NEW RESTAURANTS - 10 OF THE BEST

Some brilliant restaurants have opened during the past year or so, and this is just a tasting of the best

Bastion, Kinsale, Co Cork.
Attention to detail, delicious food and excellent service make Helen Noonan and chef patron Paul McDonald’s restaurant an exciting addition to a town already well endowed with great places to eat.

Cast & Crew, Belfast.
Opened by Niall McKenna of James Street South (GCG Restaurant of the Year) in June 2015 and a first for the Titanic Quarter, Cast and Crew is all urban funk and industrial chic - just the setting for brilliant street-style food.

The Idle Wall, Westport, Co Mayo.
A keen young Newport native, Chef/Patronne Aine Maguire, has created a buzz in the kitchen of this well-loved waterside restaurant (formerly Quay Cottage); the new name is inspired by the harbour wall just outside, where dockers once kicked their heels while waiting for casual employment.

Loam, Galway.
Enda McEvoy, the chef responsible for putting Galway on the international dining map, has created a destination restaurant that manages to walk the tightrope between casual and fine dining - and, in Loam, he has captured a little bit of the magic of the west of Ireland.

Luna, Dublin.
The dream team of restaurateur John Farrell, chef Karl Whelan and manager Declan Maxwell GCG Host of the Year are behind the instant success of Luna. Styled on a 1960s New York Italian, the flavour-packed food, glamorous décor and electric atmosphere make this Dublin’s hottest opening of the year

Maisons, Rostrevor, Co Down.
GCG Newcomer of the Year Rostrevor is a very attractive little town on the edge of the Mournes - a magic spot for an outing and, thanks to the arrival of Raymond McArdle's super restaurant, it's earning its stripes as a food destination.

The Mews, Baltimore, Co Cork
Enthusiastic new owners Luke Matthews, Robert Collender and James Ellis took over this magic spot in 2015 and they introduced an original brand of creativity that won them many followers in their first season.

Pearla na Mara, Galway
Although it is not (yet) one of Galway's better known restaurants, you’ll find genuine service as well as good cooking low-key at this younger sister of Justina Kocjan and Kamel Ourdache’s Pearla na Mara in Oranmore, and it’s well worth seeking out.

Le Petit Pois Restaurant & Wine Bar Galway.
A treat for all Francophiles - owned by Gallic husband and wife team, Philippe and Michèle Renaut, this charming spot quickly made a name for itself in the French community and beyond

Pilgrim’s Rosscarbery Co Cork.
A pretty flower decked frontage draws admiring glances to this charming restaurant, where Sarah Jane Pearce and chef Mark Jennings quickly made a mark with their exciting seasonal food and daily menus

Taste at Rustic by Dylan McGrath, Dublin.
Japan-meets-Peru-meets Spain in this uber cool new opening by the talented Dylan McGrath, GCG Chef of the Year. The superb cooking is complemented by a super stylish dining room, delivering a really great dining experience.

4 Vicars, Armagh, Co Armagh.
‘Modern dining on the hill' is the promise at Gareth and Kasia Reid's delightful restaurant in a Georgian terrace just beside Saint Patricks Church of Ireland Cathedral - and it's a promise well kept, complementing the city’s other trusted dining destinations.

Mulcahy’s, Kenmare, Co Kerry.
OK it’s not exactly a new restaurant - in fact Bruce and Laura Mulcahy’s stylish contemporary restaurant has long been one of Kenmare’s most consistently pleasing dining venues - but the relocation to bigger premises on Main Street has really upped their game. The style, the cooking and the service are all as good as ever, but it is a far more relaxing space and now, thanks to the handsome bar area, it’s also a place to enjoy the anticipation of a meal, or simply linger over coffee or a drink.