- Overall (Best Restaurant): Zucchini’s Restaurant Navan. A multi-award-winning, family-run restaurant and cocktail bar on the edge of Navan town, established in 2005 by Paul and Fiona McCullagh. It offers modern, glamorous casual dining with a creative twist on classics, using fresh ingredients in an elegant yet approachable setting. Praised for exceptional service, consistent quality, and loyal local following, it secured the county’s top overall restaurant title.
- Café: Bácús Café, Kildalkey. A cosy, community-focused café in the village of Kildalkey, specialising in homemade bakes, quality coffee, light meals, and a warm atmosphere. Opened around 2024, it has quickly built a strong reputation for its fresh, welcoming daytime offerings and earned this award through dedicated customer support and high standards in the local café scene.
- Casual Dining: Inside Out, Slane. A popular, award-winning restaurant in the heart of Slane on Chapel Street, blending Mediterranean-inspired fusion with fresh Irish produce for vibrant, colourful dishes. It emphasises flavour, freshness, and local ingredients in a relaxed setting, delivering high-quality casual dining with standout service and a reputation for memorable meals.
- Chef: Johnny Sarkozi, Brabazon Restaurant at Tankardstown House. Head chef at the acclaimed Brabazon Restaurant in the luxurious Tankardstown House estate near Slane. With years of experience at the venue, Johnny crafts seasonal, estate-influenced fine-dining menus using local and garden-grown produce, blending creativity, technique, and flair to deliver refined yet approachable dishes in an elegant, cosy atmosphere.
- Contemporary Irish Cuisine: The Vanilla Pod Restaurant at Headfort Arms Hotel. The signature restaurant at the historic Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells, offering modern interpretations of Irish classics with seasonal, local ingredients in a comfortable hotel setting. It has a longstanding reputation for quality, value, and refined dining, earning repeated recognition (including past regional wins) for its contemporary approach and consistent excellence.
- Customer Service: The Village Hotel, Bettystown. A welcoming seaside hotel in Bettystown, celebrated for its outstanding hospitality and attentive, genuine service across dining, accommodation, and facilities. Staff dedication creates a warm, family-friendly experience, making it a standout for customer care in the county.
- Employee Excellence Award: Sophie Hogan, Hogan’s Farm Shop & Café, Cortown: Sophie Hogan was recognised for her exceptional dedication and performance at Hogan’s Farm Shop & Café in Cortown. This award highlights her outstanding contributions, likely through superb service, enthusiasm, teamwork, and positive impact on customers and the family-run venue’s operations.
- Gastro Pub: Matt the Thresher, Julianstown. A popular gastro pub in Julianstown, combining traditional pub warmth with elevated, homemade food using fresh ingredients. It offers quality pub meals, a great drinks selection, and a relaxed, community-oriented atmosphere, earning praise as the county’s top gastro pub for its hospitality and standards.
- Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant: The Signal Restaurant at The Station House, Kilmessan. The award-winning fine-dining restaurant at the family-owned Station House Hotel in Kilmessan, a charming countryside venue. It specialises in seasonal Boyne Valley produce (including from its own kitchen gardens) prepared with modern techniques, offering elegant table d’h√¥te and √† la carte menus in a refined yet welcoming setting, with a strong emphasis on local ingredients and an extensive wine list.
- Innovator of the Year: Centre of Food Culture Boyne Valley, Navan. A pioneering social enterprise based in the Boyne Valley, dedicated to preserving, celebrating, and advancing Ireland’s food heritage through education, events, festivals, and community connectivity. It connects people with producers, soil, and sea to promote sustainable practices and a just food system, earning recognition for its innovative role in fostering discussion, enterprise, and advocacy for Irish food culture.
- Local Food Hero: Michael & Jenny Finegan, Boyne Valley Farmhouse Cheese, Slane: Michael (a third-generation farmer) and Jenny Finegan, who established Boyne Valley Farmhouse Cheese in 2010 on their family farm near Slane. They produce award-winning goat’s milk cheeses (including Ireland’s first blue goat cheese) using milk from their own herd, championing ethical dairy farming, traditional methods, and high-quality artisan products supplied to top restaurants and retailers.
- Newcomer: Forge & Bellows, Donacarney. A locally run casual dining restaurant in Donacarney Village Square (near Mornington), opened recently with a focus on great local produce and fresh, flavourful dishes. Led by chef Jack Lawler (with experience from notable venues like Mamo Howth and Tankardstown), it serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a relaxed, neighbourhood setting, quickly earning acclaim for its quality and welcoming vibe.
- Pub of the Year: Marcie Regan’s Pub, Newtown: One of Ireland’s oldest traditional pubs (site dating back centuries, with the current building around 150 years old) in Newtown near Trim, close to Trim Castle and the River Boyne. It offers classic Irish pub hospitality with a cosy atmosphere, great pints (especially Guinness), live music, quiz nights, and a scenic beer garden overlooking historic ruins, celebrated for its heritage charm and community spirit.
- Restaurant Manager: Annesu Oliver, Tribe Restaurant, Duleek. Annesu Oliver, the restaurant manager at Tribe Restaurant in Duleek. She was recognised for her exceptional leadership, front-of-house expertise, and passion for delivering vibrant, high-quality guest experiences in this eclectic, no-rules venue known for its social dining, diverse menu, and lively atmosphere.
- Sustainable Practices: Platterbylu Trim Café and Artisan Pantry. A welcoming café and artisan pantry in Trim with a French-inspired influence, specialising in handmade platters, gourmet meals, hampers, and curated produce. It earned the award for its strong commitment to sustainability through ethical sourcing, seasonal and local ingredients, low-impact operations, and community-focused practices in its warm, sensory-driven space.
- Use of Social Media: Sage & Stone, Duleek. A family-run daytime café, gift shop, and takeaway on a rural farmyard in Duleek, offering hearty breakfasts, lunches, fresh bakes, and homemade items using local ingredients. It was highlighted for its engaging social media presence that effectively showcases its menu, farm setting, daily specials, and community appeal to attract visitors and build loyalty.
- Wine Experience: Parterre at Johnstown Estate, Enfield. The stylish garden terrace cocktail bar and dining space at the Johnstown Estate Hotel in Enfield, featuring a modern glass botanical design with retractable roof and lush foliage. It offers an impressive selection of wines alongside impeccable cocktails, seasonal dishes, and a sophisticated yet relaxed atmosphere, providing a refined wine-focused experience (with strong accolades in related bar awards).
- World Cuisine: Eatzen Restaurant, Ashbourne. A sophisticated Asian fine-dining restaurant in Ashbourne’s town centre, blending authentic imperial Chinese influences with modern, healthy fusion elements since 2004. It uses premium imported and local ingredients for tantalising dishes in an elegant setting, offering private dining, events, and takeaway, renowned for its freshness, sophistication, and vibrant flavours.
Restaurant awards
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow – Overall – County winners – Good Food Ireland – Michelin Star
Dining
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
2026 Irish Restaurant awards by county:
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
2025 Irish Restaurant awards by county:
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
2024 Irish Restaurant awards by county:
Antrim – Armagh – Carlow – Cavan – Clare – Cork – Derry – Donegal – Down – Dublin – Fermanagh – Galway – Kerry – Kildare – Kilkenny – Laois – Leitrim – Limerick – Longford – Louth – Mayo – Meath – Monaghan – Offaly – Roscommon – Sligo – Tipperary – Tyrone – Waterford – Westmeath – Wexford – Wicklow
Meath is steeped in Ireland’s ancient past, with the Hill of Tara offering a glimpse into royal history and panoramic views. The UNESCO-listed Brú na Bóinne complex, including Newgrange and Knowth, showcases intricate Neolithic tombs, while Trim Castle provides medieval grandeur. Other attractions include the Boyne River’s scenic walks and historic Slane Castle. Meath is Ireland’s 14th largest county by size (2,336 square km) and eighth largest by population (220,826). Population previously peaked at 183,828 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 62,969 in 1926. In terms of hospitality, Meath is Ireland’s 19th most visited tourist county with around 122,000 international visitors per year.
Ireland’s County Meath:
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