2026 Award Winners FINE DINING AWARDS 2026

FINE DINING AWARDS 2026

FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2026: Ómós Guesthouse and Restaurant Abbeyleix Co Laois
Omós was the most hotly anticipated opening of 2026: the culmination of five years of intensive research by executive chef Cúán Greene who documented his dreams on his Omós substack since returning to Ireland from sharpening knives and skills in Copenhagen's hottest kitchens. And a dreamy setup it is. A reimagined country house turned guesthouse outside handsome Abbeyleix village with a custom-built restaurant overlooking ponds and kitchen gardens and a fully open kitchen overseen by Scottish head chef Matthew Smith. Here Greene and team calmly deliver a 12-course menu that draws from his travels as a chef, his childhood in France, his memories of Irish food and the shifting Irish seasons. The menu feels deeply nostalgic, and the exceptionally skilful dishes are playful, evocative and truly delicious with plenty of visual theatre and intriguing conversation pieces. Service is exceptionally warm and welcoming yet polished and assured. Wine service leans to the natural side of things, but the list offers plenty for more classic palates too – and lots for deep pockets. The result is a deeply considered expression of modern Irish gastronomy, influenced by the international travels of highly skilled chefs. Dining room walls and tables adorned with expressions of Irish craft and design underline the philosophy of the intuitive cooking here. A unique experience that is well worth the five-year wait.

FINE DINING HOTEL RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: The Bishop’s Buttery Cashel Palace Hotel Cashel Co Tipperary
A gracious 18th-century former archbishop’s residence with the Rock of Cashel rising beyond its gardens, Cashel Palace Hotel enjoys one of Ireland’s most enviable settings - and, following meticulous restoration by the Magnier family, it has become a destination of international renown under the caring supervision of legendary General Manager Adriaan Bartels and a strong team. Retaining a strong connection to Tipperary and to the great Irish country house tradition is key to that success and so is its food, which has always been a celebration of the rich agricultural landscape surrounding Cashel– as demonstrated in many ways, including the Food Tours offered to guests and, most recently, seen in their interesting new Land to Table documentary which visits some of the nearby suppliers. Under Director of Culinary Stephen Hayes, the hotel has developed a confident dining identity, with the atmospheric vaulted Bishop’s Buttery and its Head Chef Stefan McEnteer providing the premier fine dining experience. Here, accomplished modern cooking is an expression of that wonderful local produce presented with precision and served with warm professionalism in a room of genuine historic character. But one of the nicest things about it is that diners are not constrained by the Signature Tasting Menu, lovely as the experience is, and may opt for the simpler Table d’Hote, which is a very attractive option for many guests. And, from breakfast in the Queen Anne Room to afternoon tea or drinks in the atmospheric Guinness Bar and the pleasures of neighbouring Mikey Ryan’s pub – or a short scenic drive to Fethard, for casual dining at Sadler’s - enjoyable dining experiences are woven through everything at Cashel Palace.

NEIGHBOURHOOD FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2026: Mamó Restaurant Howth Co Dublin
When chef Killian Durkin and Jess D’Arcy opened Mamó on Howth harbour in 2019, they created the kind of restaurant every neighbourhood hopes for: ambitious enough to draw diners across the city, yet warm and personal so that it belongs unmistakably to its local community. Since then, Mamó has evolved continuously, adding spaces and changing dining options without losing the intimacy that first made it special. Killian’s compact kitchen produces cooking of remarkable range and confidence, with Irish meat, game in season, vegetables and seafood all handled with imagination and restraint. The nearby harbour is a big part of the story of course, but so too are growers such as McNally Family Farm and ingredients as local as Howth honey. Jess and her team bring the first-floor dining room to life with relaxed, knowledgeable service and a welcome that immediately puts guests at ease. This is fine dining without stiffness: beautiful glassware and carefully considered wines, serious cooking and well-paced service, but also a sense of pleasure and spontaneity. Downstairs offers a more casual but equally appealing dining option, and there’s a smart little pavement area too. Lunch can feel like one of Dublin’s great treats and dinner has all the occasion could wish - Mamó demonstrates that neighbourhood dining can be both deeply local and nationally significant. For that rare combination, it is our lovely Neighbourhood Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year. Word count: 200

BIJOU FINE DINING RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2026: Everett’s Waterford
Small restaurants tend to depend more than most on the personality and commitment of the people behind them, and Everett’s has become one of Waterford city’s most distinctive dining rooms through exactly that combination – and an exceptional setting in this historic city's medieval quarter. An 18th century bonded warehouse with the remains of a 15th century tower house provide a unique backdrop for talented chef Peter Everett and his partner, Keith Noonan to create an intimate destination where serious cooking is delivered with warmth, confidence and a refreshing lack of ceremony. Everett’s makes clever use of its compact space, creating an atmosphere that feels special without becoming formal and – true to Peter’s Euro-Toques principles - the menus are rooted in excellent local and Irish ingredients and the seasons, with carefully judged combinations, precise cooking and a natural understanding of flavour. A highlight on a recent visit, for example, was the flavour of tomatoes grown on the outskirts of the city by Grantstown Nurseries, a telling example of small things making a big impact. Local produce and seafood are key to every menu here, reflecting Waterford’s exceptional food culture and its position between rich farmland and the coast, but all of the elements - the welcome, the pacing, the wine, the comfort of the room as well as the food work together rather than competing for attention. At Everett’s, that is the secret of its appeal. For proving that scale is no barrier to ambition, and for giving Waterford a small restaurant with a very big sense of identity, Everett’s is a most deserving Bijou Restaurant of the Year.

CHEF OF THE YEAR 2026: Wade Murphy 1826 Adare Adare Co Limerick
A classically trained chef with experience of cooking at the highest level, Wade Murphy has long been known for his decision – which was very unusual at the time – to walk away from the formality of the fine dining experience in order to offer something more relaxed. And this is exactly what he has done at 1826 Adare, the charmingly atmospheric restaurant he opened with his wife Elaine in 2013, where his approach might best be described as fine dining without the fuss. Served by a warmly professional team in a comfortable setting. his technically assured, deeply flavourful cooking ensures that the ingredient – and the customer - always comes first. Their approach was a hit with diners from the start, and many would feel that any visit to the area without a meal at 1826 Adare is a missed opportunity. But, as well as demonstrating how fine dining can evolve into a more customer friendly experience - and encouraging the fortunate young chefs who work alongside him to think that way - Wade has served as Commissioner General of Euro-Toques Ireland, where a commitment to Irish food culture is central - provenance matters, suppliers are valued and named, and Ireland’s excellent meat, poultry, fish, seafood, vegetables and farmhouse produce are treated with respect – and he continues to play an important role in Ireland’s wider professional food community. And something that makes Wade’s cooking especially memorable is its generosity - there is refinement, certainly, but never at the expense of pleasure and he is a great example to others. Familiar ideas are elevated rather than deconstructed beyond recognition, and value remains part of the restaurant’s appeal. Consistency over many years is one of the hardest achievements in hospitality. Wade Murphy has combined it with leadership, integrity and an enduring enthusiasm for Irish ingredients, making him an exceptionally worthy Chef of the Year.