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The Best Restaurants in Leinster have been announced as part of 2020 Irish Restaurant Awards

The first of the regional legs of the Irish Restaurant Awards have taken place in Meath.

Ken McGuire by Ken McGuire
27th February 2020
in News, Restaurants
Reading Time: 7 mins read
Truffles Restaurant Kilkenny

Truffles Restaurant Kilkenny. Photo: Ken McGuire/Ken On Food

The regional results for the 2020 Irish Restaurant Awards continue this month with the best restaurants in Leinster revealed last night.

The Knightsbrook Hotel in Meath played host to over 700 people from the Leinster restaurant and hospitality sector as the winners were revealed. The county winners go forth to compete for the regional and All-Ireland titles which are slated for Monday 18 May in Dublin.

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Among the winners were Campagne (Best Resetaurant, Kilkenny), Jordan Bailey (Best Chef, Kildare) and The Foxy Bean (Best Café, Offaly)

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It’s a fairly comprehensive list, so here’s all your winners.

Best Restaurant

  • Carlow – Sha-Roe Bistro
  • Kildare – TwoCooks Restaurant and Wine Bar
  • Kilkenny – Campagne
  • Laois – Batoni’s
  • Longford – VM Restaurant at Viewmount House
  • Louth – The Bay Tree Restaurant
  • Meath – Zucchini’s Restaurant
  • Offaly – The Blue Apron Restaurant
  • Westmeath – Thyme Restaurant
  • Wexford – La Côte Seafood Restaurant
  • Wicklow – The Pigeon House Delgany

Best Chef

  • Carlow – Robert White of Clashganny House Restaurant
  • Kildare – Jordan Bailey of Aimsir
  • Kilkenny – Keith Boyle of Restaurant Lady Anne
  • Laois – Padraic Flynn of Roundwood House
  • Longford – Marcio Laan of Viewmount House
  • Louth – Conor Woods of The Bay Tree Restaurant
  • Meath – Paul McCullagh of Zucchini’s Restaurant
  • Offaly – Kenan Pehlivan of The Blue Apron Restaurant
  • Westmeath – Deirdre Adamson of The Fatted Calf
  • Wexford – Paul Hynes of La Côte Seafood Restaurant
  • Wicklow – Oisin Kehoe-Clarke of The Pigeon House Delgany

Best Newcomer

  • Carlow – Coolanowle Foodhall, Bistro 7 & Organic Butchery
  • Kildare – Aimsir
  • Kilkenny – Barrows Keep
  • Laois – Croft Alley
  • Longford – Wilder & Gold
  • Louth – Square Restaurant
  • Meath – TRIBE
  • Offaly – Conway & Co
  • Westmeath – Wholesome Kitchen
  • Wexford – One Hundred Degrees
  • Wicklow – Double 8

Best Restaurant Manager

  • Carlow – Stephanie Stone of Sha-Roe Bistro
  • Kildare – Majken Bech Christensen of Aimsir
  • Kilkenny – Morgan Van Der Kamer of Barrows Keep
  • Laois – Ailish McCoy of Tommy’s Loft
  • Longford – Beryl Kearney of Viewmount House
  • Louth – Amy McGuirk of The Trinity Quarter  
  • Meath – Patrick Reilly of Jules Restaurant
  • Offaly – Paula Moran-Tahraoui of Sirocco’s
  • Westmeath – Martina Linehan of Beans and Leaves
  • Wexford – Diane Cullen of Mary Barry’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant
  • Wicklow – Jay Johance of Pink Salt Indian Restaurant

Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant

  • Carlow – The Cellar Restaurant at the Step House Hotel
  • Kildare- Restaurant 1180 at Kilkea Castle
  • Kilkenny – Lady Helen Restaurant at Mount Juliet Estate
  • Laois – Castle Durrow
  • Longford – Courtyard Restaurant at Cooney’s Hotel
  • Louth – The Restaurant at Ghan House
  • Meath – Brabazon Restaurant at Tankardstown
  • Offaly – Slí Dala Restaurant at Kinnitty Castle
  • Westmeath – Wineport Lodge
  • Wexford – Clonganny House
  • Wicklow – The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge & Macreddin Village

Best Customer Service

  • Carlow – Clashganny House Restaurant
  • Kildare – TwoCooks Restaurant and Wine Bar
  • Kilkenny – Truffles Restaurant and Wine Bar
  • Laois – Indian Prince Restaurant
  • Longford – Nine Arches Restaurant
  • Louth- Fitzpatrick’s Bar and Restaurant
  • Meath – Room8
  • Offaly – Lana Asian Street Food Tullamore
  • Westmeath – The Left Bank Bistro
  • Wexford – The Duck at Marlfield House
  • Wicklow – Chakra by Jaipur

Best Gastro Pub

  • Carlow – Teach Dolmain
  • Kildare – The Ballymore Inn
  • Kilkenny – Left Bank
  • Laois – The Bog Road
  • Longford – The Rustic Inn
  • Louth – The Smugglers Rest
  • Meath – The Central
  • Offaly – Hennessy’s
  • Westmeath – Dead Centre Brewing
  • Wexford – Mary Barry’s Seafood Bar and Restaurant
  • Wicklow – Wicklow Heather Restaurant & House

Best Café

  • Carlow – Arboretum Home & Garden Heaven Leighlinbridge
  • Kildare – The Green Barn
  • Kilkenny – Cafe La Coco
  • Laois – Bowe’s Foodhall and Café
  • Longford – Torc Café and Foodhall
  • Louth – Rocksalt Café
  • Meath – The Happy Cup Café
  • Offaly – The Foxy Bean
  • Westmeath – Chocolate Brown Mullingar
  • Wexford – Karoo Farmshop & Café
  • Wicklow – The Fat Fox

Pub of the Year

  • Carlow – Carpe Diem
  • Kildare – Hayden’s Bar
  • Kilkenny – Tynans Bridge House Bar
  • Laois – Bob’s Bar
  • Longford – J.V. Donoghoe’s
  • Louth – Russell’s Saloon
  • Meath – James O’Connell
  • Offaly – The Chestnut  
  • Westmeath – The Snug Bar
  • Wexford – The Porter House Castlebridge
  • Wicklow – The Glenmalure Lodge

Best Wine Experience – Sponsored by Gilbeys with Bibendum

While you're here...

These are the best places to eat, wine, dine and more in Leinster for 2025

Kilkenny eateries celebrated at Leinster round of 2025 Irish Restaurant Awards

  • Carlow – The Lord Bagenal Signature Restaurant
  • Kildare- Ely Wine Store  
  • Kilkenny – Barrows Keep
  • Laois – Batoni’s
  • Longford – Vocella’s
  • Louth – The Clermont
  • Meath – TRIBE
  • Offaly – Spinners on Castle Street
  • Westmeath – Fine Wine and Food Co.
  • Wexford – Green Acres
  • Wicklow – Ripasso Restaurant and Wine Bar

Best World Cuisine – Sponsored by Stafford Lynch – San Pellegrino

  • Carlow- Pimento
  • Kildare- Vie De Châteaux
  • Kilkenny- Ristorante Rinuccini
  • Laois- Mayur Indian Restaurant
  • Longford- Spice India Longford
  • Louth- Atami Japanese Cuisine
  • Meath- Cinnamon Garden
  • Offaly- Shishir
  • Westmeath- Kin Khao Thai – Athlone
  • Wexford- The Red Elephant
  • Wicklow- Chakra by Jaipur

Best “Free From” – Sponsored by Peroni Libera

  • Carlow- Thrive Café
  • Kildare- Beetroot Healthy Food
  • Kilkenny- The Cutting Vedge
  • Laois- The Pantry Portlaoise
  • Longford- Moments Café & Restaurant
  • Louth- Strandfield
  • Meath- Inside Out
  • Offaly- Woodfield Café
  • Westmeath- Bastion Kitchen
  • Wexford- Cistín Eile
  • Wicklow- The Happy Pear

Best Kids Size Me

  • Carlow- The Plum Tree Bistro at Woodford Dolmen Hotel
  • Kildare- The Ballymore Inn
  • Kilkenny- Paris Texas Bar and Restaurant
  • Laois- Treacy’s Bar & Restaurant
  • Longford- Jac-O-Bites Café
  • Louth- The Spotted Dog
  • Meath- The Little Guys Ashbourne
  • Offaly- The King Oak
  • Westmeath- Corner House Bistro
  • Wexford- Ohana Café
  • Wicklow- Tiffin by Sunil

Best Local Food Hero – Sponsored by The Irish Times

  • Carlow- Jimmy Mulhall of Coolanowle Organic Farm
  • Kildare- David Sexton of Kildare Farm Foods
  • Kilkenny- Nicole & Bart Pawlukojc of Áran
  • Laois- Blathnaid Bergin of The Restaurant Advisor
  • Longford- Fiona Egan of Cloughan Farm and Cookery School
  • Louth- Maria Flynn of Ballymakenny Farm
  • Meath- Olivia Duff of Maperath Farm
  • Offaly- Margaret Deverell of Hereford & More
  • Westmeath- Lynda Mcfarland of Lowe & Co
  • Wexford- Nicholas and Judith Dunne of Killowen Farm
  • Wicklow- Hilda Crampton & Dominic Quinn of Castleruddery Organic Farm

Leinster Regional Local Food Hero – Sponsored by The Irish Times

  • Meath- Olivia Duff of Maperath Farm

Best Emerging Irish Cuisine – Sponsored by Manor Farm

  • Carlow- Lennons @ Visual
  • Kildare- Aimsir
  • Kilkenny- Lil’s at Avalon House Hotel
  • Laois- O’Gormans Bar and Restaurant
  • Longford- Tus Nua Restaurant
  • Louth- Square Restaurant
  • Meath- Inside Out
  • Offaly- Woodfield Café
  • Westmeath- Thyme Restaurant
  • Wexford- Aldridge Lodge Restaurant and Guesthouse
  • Wicklow- Strawberry Tree Restaurant at Brooklodge & Macreddin Village

Best Casual Dining – Sponsored by Just Eat

  • Carlow- Mimosa Bar De Tapas
  • Kildare- Hartes Of Kildare
  • Kilkenny- Foodworks
  • Laois- Kelly’s Steakhouse at Midlands Park Hotel
  • Longford- Moments Café and Restaurant
  • Louth- The Spotted Dog
  • Meath- Browne’s Bar at Slane Castle
  • Offaly- The Brewery Tap
  • Westmeath- Corner House Bistro
  • Wexford- Kelly’s Café
  • Wicklow- Box Burger

Next in line are the Ulster round of the awards, slated for 11 March.

See IrishRestaurantAwards.com for more.

Source: Irish Restaurant Awards

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Hey, I'm Ken!

  • Ken McGuireI make radio and digital things happen during the day but I've been writing about food in one form or another since 2010, with a keen focus on what's happening in Kilkenny. Coffee-loving home-cooking enthusiast.
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