Local eateries scoop top restaurant prizes

Wee Paddy’s Bistro in Lurgan was awarded the Best Emerging Irish Cuisine accolade.

Meanwhile newly opened Clenaghan’s near Aghalee was voted Best Newcomer and Best Gastro Pub.

Newforge House in Magheralin was voted Best Hotel and Guesthouse Restaurant.

Moira restaurant Wine and Brine were voted Best Restaurant and Chris McGowan was voted Best Chef.

Grouchos On The Square in Richhill was awarded Pub of the Year.

The fourth of four regional finals in this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards took place at La Mon Hotel, Belfast, where 135 awards were presented to the country’s leading chefs, restaurants and pubs.

The awards covered a wide range of venues and the winners from each of Ulster’s nine counties.

Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said: “Now in their tenth year, the Irish Restaurant Awards continue to showcase the exquisite and admirable calibre of food available in our restaurants and pubs nationwide. Online nominations have increased from 9,000 in 2013 to over 80,000 this year and with the increase in interest comes an increase in standards, making the judging process more difficult than ever.

“Our small island boasts everything from fine dining to high quality gastropubs, from the exotic taste explosions of world cuisine to the comfort of traditional dishes. We have an appreciation for what we eat, for the journey of our food from farm to fork.”