- Restaurant Chestnut in Ballydehob will close after its final dinner service on 30 October 2026
- The restaurant earned a Michelin Star in autumn 2018 and retained it for eight consecutive years
- The venue was named Best Restaurant in Cork at the 2026 Irish Restaurant Awards
- Owners Rob Krawczyk and Elaine Fleming plan to stay in West Cork for their next venture
Rob Krawczyk and Elaine Fleming have confirmed that Restaurant Chestnut in Ballydehob, West Cork, will close after its final dinner service on October 30, 2026. The owners of the Michelin-starred venue described the decision as positive and timed to leave while the restaurant remains successful, after nine dinner seasons. They plan to stay in West Cork for their next project, which will be revealed closer to the closing date, while focusing on celebrating the current team and diners until the end.
The restaurant opened in March 2018 inside a beautifully renovated 1930s village pub called The Chestnut Tree, earning a Michelin Star in autumn 2018 just six months after opening. The venue retained this star for eight consecutive years and was named the Best Restaurant in Cork at the 2026 Irish Restaurant Awards Munster Regional Final. Critics have praised the intimate 28-seat setting, unpretentious atmosphere and seasonal multi-course tasting menus focused on local West Cork food producers.
The high intensity and long hours required for a Michelin-starred venue prompted the couple to end this chapter and try new things, with Krawczyk and Fleming describing the move as a highly positive step. Reservations remain open on their booking platform until the final October service for those wishing to visit one last time. Their next culinary venture in the area remains undisclosed, with the couple keeping exact details quiet to focus all energy on their final months at Chestnut. The intimate 28-seat setting won praise for its unpretentious atmosphere and seasonal menus
Rob Krawczyk, chef and co-owner of Restaurant Chestnut, shared: “The high intensity and long hours required for a Michelin-starred venue prompted us to end this chapter and try new things.”
Elaine Fleming, co-owner of Restaurant Chestnut, shared: “We are ending the business on a high note after nine successful dinner seasons and keeping exact details of our next project quiet to focus all energy on our final months.”
Irish Restaurant Awards shared: “Restaurant Chestnut was named the Best Restaurant in Cork at the 2026 Munster Regional Final, reflecting the quality and consistency of the dining experience offered.”
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
