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The 2020 Michelin Guide has proven to be a bumper edition for Irish gastronomy, with Ireland and Northern Ireland racking up a combined total of six new entries into the must-read guide.The six new additions include the elegant Aimsir in County Kildare, which completed the rare feat of entering the fine-dining bible with two Michelin stars on its debut, less than five months after opening.

The Greenhouse in Dublin is elevated from one star to two in the 2020 guide, while the much lauded Muddler’s Club in Belfast secures a star for the first time.

Also gaining a star for 2020 are Variety Jones in Dublin, Bastion in Kinsale, County Cork, and The Oak Room at Adare Manor in County Limerick.

With no Irish restaurants losing their stars, eateries that continue to hold Michelin stars from previous years include the two-star Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud and the one-starred Chapter One and L’Ecrivain, both in Dublin, and Deanes EIPIC and OX, both in Belfast.

Around the island, further one-star establishments include Aniar and Loam in Galway city, Campagne in Kilkenny and Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Hotel in Thomastown, County Kilkenny.

Liath, in the seaside town of Blackrock, County Dublin retains the star that chef Damien Grey had at Heron & Grey. Wild Honey Inn in Lisdoonvarna, County Clare, House Restaurant at the Cliff House Hotel in County Waterford, Ichigo Ichie in Cork city and two West Cork restaurants – Mews in Baltimore and Chestnut in nearby Ballydehob – complete the list of one-star eateries on the island of Ireland.


In addition to the Michelin stars, a total of 26 restaurants across the country retained or were awarded the coveted Bib Gourmand status in the 2020 Michelin Guide.

Among five new eateries gaining the Bib Gourmand recognition for exceptionally good food at moderate prices are Balloo House in Killinchy, County Down, Land to Sea in Dingle, County Kerry, and Thyme in Athlone, County Westmeath.

The bumper crop of eateries welcomed into the Michelin family comes as the autumn’s Taste the Island celebration of food and drink sweeps across the country. In addition to the many opportunities for Michelin fine dining, Taste the Island features more than 500 food and drink-related experiences.

With buzzing food festivals, craft beer and whiskey trails and everything from wild food foraging and cookery classes to menus across the land offering cuisine that is fresh, creative, full of taste and reflective of local culture and history, there is no better time to plan a foodie short break on the island of Ireland.