After a tumultuous year for the Irish hospitality industry, we're delighted that the Food&Wine Restaurant of the Year Awards, sponsored by Rémy Martin, are back for 2021 and will take place in The Shelbourne on Sunday, November 7 2021.
Now that Food&Wine Magazine is back and better than ever, we are delighted to announce that the premier event for Ireland's food and drinks industry will return this November. After taking an unprecedented break in 2020 due to global circumstances, this year's event offers a chance for reconnection and will recognise the resilience shown by Ireland's hospitality industry.
This year's streamlined event, which will take place in The Shelbourne's spectacular Great Room, will highlight the best chefs, restaurants, sommeliers, casual dining locations, and hotel restaurants from around the country. Some new categories this year include food truck of the year, innovator of the year, and more - to see the full list of awards, click here.
This year, the awards will celebrate the resilience and determination displayed by the Irish food and drinks sector in incredibly tough times. The judging panel, chaired by Food&Wine editor Gillian Nelis, have pooled their extensive knowledge and experience to come up with shortlists that recognise the breadth of talent in the hospitality industry across the island of Ireland.
The shortlists were released in the October edition of Food&Wine Magazine, which you can read here. From today, we will be releasing the shortlists on the site so make sure to check back every day this week to see the other nominees and in the meantime, read on to see the shortlists for Dublin.
Best restaurant
- Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, Parnell Square
- Liath, Blackrock Market
- Variety Jones, Thomas Street
- Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Merrion Street
- Richmond, South Richmond Street
- Mamó, Howth
- Rosa Madre, Crow Street
- Pickle, Camden Street
- Dax, Pembroke Street
- Volpe Nera, Blackrock
Best chef
- Mickael Viljanen, Chapter One
- David O’Byrne, Richmond
- Sunil Ghai, Pickle
- Gráinne O’Keefe, Mae
- Graham Neville, Dax
- Barry Sun, Volpe Nera
- Damien Grey, Liath
- Paul McNamara, Uno Mas
- Killian Durkin, Mamó
- Keelan Higgs, Variety Jones
Best casual dining
- Uno Mas, Aungier Street
- Grano, Stoneybatter
- Michael’s, Mount Merrion
- Host, Ranelagh
- 3 Leaves, Blackrock Market
- BigFan Bao, Aungier Street
- Piglet, Cow’s Lane
- Charlotte Quay, Ringsend
- Nightmarket, Ranelagh
- 777, George’s Street
Best hotel restaurant
- The Saddle Room at The Shelbourne
- Canteen at The Marlin
- Seasons at the InterContinental
- The Garden Room at The Merrion
- The Brasserie at The Marker
- Wilde at The Westbury
- Oliveto at Haddington House
- Francesca’s at Brooks Hotel
- Luttrellstown House
- Zampas at The Hard Rock Hotel
Best sommelier
- Vanda Ivančić, Variety Jones
- Mathieu Le Crom, Glovers Alley
- Niall O’Connor, Liath
- Maire McHugh, Potager
- Tommy Vivian, Fish Shop
- Arnaud Legat, One Pico
- Sean Connaughton, Host
- Philip Dunne, The Westbury
- Nisea Doddy, The Shelbourne
- Fabian Beickhorasani, Loose Canon
As always, tickets are in high demand for this event, with limited room capacity exacerbating this. Please note that in close partnership with the Shelbourne Hotel, the Food&Wine team is working hard to create a safe and convivial environment.
Tickets are priced at €150 per person, which includes a drinks reception, followed by a five-course meal prepared exclusively for the Food&Wine Restaurant of the Year Awards by The Shelbourne's head chef Garry Hughes. Each course will be paired with matching wines from O'Brien's Wines, creating a perfect dining experience.
You can keep up with the countdown to the event via the hashtag #ROTYA2021 on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. To purchase your ticket, head to restaurantoftheyear.ie now.
Please note, all guests will be required to show proof of full Covid-19 vaccination status for entry.
