Reaching for the stars
Or... Ireland's latest Michelin starred restaurants
There are many who say they don’t care about the Michelin Guide. Call it elitist, privileged, overly Francophile and all that, but the simple truth is that it does matter. Receiving a star is akin to being inducted into a rare brotherhood. (And sadly it’s still mostly a brotherhood, with female chefs thin on the ground and only one among the recent recipients of new stars.)
While the whole of Ireland was enjoying the luxurious bliss of the St Brigid’s Day public holiday and gladly waving goodbye to the longest January ever, handfuls of Irish restaurateurs and chefs were flying to Manchester for the annual Michelin pilgrimage.
The Irish might be known for their dominance on English shores at Cheltenham, but it’s sadly taken longer for the Irish flag to fly proudly at Michelin. But in recent years, the tyre man inspectors seem to have realised that good things are happening here, and this year saw a pretty decent haul.
Before I get to my sharing my takes on the new stars, I want to first congratulate all the restaurants who retained their stars. It’s no easy job to maintain such a high level of attention to detail, all the while putting up with the nitpicking likes of me. There were no demotions this year, and any restaurants that disappeared from the listings were due to closures or voluntary surrenders (Loam in Galway, Ichigo Ichie in Cork and Aimsir in Kildare).
New 1* - Bishop’s Buttery, Cashel Palace, Tipperary
We stayed at the luxurious Cashel Palace shortly after its opening in 2022, and dined in The Bishop's Buttery without any expectations or pre-knowledge of what to expect. The finesse on display in this elegant stone-flagged dining room stood out immediately, along with a very strong use of local Tipperary ingredients . The wine list is what I like to call ‘Billy Big Balls’ territory, but after all, the restaurant is in the former kitchen and wine cellars of a bishop’s palace. Fast forward a little under two years, and I was delighted to see Chef Stefan McEnteer heading on stage to collect a star, no doubt cheered on by Director of Culinary Stephen Hayes.
New 1* - D’Olier Street, Dublin 2
Similar to above, I first visited D’Olier Street, a sister restaurant to Anthony Smith’s Mr Fox, shortly after opening in December 2022. My first impression was of an incredibly stylish dining room, gorgeous Cloon Keen toiletries in the bathroom (I was smelling my hands for ages afterwards) and some very good plates of food. At the time though, I felt that the kitchen had all the ingredients, but they were somehow dancing around the point of excellence.
Recent visits by friends in the food community lead to whispers in my ears that everything was now firing on all cylinders, leading to recent Michelin recognition for Executive chef and co-owner James Moore.
Updated: Read my latest review of D’Olier Street here.
New 1* - Homestead Cottage, Doolin, Co Clare
Disclosure: My visit to Homestead Cottage was part of a press trip facilitated by Food Story PR & Marketing. All comments remain my own.
I first ate Robbie McEvoy’s cooking when he was head chef at Gregan’s Castle. Sitting in that beautiful dining room bathed in the evening summer sun was as a close to spiritual moment as I get. I felt he was surely trucking nicely for a star. And then Robbie up and left.
Word filtered through that Robbie and wife Sophie would be opening their own spot, which turned out to be the charmingly cosy Homestead Cottage, just a short distance from the sea in Doolin. The interior may be all vintage retro vibes (complete even with original Malborough Milk cartons from a family-owned business), but Robbie’s cooking remains pinpoint sharp, as perfectly exhibited by a seasonal Co Clare game galantine and accompanied by Sophie’s creative wine list.
Elevated to 2* - Terre, Castlemartyr Resort, Co Cork
Terre has possibly been the most divisive fine-dining restaurant to open in Ireland. While no one has quibbled about the food, the style and drama has not proven to be to everyone’s taste. All I know is that I bloody loved it. So there.
I had predicted Terre to go straight into Michelin with 2 stars in 2023, so was a little disappointed when they *only* received one star. But this year, the second star duly came to Cork.
Chef Vincent Crepel stands at the helm of his spotlit kitchen, dramatically directing an experience unique in Ireland. Cries of ‘Yes Chef’ echo around diners at the chefs table before they adjoin to the calmer dining room for the rest of service. Terre is a multi-room cocoon away from the world, and damn it, possibly some of the best fish sauces I’ve ever eaten.
For a complete listing of the 19 Michelin starred Irish restaurants, please see here, and for Belfast here.
That meal in Homestead Cottage was pretty special! So delighted for them, v cool location for a starred restaurant too.