Rumours were rife in the weeks leading up to the 2026 Michelin Guide announcements for Great Britain and Ireland. Held last Monday 9 February, the annual ceremony shares the new one, two or three star-ranked restaurants in the region.
For the first time ever, they were held in Ireland, at Dublin’s Convention Centre, and sponsored by La Rousse Foods. “Imagine the excitement and celebration,” we all whispered, “if the Michelin Guide took this opportunity to announce Ireland’s first-ever three-star restaurant.”
There are certainly contenders: Dede, for example, in Baltimore, Co Cork, operated by Ahmed Dede, or perhaps Liath in Dublin by Damien Grey; two-star restaurants at the peak of their gastronomic prowess. We dared to hope, and Irish attendees waited with bated breath, but the evening ended on a somewhat disappointing note with no new three-star announcements for the region. The 10 three-star restaurants in Great Britain retained their rankings for 2026.
How it works
Rankings are decided via Michelin’s network of anonymous judges, who dine and rate the restaurants extensively.
“They are the sole decision makers when it comes to rating restaurants in the Michelin Guide,” a representative explained.
“They have more than 250 anonymous meals per year, which are documented in detail in their reports. Then, the inspectors [a selection of experienced hospitality and restaurant professionals employed by Michelin] behave like any other customers to ensure that readers will have the same experience as they did. They book a table [always under one of their assumed names], order, eat lunch or dinner and pay their bill in full, just like everyone else. We treat every experience the same to ensure complete impartiality so that our readers are able to trust implicitly in the Michelin Guide.”
An Irish three-star announcement would have been wonderful, but the evening wasn’t all disappointment. Ireland has welcomed two new restaurants to our Michelin rankings, with Forest Avenue in Dublin and The Pullman at Glenlo Abbey each achieving their first Michelin star. They will join the 15 other Irish restaurants currently with a one-star ranking, including Jp McMahon’s Aniar in Galway, which has retained its star for its 13th year.
All five Irish two-star restaurants retained their rankings for 2026, and Barbara Nealon of St Francis Provisions in Kinsale was honoured with the Michelin Service Award for her outstanding approach to hospitality.
Aside from the coveted stars, Michelin Bib Gourmand awards were announced a week prior to the ceremony. For 2026, Ireland gained five Bib Gourmand rankings, including Farmgate in Lismore, Co Waterford. A Bib Gourmand indicates a high-quality hospitality experience offering excellent value for money – slightly more casual, but every bit as stylish.
Chef Robbie McAuley of Homestead Cottage in Co Clare. \ Claire Nash
Chef Robbie McCauley of Homestead Cottage, located near Doolin in Co Clare, told Irish Country Living he was extremely proud of his team for retaining their star, but was also proud of Ireland’s ever-evolving dining scene.
“I think it’s a fantastic year for restaurants in Ireland as a whole, everyone knows how hard it is now for businesses with increased costs of operation,” he said. “To have the Michelin Awards in Ireland, I think the industry really understood how big it is to host these awards and the sector did a great job of highlighting Ireland for these visiting chefs.
“I want to congratulate Barbara [Nealon] on her award as well,” he added. “She may operate in Cork, but she is a mighty Clare woman – we’ll take that win!”
Food community
While the ceremony left many with mixed feelings, the pre and post-announcement celebrations were, as Robbie said, top tier. With Britain’s brightest culinary minds arriving in Dublin for the announcements, the food community rallied to show visiting food professionals what Irish hospitality looks like.
The Michelin after-party featured a variety of Irish food and drink with Irish producers at the forefront with offerings like freshly seared Irish scallops and a variety of farmhouse cheeses.
Public relations specialists Host rolled out the “green” carpet the weekend before the celebration with their Chef Sessions – a series of food-focused events featuring some of Ireland’s best loved culinarians. Director Órla Dukes said as Host have worked within the industry for over 20 years, they felt it was important to celebrate our chefs and the wider hospitality community.
“We see every day, first hand, the passion, dedication and talent that chefs, front of house and restaurateurs bring to their work,” she told Irish Country Living.
“Toward the end of last year, we had an informal chat with La Rousse Foods [and] coordinated these events and chef collaborations. The engaged and interested audience in town for these awards are exactly the kind of people who will appreciate them.”
As the Michelin Guide was first established in 1933, you might be thinking, “It’s about time they were held in Ireland,” and we would wholeheartedly concur, especially given the dramatic increase in recognition for Irish gastronomy over the past decade.
This recognition matters, especially for rural Irish restaurants, as they help guide visitors to great food experiences. When visitors come to destination restaurants, they are also likely to spend their money in rural pubs, shops and attractions.
International director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec.
International director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec, said they were delighted to bring the ceremony to Dublin for the first time.
“[Dublin is] a city whose energy and creativity mirror the vitality of the region’s gastronomy. Hosting the event here highlights Ireland’s growing place on the culinary map and the excellence of chefs across Great Britain and Ireland. Dublin offers the perfect setting to celebrate the talent and passion that drive our industry forward.”
Rumours were rife in the weeks leading up to the 2026 Michelin Guide announcements for Great Britain and Ireland. Held last Monday 9 February, the annual ceremony shares the new one, two or three star-ranked restaurants in the region.
For the first time ever, they were held in Ireland, at Dublin’s Convention Centre, and sponsored by La Rousse Foods. “Imagine the excitement and celebration,” we all whispered, “if the Michelin Guide took this opportunity to announce Ireland’s first-ever three-star restaurant.”
There are certainly contenders: Dede, for example, in Baltimore, Co Cork, operated by Ahmed Dede, or perhaps Liath in Dublin by Damien Grey; two-star restaurants at the peak of their gastronomic prowess. We dared to hope, and Irish attendees waited with bated breath, but the evening ended on a somewhat disappointing note with no new three-star announcements for the region. The 10 three-star restaurants in Great Britain retained their rankings for 2026.
How it works
Rankings are decided via Michelin’s network of anonymous judges, who dine and rate the restaurants extensively.
“They are the sole decision makers when it comes to rating restaurants in the Michelin Guide,” a representative explained.
“They have more than 250 anonymous meals per year, which are documented in detail in their reports. Then, the inspectors [a selection of experienced hospitality and restaurant professionals employed by Michelin] behave like any other customers to ensure that readers will have the same experience as they did. They book a table [always under one of their assumed names], order, eat lunch or dinner and pay their bill in full, just like everyone else. We treat every experience the same to ensure complete impartiality so that our readers are able to trust implicitly in the Michelin Guide.”
An Irish three-star announcement would have been wonderful, but the evening wasn’t all disappointment. Ireland has welcomed two new restaurants to our Michelin rankings, with Forest Avenue in Dublin and The Pullman at Glenlo Abbey each achieving their first Michelin star. They will join the 15 other Irish restaurants currently with a one-star ranking, including Jp McMahon’s Aniar in Galway, which has retained its star for its 13th year.
All five Irish two-star restaurants retained their rankings for 2026, and Barbara Nealon of St Francis Provisions in Kinsale was honoured with the Michelin Service Award for her outstanding approach to hospitality.
Aside from the coveted stars, Michelin Bib Gourmand awards were announced a week prior to the ceremony. For 2026, Ireland gained five Bib Gourmand rankings, including Farmgate in Lismore, Co Waterford. A Bib Gourmand indicates a high-quality hospitality experience offering excellent value for money – slightly more casual, but every bit as stylish.
Chef Robbie McAuley of Homestead Cottage in Co Clare. \ Claire Nash
Chef Robbie McCauley of Homestead Cottage, located near Doolin in Co Clare, told Irish Country Living he was extremely proud of his team for retaining their star, but was also proud of Ireland’s ever-evolving dining scene.
“I think it’s a fantastic year for restaurants in Ireland as a whole, everyone knows how hard it is now for businesses with increased costs of operation,” he said. “To have the Michelin Awards in Ireland, I think the industry really understood how big it is to host these awards and the sector did a great job of highlighting Ireland for these visiting chefs.
“I want to congratulate Barbara [Nealon] on her award as well,” he added. “She may operate in Cork, but she is a mighty Clare woman – we’ll take that win!”
Food community
While the ceremony left many with mixed feelings, the pre and post-announcement celebrations were, as Robbie said, top tier. With Britain’s brightest culinary minds arriving in Dublin for the announcements, the food community rallied to show visiting food professionals what Irish hospitality looks like.
The Michelin after-party featured a variety of Irish food and drink with Irish producers at the forefront with offerings like freshly seared Irish scallops and a variety of farmhouse cheeses.
Public relations specialists Host rolled out the “green” carpet the weekend before the celebration with their Chef Sessions – a series of food-focused events featuring some of Ireland’s best loved culinarians. Director Órla Dukes said as Host have worked within the industry for over 20 years, they felt it was important to celebrate our chefs and the wider hospitality community.
“We see every day, first hand, the passion, dedication and talent that chefs, front of house and restaurateurs bring to their work,” she told Irish Country Living.
“Toward the end of last year, we had an informal chat with La Rousse Foods [and] coordinated these events and chef collaborations. The engaged and interested audience in town for these awards are exactly the kind of people who will appreciate them.”
As the Michelin Guide was first established in 1933, you might be thinking, “It’s about time they were held in Ireland,” and we would wholeheartedly concur, especially given the dramatic increase in recognition for Irish gastronomy over the past decade.
This recognition matters, especially for rural Irish restaurants, as they help guide visitors to great food experiences. When visitors come to destination restaurants, they are also likely to spend their money in rural pubs, shops and attractions.
International director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec.
International director of the Michelin Guide, Gwendal Poullennec, said they were delighted to bring the ceremony to Dublin for the first time.
“[Dublin is] a city whose energy and creativity mirror the vitality of the region’s gastronomy. Hosting the event here highlights Ireland’s growing place on the culinary map and the excellence of chefs across Great Britain and Ireland. Dublin offers the perfect setting to celebrate the talent and passion that drive our industry forward.”
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