Shortlist for the 2014 FOOD&WINE Magazine Restaurant of the Year Awards

The FOOD&WINE Magazine Restaurant of the Year Awards, now in its 14th year, are considered one of the most prestigious and authoritative culinary awards in the Irish calendar. Recognising the best Irish restaurants and culinary talent, diners from all over Ireland were invited to nominate their favourite restaurants and chefs.

The top entries went forward for deliberation by a national culinary panel of judges made up of industry experts and national food critics. After much deliberation on each category, each judge voted in secret for their top 10 in each category, including the top 10 restaurants and chefs from all four provinces, with Dublin treated separately.

The national awards for Overall Best Chef and Overall Best Restaurant were put through a further judging process, where the entire judging panel and all previous panel members voted electronically and in private. 

All of the regional and national winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 17 August. In addition to Best Chef and Best Restaurant, awards will also be presented for Best Sommelier, Best Service, Best World Cuisine and Best Wine Experience.

 “This year, we are very excited to recognise emerging chefs and restaurateurs who have been striving for excellence over the last year and are now getting the accolades they deserve. Of course, established restaurants that continue to innovate, yet maintain the same standards of excellence, will always be rewarded. It is also encouraging to see a significant growth in quality, regional eateries across the country this year, which provided plenty of fodder for debate during the judging process,” commented Miriam Atkins, editor of FOOD&WINE Magazine. 

N.B -Shortlist is in Alphabetical Order, placing to be announced on Sunday August 17^th at the Four Seasons Dublin

Best Restaurant

Best Restaurant Ulster - Shortlist

4th Wall, Belfast

Balloo House, Down

Coppi, Belfast

Deanes Meat Locker Belfast

Hadskis, Belfast

James Street South Restaurant, Belfast

MacNean House & Restaurant, Cavan

Ox, Belfast

Rayanne House, Down

The Catalina Restaurant, Lough Erne Resort, Fermanagh

Best Restaurant Munster - Shortlist

1826 Adare, Limerick

Ballymaloe House, Cork

Gregans Castle, Clare

Les Gourmandises, Cork

Longueville House, Cork

Sage, Cork

The Cliff House, Waterford

The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge, Limerick

The Tannery, Dungarvan, Waterford

Wild Honey Inn, Clare

Best Restaurant Leinster - Shortlist

Campagne Restaurant, Gashouse Lane, Kilkenny City

Aldridge Lodge Restaurant, New Ross, Wexford

Brabazon Restaurant, Tankardstown House, Slane, Meath

Chakra by Jaipur, Greystones, Wicklow

Dunbrody House, Wexford

Lady Helen, Mount Juliet, Kilkenny

Sha-Roe, Carlow

The Strawberry Tree Restaurant at Brooklodge & Wells Spa, Macreddin Village, Wicklow

Vie de Chateaux, Naas,  Kildare

Viewmount House, Longford

Best Restaurant Connacht - Shortlist

An Port Mór, Westport, Mayo

Aniar Restaurant,  Lower Dominick St, Galway

Ashford Castle Hotel, Cong, Mayo

Ballynahinch Castle, Connemara

Coopershill House, Sligo

Inis Meain Restaurant, Aran Islands, Galway

Kai Café and Restaurant, Sea Road, Galway

La Fougere Restaurant, Knockranny House Hotel, Westport, Mayo

O'Grady's on the Pier, Barna, Galway

Oscar's Seafood Bistro, Galway

Best Restaurant Dublin - Shortlist

Ananda, Dundrum, Dublin 14

Chapter One, Parnell Square

Dax, Pembroke Street Upper, Dublin

Forest Avenue, Sussex Road

L'Ecrivain, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin

Pearl Brasserie, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin

Restaurant Forty One at Residence, St Stephens Green

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

The Greenhouse, Dawson St

Thorntons, Fitzwilliam Hotel, St Stephen's Green

Best Chef

Best Chef Ulster - Shortlist

Carl Johansen, James Street South Bistro Bar & Grill, Belfast

Chris Fearon, Deanes at Queens, Belfast

Conor McClellend, Rayanne House, Belfast

Danny Millar, Balloo House, Down

David Gillmore, James Street South Restaurant, Belfast

Ian Orr, Browns, Derry

Neven Maguire, MacNean House & Restaurant, Cavan

Niall McKenna, Hadskis, Belfast

Noel McMeel, The Catalina, Fermanagh

Simon Toye, Deanes Meat Locker, Belfast

Best Chef Munster - Shortlist

Aidan McGrath, Wild Honey Inn, Clare

Caithlyn Ruth, Deasy's Harbor Bar

David Hurley, Gregans Castle, Clare

Eddie Ongchok Fong, Aroi

Eric Theze, La Boheme, Waterford

Kevin Aherne, Sage, Cork

Martijn Kajuiter, The Cliff House, Waterford

Paul Flynn, The Tannery Restaurant, Waterford

Wade Murphy, 1826 Adare, Limerick

William O'Callaghan, Longueville House, Cork

Best Chef Leinster - Shortlist

Aidan MacManus, King Sitric, Howth, County Dublin

Billy Whitty, Aldridge Lodge, Wexford

Cormac Rowe, The Lady Helen, Mount Juliet, Kilkenny

Garrett Byrne, Campagne, Kilkenny

Gary O'Hanlon, Viewmount House Restaurant, Dublin Road, Longford

Henry Stone, Sha-Roe, Carlow

Lalit Kumar, Chakra by Jaipur, Greystones, Wicklow

Oliver Dunne, Bon Appetit, Malahide, County Dublin

Robbie Krawczyk, Brabazon Restaurant, Tankardstown House, Meath

Tim Daly, The Strawberry Tree, The Brooklodge & Wells Spa, Wicklow

Best Chef Connacht - Shortlist

Christina McCauley, Coopershill House, Sligo

Frankie Mallon, An Port Mór, Westport, Mayo

Jessica Murphy, Kai Café and Restaurant, 20 Sea Rd, Galway

Johnathan Keane, The Lodge at Ashford, Mayo

JP McMahon, Cava Bodega, Galway

Michael O'Meara, Oscars Seafood Restaurant, Galway

Ruairi de Blacam, Inis Meain, Aran islands, Galway

Seamus Commons, La Fougére Restaurant, Knockranny, Westport, Mayo

Tim O'Sullivan, Renvyle House Hotel, Renvyle, Connemara, Galway

Ultan Cooke, Aniar Restaurant, Lower Dominick St, Galway

Best Chef Dublin - Shortlist

Conor O'Dowd, Dax

Derry Clarke, l'Ecrivain, Lower Bagott Street

Graham Neville, Restaurant Forty One at Residence, St Stephens Green

Guillaume Lebrun, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud

John Wyer, Forest Avenue, Sussex Road, Dublin 4

Kevin Thornton, Thornton's

Mickael Viljanen, The Greenhouse Restaurant, Dawson Street

Ross Lewis, Chapter One, Parnell Square

Stephen Gibson, Pichet, Trinity St

Sunil Ghai, Ananda, Dundrum, Dublin 14

National Shortlist

Best Wine Experience

Ballymaloe, Cork

Chapter One, Dublin

Dax, Dublin

Ely Wine Bar, Ely Place, Dublin 2

Greenacres, Wexford

Kelly's Resort Hotel, Wexford

La Fougere, Knockranny, Mayo

Ox, Belfast

Restaurant Forty-One, Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

Best Sommelier

Alain Kerloc'h, Ox, Belfast

Colm McCan, Ballymaloe, Cork

Damian Corr, The Cellar, Dublin

Ed Jolliffe, Chapter One, Dublin

Ian Brosnan, Ely Wine Bar, Dublin

Martina Delaney, l'Ecrivain, Dublin

Nicolas Fajours, La Fougere, Mayo

Nisea Doddy, The Shelbourne, Dublin

Pierre-Marie Faure, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

Thomy Sabbe, Pearl Brasserie

Victor Nedelea, Restaurant Forty-One, Residence, Dublin

Best Casual Dining

1826 Adare, Limerick

Aroi, Limerick

Etto, D2

Fade Street Social, D2

Farmgate, English Market

Farmgate, Midleton, Cork

James Street South Bar & Grill, Belfast

Las Tapas de Lola, D2

The Black Pig, Kinsale, Cork

Wild Honey Inn, Lisdoonvana

Ethnic & World Cuisine

Ananda, Dundrum, Dublin

Aroi, Limerick

Chakra by Jaipur, Greystones, Wicklow

China Sichuan, Sandyford, Dublin

Las Tapas de Lola, Dublin 2

M&L Chinese Restaurant, Dublin

Montys of Kathmandu, Dublin 1

Musashi, Capel Street, Dublin

Rasam, Glasthule, County Dublin

Saba, Dublin

Best Service

Ananda, Dundrum, Dublin 14

Chapter One, Dublin

L'Ecrivain, Dublin

Ox, Belfast

Rayanne House, Down

Renvyle House Hotel, Galway

Restaurant Forty One, Dublin

Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin

The Mustard Seed at Echo Lodge, Limerick

The Tannery, Dungarvan, Waterford

Viewmount House, Longford

The winners of the 14^th Annual FOOD&WINE Magazine Restaurant of the Year Awards will be announced at a gala luncheon on Sunday 17 August at The Four Seasons, Dublin 4.

Best of Luck to all involved!

Zack