The winners were announced at a gala event in the Armagh City Hotel:
- Overall: Noble, Holywood: A bustling, intimate neighbourhood bistro in Holywood with a warm, friendly atmosphere and a Michelin Bib Gourmand. It delivers exceptional contemporary dining using high-quality local ingredients, bold flavours, and consistently excellent service.
- Café: Cultura Belfast: An independent specialty coffee roastery and café on Gilnahirk Road in East Belfast, known for world-class coffees, creative seasonal brunch dishes, fresh bakes, and a relaxed modern space.
- Casual Dining: Buck’s Head Inn Dundrum: A historic village inn on Main Street in Dundrum, offering relaxed modern Irish and British cooking with an open kitchen, quality local produce, and a welcoming mix of bar and restaurant dining.
- Chef: Sean Tinman, Frae, Holywood: Acclaimed chef-patron at the tiny 20-seat neighbourhood restaurant Frae, celebrated for his ingredient-led, creative contemporary cooking that blends Ulster traditions with fermented foods and precise technique.
- Contemporary Irish Cuisine: Origin 101 Moira: An intimate village bistro on Main Street in Moira, focusing on seasonal, locally sourced produce for honest, flavourful modern Irish dishes in a cosy, welcoming setting.
- Customer Service: Frae Holywood: The small neighbourhood wine bar and dining room in Holywood, highly praised for its warm, attentive hospitality alongside excellent seasonal plates and an ever-changing wine list.
- Employee Excellence Award: Mine Bennet, Noble Holywood: Dedicated team member at the popular Michelin Bib Gourmand bistro Noble, recognised for her outstanding individual contribution and service.
- Gastro Pub: The Dirty Duck Alehouse Holywood: A lively waterside gastropub overlooking Belfast Lough, serving quality pub food, cask ales, live music, and a warm traditional atmosphere with stunning views.
- Hotel and Guesthouse: Newforge House, Magheralin: A beautiful family-run 5-star Georgian country house set in 40 acres of tranquil grounds near Moira, offering luxurious rooms, warm hospitality, and seasonal local dining.
- Innovator: Underground Dining Bangor: A unique, licensed restaurant on Bangor’s High Street known for creative modern European cooking, resourceful vegetarian/vegan options, and a distinctive basement-style dining experience using the best local produce.
- Local Food Hero: Melissa McCabe, Feast Rostrevor: Talented chef and owner of Feast in Rostrevor (previously of a popular food truck), recognised for her passion for seasonal, local ingredients and bold, soulful cooking that has gained national attention.
- Newcomer: Capparelli at The Mill Dundonald: A vibrant Mediterranean-inspired restaurant, café, and deli beautifully restored within a historic 18th-century watermill in Dundonald, offering fresh pasta, bold flavours, and a stunning setting (with support from Yotam Ottolenghi).
- Restaurant manager: Davina McGowan, Wine and Brine, Moira: Highly skilled manager (and co-owner with chef Chris McGowan) at the acclaimed Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant, praised for her efficient, friendly leadership and smooth front-of-house operation.
- Pub: Dundrum Inn Dundrum: A traditional 190-year-old coastal pub in the heart of Dundrum village, loved for its cosy fires, friendly locals, great pints, and scenic views over Murlough Bay and the Mournes.
- Sustainable Practices: Clandeboye Lodge Hotel Bangor: The stylish 4-star woodland hotel near Bangor, commended for its strong environmental commitment, Green Tourism Silver Award, local sourcing, waste reduction, and eco-friendly operations.
- Use of Social Media: The Dirty Duck Alehouse Holywood: The popular gastropub recognised for its engaging and effective social media that showcases its food, ales, live events, and stunning loughside location.
- Wine Experience: Maggies Wine Bar Crossgar: A charming family-run spot in Crossgar that operates as a cosy coffee shop by day and European-style wine bar by night, offering small plates, sharing boards, and a relaxed, welcoming vibe.
- World Cuisine: Lasa Belfast: An intimate 10-table Filipino restaurant in Ballyhackamore, East Belfast, delivering bold, vibrant, comforting flavours through authentic and fusion dishes made for sharing in a warm, conversational setting.
Restaurant award winners
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
