It’s no secret that the food scene in Ireland is as exciting as it’s ever been right now, with both new and established chefs taking things to new heights across a variety of cuisines. With the latest additions to the MICHELIN Guide for Ireland set to be announced on Monday, our Editor Sarah Clayton-Lea is sharing her predictions for which restaurants will receive coveted stars in 2025.
The hot topic, of course, is whether Ireland will finally gain its first ever Three MICHELIN Star restaurant…
Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen (currently holding Two Stars) has been consistently named amongst experts in the industry in the past few years as somewhere that is surely deserving of this honour. We’ll delve into our thoughts on that below and the latest comments from other Michelin chefs…
We also share the restaurants that we feel are deserving of gaining a Star, although considering how few new Stars are awarded each year (just three new Irish restaurants were awarded their first Star in 2024), it may be 2026 until we see them recognised in the Guide.
The MICHELIN Guide Ceremony for Great Britain & Ireland 2025 is set to take place on 10th February at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow.
Restaurants may receive one to three MICHELIN Stars for the quality of their food based on five criteria: quality of the ingredients used, mastery of flavour and cooking techniques, the personality of the chef in the cuisine, harmony of flavours, and consistency between visits.
Restaurant inspectors reportedly do not look at the interior decor, table setting, or service quality when awarding stars.
2024 Ireland Michelin Stars
Two-Star Restaurants 2024
Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen, Dublin
Dede, Cork
Liath, Dublin
Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin
Terre, Castlemartyr
One-Star Restaurants 2024
Aniar, Galway
Bastible, Dublin
Bastion, Kinsale
Chestnut, Cork
Campagne, Kilkenny
D’Olier Street, Dublin
Glovers Alley, Dublin
Homestead Cottage, Doolin
House, Ardmore
Lady Helen, Thomastown
The Bishop’s Buttery, Cashel
The Oak Room, Adare
Variety Jones, Dublin
Our Predictions for Ireland 2025 New Michelin Stars
Ballyfin Demense, Laois
The restaurant in 5-star hotel Ballyfin Demense is well known for its excellent use of ingredients from the estate’s walled gardens. Executive Chef Richard Picard-Edwards joined Ballyfin in April 2023 and has worked in some of the most exclusive properties in the UK, most recently at the Mandarin Oriental Bittescombe Lodge and Deer Park in Somerset.
Prior to this, Richard worked at Chef Lords of the Manor, Upper Slaughter in The Cotswolds where he received his first Michelin star in 2014.
MICHELIN wrote of their inspector’s experience here that “broths, purées and sauces are a real highlight and underline the technical skill of the kitchen team.”
The Morrison Room at Carton House, Kildare
The Morrison Room at Carton House Fairmont in Maynooth, Co Kildare, was hotly tipped to be awarded its first Michelin star in 2024, but it was not to be. This year, it seems inevitable that it will be recognised for its genius merging of classical cuisine with unique flavour combinations that can be seen in every dish in the surprise tasting menu.
Head Chef Adam Nevin is originally from Maynooth; Adam moved to the UK in 2017, working his way up from Commis Chef at Alyn Williams at The Westbury before joining Tom Kerridge’s team at the two Michelin starred Pub, The Hand and Flowers. Following this Adam Nevin moved to the famous Dorchester in London in 2019 to The Grill at The Dorchester first as Sous Chef, thereafter he was quickly promoted, finally to Head Chef in November 2022.
Adam joined Carton House as Head Chef in September 2023 – returning to his hometown and firmly putting it on the map.
MICHELIN wrote that “The cooking is rooted in the chefs’ strong classical technique, but some wildcard flavour combinations work wonders thanks to their fine judgement.”
Lignum, Galway
The centrepiece of Lignum’s kitchen is a wood burning oven where they cook a seasonally changing tasting menu of Irish and Italian ingredients (current ingredients include Amalfi lemon, hand-dived Norwegian scallop and native Kelly’s oyster) over raw flames. Scandinavian in style yet proudly showcasing bold flavours, Lignum is led by an exciting young team who have brought a new vision to the West of Ireland unlike what the country has seen before.
Chef and founder Danny Africano (of Irish and Italian heritage, which is clear to see in the Mediterranean influences in his food), previously worked in Kadeau, a two-Michelin star restaurant in Copenhagen, as well as top restaurants in Australia and Singapore.
MICHELIN wrote that Lignum is “immensely likeable”, and the “wood-fired cooking lends a delicious smoky dimension to the creative dishes.”
Matsukawa, Dublin
The first Omakase-style restaurant in Ireland, Matsukawa in Smithfield has been pretty much solidly booked out since opening in September 2023. Following the closure of Michelin-starred Ichigo Ichie in Cork in 2023, a kaiseki-style restaurant that subsequently rebranded to a more casual bistro and natural wine bar, Ireland was in dire need of premium sushi.
With just eight seats at the counter, Matsukawa serves an intimate dining experience of an 18-course menu of Edo-style (the former name of Tokyo) sushi, where traditionally various methods of processing raw fish were used to make it last longer, such as by braising it in vinegar or salt, boiling it or dipping it in a sauce.
MICHELN wrote that “The omakase menu is based around fine seafood produce, most of it Irish, with multiple servings of nigiri forming a large chunk of the experience – the hamachi and the salmon are particular highlights.”
The eagle-eyed amongst new star guessers may have also noticed the intriguing timing of Matsukawa temporarily closing its doors for bookings this weekend – perhaps a trip to Glasgow is the reason why?
A Look to the Future: Where TheTaste Views as Upcoming Michelin-Worthy Restaurants
Allta, Dublin
After several years of sold out pop-ups across Ireland, the team at allta finally debuted their permanent space in Dublin’s Docklands in late 2023. Chef Niall Davidson is one of the most exciting chefs in Ireland in recent years, and we can only imagine that the reason they have yet to be awarded a star is their prior lack of a home base. Irish ingredients shine on the menu and the cocktails alone are worth a trip.
Library Street, Dublin
With a motto of “everything is meant to be shared”, chef and owner Kevin Burke has created something very special indeed at Library Street. The menu changes seasonally and consists of simple dishes with an emphasis on quality, with anything from Salt Crusted Wild Venison to Chargrilled Porcupine Bank langostine.
This is consistently one of our favourite restaurants to eat at in Dublin, and if you ever get jaded of eating out in the city centre, one meal here will remind you of just how perfect the experience can be when in the right hands.
Mae, Dublin
Multi-award winning chef Grainne O’Keefe has created a menu combining the very best of seasonal Irish cooking with a touch of French influences at Mae. Former Head Chef at Clanbrassil House, Grainne opened Mae in 2021 with a focus on championing Irish producers, right down to the cutlery – order a steak and take your pick from a selection of top Irish knife makers, including Fingal Ferguson, Sam Gleeson and Rory Conner, who make custom pieces for the restaurant.
Neighbourhood, Naas
A cosy restaurant in the premises of a former pub in Kildare isn’t where you would expect to find Michelin-level cooking, but don’t be fooled – Neighbourhood is helmed by an expert team with prior stints in Aimsir and L’Ecrivain. Chef Gareth Naughton serves a menu of Irish locally sourced ingredients, infused with vibrant Asian flavours that will take you by surprise in the best way possible.
Neighbourhood may not have won over the Michelin inspectors just yet, but we have no doubt it’s only a matter of time.
Note, Dublin
Low-key yet home to some of the best cooking in Dublin, Note on Fenian Street is a frontrunner amongst Ireland’s wine bar-slash-bistro vibes. Expect dishes such as Connemara oysters, crispy garlic and rosemary roast potatoes and – depending on availability – the signature crab crumpet with a sea urchin espuma.
Regular collaborations with top chefs and restaurants from further afield (such as Perilla in London, which is tipped to receive its first Michelin star this year, and is just one of the many lauded restaurants that Note Head Chef Ben Fehily has previously worked at), keep things at Note ever-changing, always interesing, and always delicious.
Rare, Kinsale
Inspired by the South Indian flavours of Tamil Nadu, Rare’s Executive Head Chef Meeran Manzoor incorporates bold ingredients like chilli, coconut, tamarind, and date, all paired with West Cork’s finest local produce.
Previously described by MICHELIN as “understated and engaging,” the guide has highlighted Rare’s rustic-chic dining room and open kitchen, offering a personal touch with chefs delivering dishes to the table.
Could we see some changes in current Michelin stars?
Chapter One – could this be Ireland’s first ever Three Michelin Star restaurant?
Chapter One needs no introductions at this stage – one of Ireland’s best restaurants since opened in 1994 by Ross Lewis, it entered a new era in 2021 with Finnish chef Mickael Viljanen taking the helm in the kitchen and Chapter One now has two Michelin stars.
A name that has been mentioned for three Michelin stars for the past few years is Mickael Viljanen at Chapter One in Dublin.
He was most recently tipped for a third star by UK chefs Liam Anderson of Midsommar House and Chris Eden, who now works at Watergate Bay in Cornwall. Chris told The Staff Canteen: “What Mickael’s doing up there, if he doesn’t get three stars, I don’t know what you have to do to get three stars.”
Having eaten at other three star restaurants (such as Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London, which has held three stars since 2001), we can confidently agree that the level of cooking here is more than deserving. Mickael pushes the boundaries of Michelin-level cuisine, particularly within Ireland, and there’s nowhere else in the country quite like this.
All eyes will be on Chapter One on Monday to see if 2025 will finally be the year they get the recognition they deserve.
Speculation is also rife for a potential third star for Terre at Castlemartyr Resort, which achieved its first Michelin star within six months of opening and a second star one year later in 2024, with Chef Patron Vincent Crepel aiming for a third…
TheTaste will be reporting live from MICHELIN Guide Ceremony for Great Britain & Ireland 2025 on Monday 10th February from 6pm onwards – keep an eye on our Instagram for live news from the event.
Sarah Clayton-Lea is the Editor of TheTaste, where she writes about all things food, drink and travel. Sarah previously founded Big 7 Travel, a travel and hospitality media company.
Sarah is also the former Editor of Food&Wine Ireland, with extensive experience reporting on the hospitality industry in Ireland and abroad. Prior to her digital media career, Sarah worked in the hospitality industry in Dublin and New York.
Follow her at @sazzyclay on Instagram.
