerly of Peploe's, while chefs Liam Tomlin and Paul Carroll will supervise the kitchens.

Work is ongoing on the restoration of the remaining buildings, with more houses, a cookery school, bakery and specialist food shops in the pipeline. The village will undoubtedly become a magnet for weekend visitors, along the lines of Macreddin Village in Co Wicklow, when completed.

Craftspeople from around the country are working on the project. Vincent Carmody of Kilkenny is responsible for the decorative ceiling and wall plasterwork while paintwork and detailing is by Chris Moore and Patrick Fitzgerald. The French polisher is Paul Molloy and design is by Jane Duffy Lynch.

Dr Ryan scoured auction houses and architectural salvage yards for artifacts for the village houses and restaurants,spending many millions on the venture. He made every decision, chose every fabric and colour tone.

A 400-year-old fireplace came from France and a horse-drawn cart once belonged to the London Fire Brigade. A boat owned by the Shackleton family who ran the mill rests on its side in the garden. Once the restoration project is complete, the houses will be rented out as holiday lets.