2015 Award Winners ATMOSPHERIC RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2015

Brabazon Restaurant, Tankardstown House, Slane, Co Meath

Irish diners place a high premium on atmosphere – often rating it even above the quality of food when choosing where to eat out – but this restaurant, although certainly atmospheric, has much more to it than that. As everyone familiar with past winners of our Atmospheric category will know, we seek out establishments that offer very high standards all round, with great atmosphere as the icing on the cake.

Not many country houses can boast a fine dining destination restaurant as one of the most appealing strings to their hospitality bow, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at Tankardstown House, Co Meath.

And what a restaurant. Although mainly a new build you would never guess it - the old cow shed was the starting point and, like everything else at Tankardstown, it has been built and finished with exquisite taste to create an atmospheric, slightly other-worldy setting for a very special dining experience.

The style is sophisticated rustic, with an open fire for winter and, for warmer days, a garden terrace accessed by French doors. Aside from the gorgeous setting the first thing you’ll notice here is the well trained and welcoming staff, who waste no time in offering a drink along with one of Robbie Krawczyk 's famously ingredients-led menus showcasing local foods and home produce from their own walled gardens, polytunnel and poultry enclosure.

They operate some terrific one-off evenings including an off-season Friday Night Project, which champions a particular local supplier and is especially worth checking out. The setting at Brabazon is charming, but it is much more than a pretty face.

Whether for dinner or Sunday lunch, a meal at this atmospheric restaurant is always a real treat.