2016 Award Winners CAFé OF THE YEAR 2016

Teach nan Phaidi, Aran Islands, Co Galway

This award gives recognition to the best of those valuable all-day operations – usually small and owner-run – which not only lift the visitor’s spirits in a flash, but also the reputation of any town or village lucky enough to be its chosen location. The Guide seeks out good simple cooking based on quality ingredients - and especially the home baking that can be the highlight of a day out.

Catherine Concannon café is in a dream cottage with the artistic and personal touches of the owner and family everywhere… a huge vase of hollyhocks, lavender, sweet pea and white roses adorns the shelf above the fireplace in summer…

She serves delicious traditional dishes - the freshest of mackerel salad; Beef and Guinness stew, perhaps, with the deep flavours that only come from gentle cooking, with the loveliest baby potatoes in their skins dotted along the top - and a beef lasagne and salad that are “worth the bicycle ride!”

Goats cheese salad is a picture - and of course the cheese is Aran Islands Goats’ Cheese from the farm of Catherine’s son-in-law, Gabriel Faherty.

Then there are the cakes: favourites are Chocolate Guinness cake, Tunisian orange cake, high sponge cake with Cream and Jam.. All this and an idyllic island setting too.

Enough to make you head for Inis Mór?