W e wrote the first edition of 100 Best Restaurants in Ireland exactly 30 years ago, in 1992, when the country’s culinary culture was in its infancy.

Back then eating well in Ireland was a challenge. Away from the cities the traveller would encounter food wastelands without a creative cook in sight.

Over 30 years, however — and in tandem with the Nordic countries, which began their culinary journey at much the same time and had to construct a restaurant culture from scratch — Ireland has built a mighty national style of cooking.

The difficulty the food-loving traveller encounters now, particularly in the cities of Dublin, Cork, Belfast and Galway (especially Galway!), is the paradox of choice: how do you choose where to eat when there

Registered in England No. 894646. Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, SE1 9GF.