Poacher’s Pocket Best Gastro Pub
The other finalists for this award included Blakes Corner bar in Galway (Connaught), East Side Tavern in Leeson Street for Dublin, Hartes of Kildare (Leinster) and Toddies at the Bulman in Cork for Munster.
The Restaurant Awards recognise achievement and excellence in the Restaurant and Hospitality Industry throughout the Island of Ireland in 20 categories and celebrate all aspects of the Industry.
Over 800 restaurateurs and industry players took part in the black-tie turnout held in the DoubleTree by Hilton to celebrate Ireland’s biggest-ever restaurant awards.
The lavish six-course gala dinner was created by five of the top five chefs in Ireland who’d previously won at the Irish Restaurant Regional Awards.
Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud took home the Best Restaurant in Ireland award, sponsored by Dalcassian Wines & Spirits and Wakefield Wines while Mickael Viljanen of The Greenhouse was crowned Best Chef in Ireland, sponsored by La Rousse.
Dublin’s Vintage Cocktail Club walked away with the award for the Best Cocktail Experience in Ireland, sponsored by Ketel One and Diageo Reserve.
“As a testament to their success, we’ve seen a huge increase in nominations and votes since last year,” commented RAI President Anthony Gray, “with over 30,000 nominations for Ireland’s favourite restaurants, chefs, gastro pubs, hotel restaurants and restaurant managers throughout the country.”
The Irish restaurant scene is vital to the economy, employing 72,000 people and generating revenue in excess of €2 billion per year, he added.
The nomination & awards selection process is independently audited by BDO to ensure that best practices & standards have been adhered to throughout the process.
