We now officially know where the country’s best restaurant is after last night's Irish Restaurant Awards 2019.
Loam, a chic restaurant and wine bar in Galway City has been named restaurant of the year and it looks stunning.
The Michelin-starred establishment took the top prize in the All-Ireland Best Restaurant category at the ceromony hosted by Today FM’s Dermot Whelan in the Clayton Hotel in Dublin on Monday night.
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The restaurant opened in 2014 and has been a favourite among locals and visitors alike. Only using ingredients sourced in the west of Ireland, Loam has a strong ethos of sustainability. Its head chef, Enda McEvoy, was awarded best chef in 2016.
Graham Neville of Dax Restaurant on Dublin’s Pembroke Street Upper took home the title of Chef Of The Year, while Dax was named the best restaurant in Dublin.
Neville has worked in London, Chicago and Lyon and was previously a head chef at Restaurant FortyOne in the former Residence private members club on St Stephen’s Green. He also worked at Thornton’s in Dublin for seven years and is the former Commissioner General of Euro-Toques Ireland.
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Other winners from Monday night’s ceremony include Everett’s restaurant in Waterford for Best Newcomer and Doheny and Nesbitt on Dublin’s Baggot Street taking home the title of Pub Of The Year.
It’s no lie that Ireland has loads of unreal restaurants and pubs. Over 90,000 nominations were made by the public since January, and over 2,000 restaurants attended regional awards in Kildare, Sligo, Monaghan and Limerick.
Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said at last night’s awards, “Ireland may be a small country, but it boasts everything from fine dining to high-quality gastropubs, from the comfort of traditional Irish food to exploring the world through exotic world cuisine, the Irish restaurant industry has much to offer.
“We have an appreciation for what we eat and where our food comes from, as well as the dedication of those working in the food industry.”
I don’t know about you, but I’m buzzing to try all of these winners over the next few months. 
