Ireland’s Two Michelin starred restaurant count has doubled

Fiona Frawley

Interior of Chapter One restaurant in Dublin

Tonight is the niiiight, where two become four.

Irish eateries have enjoyed an impressive sweep at the launch of this year’s Michelin Guide, with newly awarded stars for four restaurants. Notably, Ireland’s Two Michelin starred restaurant count has doubled – Chapter One and Liath now join Aimsir and Patrick Guilbaud on the exclusive list of awardees.

Across Ireland and the UK, five restaurants were newly awarded two Michelin stars. Two out of five of these are Irish spots, which is fairly good going! Here’s a bit more info on each:

Chapter One

The Dublin 1 fine dining spot has been named by the Michelin Guide as “the most exciting development in Dublin’s restaurant scene in years”. Finnish chef Mickael Viljanen recently took over as head chef and co-owner of Chapter One, an address previously made famous by Ross Lewis.

Here’s what the Michelin Guide had to say:

Cooking focuses on prime luxury ingredients; Irish where possible, but sourced from further afield when needed to ensure the best quality. Mickael uses classical French techniques combined with a subtle modernity as well as plenty of creativity and personality. Sophisticated, beautifully presented dishes are perfectly balanced, with striking natural flavours.

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Liath

The seaside restaurant in the heart of Blackrock Village was bumped up to two stars after undergoing a revamp over lockdown. The Michelin Guide praised its new entrance via Blackrock Market, writing: “When entering via the rustic market you’ll feel like Alice in Wonderland, as the place has a cosy, magical feel”.

In terms of the food, the Michelin Guide wrote:

Bold, original dishes are centred around the five tastes – salty, savoury, sweet, bitter and sour – which come together in perfect harmony, and excellent wine pairings further enhance the experience.

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Retaining their two star status for another year are Aimsir in Celbridge, who scored high with Michelin for their “great understanding of Nordic flavours, resulting in superbly balanced, original dishes which have real depth”, and Patrick Guilbaud on Merrion Street in Dublin. The iconic French restaurant earned praise from Michelin for its “accomplished cooking” which “remains French at heart yet has evolved to show a restrained modernity and some bold yet superbly balanced flavours”.

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Previously featured on the two star list was The Greenhouse on Dawson Street, which is temporarily closed for now.

Header image via Instagram/chapteronebymickaelviljanen