Either there’s something in having an Irish name or two of Kilkenny’s finest are really pulling out all the stops. I’m going with the latter.
This week’s edition of The Sunday Times included the annual list of Ireland’s 100 Best Restaurants (paywall) by John & Sally McKenna (of the McKenna’s Guides) and two of Kilkenny’s food darlings have made the list as the pick of the county’s eateries.
Arán Bakery & Bistro on Barrack Street in the city, along with Nóinín on John’s Bridge have both been included on the list, with Arán getting a further nod on the list of ‘best for sourdough’ around the country. Both also featured last week as part of the Leinster round of the Irish Restaurant Awards with Arán picking up the award for Best Casual Dining in Kilkenny while Nóinín was recognised as Innovator of the Year for Kilkenny.
Arán “is hoppin'” as the writeup this week suggests where “This sort of crazy eclecticism [in reference to the menu] reflects not just Bart Pawlukojc and Nicole Server-Pawlukojc’s own diverse backgrounds and peripatetic cheffing, but also the hunger and ambition of the team. These guys love to bake and cook, and it shows in everything, from the bakery’s multi-award-winning breads to the super-tasty brunch dishes.”
On Nóinín, with high praise for the cooking of Sinéad Moclair, their entry into the top 100 offers “what we love about Nóinín is the fact that people respond to this generosity: this room has a power that is difficult to understate, a power built on superbly cooked local foods. Nóinín is a beaut.”
They’re rubbing shoulders with Bramley (Laois), My Kitchen by Sham Hanifa (Roscommon), Everett’s and The Tannery (Waterford), Kicky’s (Dublin), Daróg (Galway) and some of the finest in the land. I guess that’s why they call it the best 100…
You can read the full article here (requires a subscription to The Times) or if the shops haven’t sent copies back yet, there’s a 26-page pullout available as a full guide to dining out for the year.
