2015 Award Winners RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2015

Kai Café & Restaurant, Galway

As has become very clear over the last few years, excellence in restaurants is not confined to fine dining - although we have had many outstanding ‘fine dining’ meals this year, including some in small restaurants run by young couples.

One, in particular, reminded me of the young Gerry and Marie Galvin when they started up in Kinsale in the 1970s, and this is how Gerry wrote to me about another very professional operation when it first opened:

“Kai, meaning food in Maori, is the brainchild of chef Jess Murphy, a New Zealander who, with her Irish husband David front-of-house, converted this former tearoom/café to a rustic, bare wood, flagged-floor, stonewalled café and restaurant. In shades of green and grey, with a central glass conservatory roof and plain furnishings, the Murphys have created a most unusual dining space. In fairly basic surroundings, which may not appeal to everyone, Jess displays her talents for cooking that are unashamedly dedicated to the very best of local foods, cooked in her own inimitable manner. She cuts no corners in seeking out the very best raw materials and then cooking them simply with a minimum of fuss. Menus change daily dependent on the best ingredients available. Staff are informal and friendly, and – although dinner prices may seem high given the unsophisticated furnishings/décor – it offers good value for the quality of the food. Kai is a most worthy venture by a serious chef and her experienced team.”

These words still ring true today - our Restaurant of the Year is full of light and colour and has a sense of fun, but the food is seriously good and (however chaotic the scene may seem at busy times) the well trained, focused and efficient front of house team demonstrate genuine hospitality to underpin the quality of the hearty plates of deliciousness coming from the kitchen.

Kai has not only earned a loyal following in Galway, but has become a must-visit for food lovers from all over Ireland when coming to the West. This extraordinary little restaurant has taken a top place in the Irish food scene, and it is well deserved.