2026 Award Winners SPECIALITY HOSPITALITY & SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2026

SPECIALITY HOSPITALITY & SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS 2026

VISITOR ATTRACTION 2026: The Shackleton Experience & Ernie's Café Athy Co Kildare
Athy has a unique connection with one of the great stories of polar exploration, as Ernest Shackleton was born at nearby Kilkea in 1874 – and today a remarkable tribute to his story is to be found in Athy’s reinvented Town Hall, where The Shackleton Experience opened in 2025. With its combination of restoration and modernity (as in the striking glass extension known as ‘The Iceberg’ and interactive exhibitions), it is a welcoming and intriguing destination honouring and exploring the life of Ernest Shackleton – and a must-see when visiting Kildare. Bringing his life, expeditions, leadership and enduring fascination to visitors in an engaging cultural attraction, it is a great asset to the town. Every aspect of The Shackleton Experience feels as if it has been thought through to convey much more than the impressive exhibits themselves – and that extends to its atmospheric café Ernie’s, which is operated by local chef and author Graham Herterich, aka The Cupcake Bloke. Museum and heritage cafés are too often treated as an afterthought, but a good one extends the welcome, gives visitors time to reflect and makes the attraction more appealing to the local community as well as tourists. Local and Irish produce is at the heart of Ernie’s, where the short menus change often with the seasons and flavour comes first. You don’t need an entrance ticket to get into the café and there are a few seats outside too, so it’s a great spot for locals to meet up for a chat as well as a lovely surprise for visitors. All round The Shackleton Experience and Ernie’s add a whole new dimension to Athy and the town is lucky to have them.

INNOVATION AWARD 2026: Mark Moriarty Studio Dublin
This is a totally unique proposition from one of Ireland's best-known chefs: one day a week, diners join chef Mark Moriarty and team for two intimate sittings in the multi-purpose studio space that he uses the rest of the week for corporate events in between recipe development, food shoots, filming and recording his weekly podcast. The flexible space can also hold a long table for private dining, or open up for various event formats such as champagne tastings with bowl-based 'canapés'. Entering the chef's studio via iPUT's art gallery, diners are welcomed as if into someone's home for a dinner party. Moriarty has gathered around him one of the best front of house teams in town, and together they set the tone for a memorable evening where fun is as valued as finesse.
Moriarty himself is as present on the floor as he is in the open kitchen, introducing many of the dishes personally before slipping back into the well-choreographed dance of the kitchen service, led by head chef, Odhran Devine. The skilful cooking is bold and playful, with riffs on modern and classical food culture such as a decadent 'Big Mac a la Rossini' (a two-bite canapé with foie gras, truffle and a green pickle dressing that nails that Big Mac profile). Moriarty believes that we dine out for a good time and delicious things, not to hear a convoluted origin story for every ingredient. His team can talk about the provenance or process behind each element on every plate – but only at the customer's prompt. Fans of his cooking shows and food writing come here to nerd out and take a tour of the open kitchen. But like a good old-fashioned dinner party, if you're here for the chats and the company and the new connections, that's exactly what they're here to facilitate and enjoy too. A quirky, original and highly innovative addition to Dublin dining.

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD 2026: The Tan Yard Killarney Co Kerry
Sustainability may be easy to place in a mission statement, but it’s much harder to embed in the everyday workings of a busy restaurant. At The Tan Yard in Killarney, the commitment goes far beyond good intentions, shaping sourcing, menus, education and the relationship between the restaurant and its surroundings. Part of the Ring family’s Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa, The Tan Yard places local and Irish provenance at the centre of its broad, inclusive menu. But its most distinctive initiative is the Killarney Urban Farm, which brings food production into the heart of town and allows guests to understand more directly where ingredients come from. The accompanying Tour & Taste experience connects growing, cooking and eating in a particularly engaging way. Local suppliers are celebrated, seasonal dishes respond to what is available, and Irish drinks have a meaningful presence. Importantly, the restaurant remains welcoming and accessible: sustainability is not presented as worthy medicine but as a route to better flavour and a more interesting experience. The most useful environmental leadership is practical, visible and capable of inspiring others. By connecting a busy tourism business with urban growing, regional sourcing and guest education, The Tan Yard is demonstrating just that - and is a very deserving Sustainability Award winner.

Destination Region of the Year 2026: Waterford City & County
It is interesting to see how some regions seem to have an inner dynamo driving them to get out there and make sure we all know what’s going on. We’ve observed some unlikely examples outside Ireland (Leicester, Flanders…) and then noticed some voices growing louder closer to home. Waterford, for example. For many years, until quite recently in fact, it was a county that seemed to portray itself as somehow left behind despite its unique history and an impressive range of USPs. The city is Ireland’s oldest, with a colourful Viking heritage, immersive historical experiences at destinations such as Reginald’s Tower https://heritageireland.ie/visit/places-to-visit/reginalds-tower/ and the House of Waterford Crystal https://www.houseofwaterford.com/, a lively arts and festival scene https://visitwaterford.com/event-category/festivals-events , scenic escapes along the Waterford Greenway https://greenwaysireland.org/waterford-greenway/ and Copper Coast (UNESCO Global Geopark) https://coppercoastgeopark.com/, and wonderful gardens including the recently restored and ever-evolving Mount Congreve Gardens & Country Estate https://mountcongreve.com/, Curraghmore House https://curraghmorehouse.ie/ , Lismore Castle https://www.lismorecastlegardens.com/ and the must-visit urban garden at GROW HQ https://giy.ie/pages/visit-grow-hq in Waterford city, to mention just a few. But Waterford’s light is most emphatically out from under the bushel now, with an energetic leadership and communications team working tirelessly to spread the word about all things Waterford, including Ireland’s longest-running food festival The Waterford Festival of Food https://www.waterfordfestivaloffood.com/ - which takes place mainly around Dungarvan and wonderful West Waterford but has expanded recently to include the city – and many other events all year round including Christmas https://visitwaterford.com/activities/waterford-winterval There’s always something going on and their communications are outstanding, so nobody can say they don’t know what’s going on in Waterford.

FOOD VILLAGE of the Year 2026 Baltimore Co Cork
Cork is often hailed as Food Central in terms of Irish hospitality, with West Cork having a particular claim to culinary fame – and there are some places with such an exceptional range of diverse but equally attractive options that visitors can’t believe their luck and locals hardly feel the need to leave at all. Take Baltimore, for example. A vibrant fishing village with a year-round population of under 500 and a colourful history (detailed in the restored castle), it’s a hotspot for sailing folk and deservedly popular for all kinds of things including visiting nearby islands (Sherkin and Cape Clear in particular), and Lough Hyne Nature Reserve - and it is also closely packed with terrific places to eat, drink and stay. Almost within shouting distance of each other – between Casey’s Hotel, on the way into town, and The Waterfront hotel on the square, you’ll find Rolf’s Countryhouse & Restaurant, no less than three very different establishments owned by leading chef Ahmet Dede (the famous fine dining destination dede at the Custom House, the more casual Baba’de and their new baby, Dede Cellar and Pantry), The Algiers (where, as they say, ‘gastro goes global’), La Jolie Brise (famed especially for pizza) and of course, Bushe’s Bar, where it all happens. This extraordinary situation has come about organically in recent years, and the really interesting thing is how different they all are. Each has a very distinctive personality, with varied foods and cooking styles, but what they all have in common is wonderful West Cork hospitality, a sense of community - and very high standards. No surprise then, that Baltimore should be chosen as our inaugural Food Village of the Year.

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR: 2026 Out of the Blue Dingle Co Kerry
On Dingle harbour front, this bright blue shack-like restaurant was established by Tim Mason over a quarter of a century ago and has always operated according to one wonderfully uncompromising principle: if the fish is not fresh, it does not open. The famous motto - no chips, nothing frozen, everything fresh or alive - says almost everything about Out of the Blue and why it remains such a special destination and is often booked out. It’s just the kind of place that visitors dream of finding and it has always been one where you might find a different language spoken at every table. Chefs Eric Maillard and Jean Marie Vaireaux have been here since the restaurant opened in 2001 and the daily menu follows the boats rather than a fixed formula, allowing familiar favourites to sit beside lesser-used species and giving diners a sense of the great variety landed around the Irish coast. The surroundings are rustic and relaxed – and service is warm and engaging - but the kitchen takes its work very seriously, handling superb fish and shellfish with skill while allowing their essential freshness to lead. A carefully chosen wine list, sourced with the same attention as the food, adds to the pleasure. And it is wonderful that Dingle attracts visitors from around the world, yet what brings them together here is food that could hardly be more local. Great seafood restaurants depend on trust - trust in fishermen, in the day’s catch and in a kitchen confident enough not to disguise it. Out of the Blue has built its reputation on exactly that trust and remains a benchmark for Irish seafood cooking.

GLOBAL CUISINES AWARD 2026: Restaurant of the Year Monty’s Nepalese Restaurant and Wine Bar Temple Bar Dublin Shiva & Lina Gautam
Since Shiva and Lina Gautam opened Monty’s in Temple Bar in 1997, their restaurant has become part of Dublin’s dining fabric while remaining proudly and unmistakably Nepalese. That longevity matters: authentic global cuisine is not a passing fashion here, but the work of a family that has spent nearly three decades sharing its own food culture with Irish diners and international visitors. Monty’s is emphatic about its identity - Nepalese owned, cooked and served - and the kitchen takes no shortcuts. Quality raw ingredients are prepared in-house, while the traditional charcoal tandoor gives the restaurant’s barbecued dishes and famous naan breads their characteristic smoky flavour. The other great passion is wine and Shiva Gautam has developed a cellar of unusual depth, making Monty’s as interesting to wine lovers as it is to anyone discovering Nepalese food. That combination of spice, charcoal, carefully judged cooking and serious wine gives the restaurant a personality entirely its own and, in 2026, a private dining space was repurposed as a wine bar and the former Monty’s of Kathmandu became Monty’s Nepalese Restaurant and Wine Bar. Global cuisines enrich Irish hospitality when they are represented with confidence, knowledge and generosity. Monty’s has done exactly that since 1997, creating a restaurant that is both deeply connected to Nepal and thoroughly at home in Dublin. It is an outstanding winner of this award.