Lignum Restaurant, Ballyfin Demesne and The Morrison Room at Carton House are all new winners of a Michelin star in Ireland …
Lignum, Loughrea, Co Galway
Just 40 minutes outside Galway City, now in its fifth year Lignum is Ireland’s best-kept food secret … but perhaps not anymore. The owners, young Irish-Italian chef Danny Africano and his wife Molly, restored an old hay barn and extended the restaurant that was owned and run by his parents, who have since taken over the family’s hotel in Pompeii. Lignum is a wonderful combination of both cultures.
Photograph; Andrew Downes
For guests of THE GLOSS and Goodbody Female Founders Event in September last year, Danny created a bespoke menu that included hand-dived scallops, west-Cork lobster, garden gazpacho and line-caught turbot with cime di rapa. The wines chosen for the pairings were made and produced by female winemakers. Food, wine, service and ambiance were exquisite; the perfect backdrop for the educational discussions in this unique setting. www.lignum.ie @lignumrestaurant
Michelin Guide: “Lignum is Latin for ‘wood’ and, as such, it’s the ancient method of cooking over an open flame which takes centre stage at this immensely likeable restaurant. It’s housed in a modern barn conversion which has a distinctly Scandic vibe, from the large windows and minimalist furnishings to the roaring fire and throws on the chairs. The wood-fired cooking lends a delicious smoky dimension to the creative dishes, which – informed by the chef’s heritage – blend ingredients from Ireland (such as sweet lobster tail) and Italy (Amalfi lemon). It all comes in the form of a surprise tasting menu.” www.guide.michelin.com
Ballyfin Demesne, Mountrath, Co Laois
The 19th-century Ballyfin has been a bastion of exclusivity since it opened as a hotel in 2011 after eight years of historical renovation by its American owners, the discerning Chicago-based couple Fred and Kay Krehbiel. The imposing gates to this 614-acre private estate and the closely guarded doors of its grand Regency mansion, with just 20 bedrooms, means that guests are assured of peace and quiet luxury. In 2019, the Clooneys took over the five-star property for a reunion of George’s Irish cousins, while Kim Kardashian and her then-husband Kanye West stayed overnight here on their honeymoon. Simpler times!
Photograph; Naoise Culhane
THE GLOSS celebrated a special lunch and private garden tour at Ballyfin Demesne last year thanks to head chef Richard Picard-Edwards, who works closely with head gardener Kayleigh Keenan to create menus that incorporate fruit, veg, herbs and flowers from the estate. In fact, only the meat and fish is supplied from outside Ballyfin. www.ballyfin.com @ballyfindemesne
Michelin Guide: “It takes some doing for a restaurant to stand out when it’s in a hotel as beautiful as this. Ballyfin Demesne is a spectacular, lovingly restored Regency-era manor house that screams luxury at every turn. The opulence continues into the dining room, where the chefs serve fittingly impressive dishes. Broths, purées and sauces are a real highlight and underline the technical skill of the kitchen team, be it a rich, glossy reduction or a roasted onion consommé with bags of flavour. Charming and attentive service completes the rather special picture.” www.guide.michelin.com
The Morrison Room at Carton House, Maynooth, Co Kildare
The Morrison Room at Carton House is one of the most beautiful and opulent dining rooms in the country. The stunning room features a unique vaulted ceiling, lavish Greek columns and intricate cornicing; all of which add to the palatial, luxurious feel of the space. Head chef Adam Nevin took the reins at The Morrison Room in 2023 – previously head chef at The Grill Room in London’s Dorchester Hotel – and, by all accounts, lunch is a treat indeed! The menu combines traditional dishes with creative flair, using high-quality local produce. Nevin is originally from Maynooth, which makes this an extra special homecoming. www.cartonhouse.com @cartonhouse.fairmont
Photograph; Sinisa Stojencevic
Michelin Guide: “We all need a little luxury in our lives and this beautiful restaurant in the heart of the impressive Carton House mansion ticks all the boxes. The breathtaking room features a high curved ceiling, Greek Corinthian columns, ornate plaster cornicing and sweeping banquettes, while the menu matches it for opulence with an abundance of first-rate produce, be it Union Hall crab or Achill lamb. The cooking is rooted in the chefs’ strong classical technique, but some wildcard flavour combinations work wonders thanks to their fine judgement.” www.guide.michelin.com
SEE MORE: Meeran Manzoor, Executive Head Chef at The Blue Haven Collection and Rare, Kinsale