The prestigious Michelin Guide Great Britain & Ireland Awards are being hosted in Ireland for the first time since they began in 1974.
The awards ceremony is being held at the Convention Centre in Dublin tonight, where the 'Guide' will unveil new Michelin stars, green stars for sustainability and special awards for "the most talented restaurant teams and chefs from Great Britain and Ireland".
CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland Adrian Cummins said the affirmation of Michelin choosing to travel to Dublin for the announcements is a "recognition of the high standards in the Irish restaurant industry today".
He said that "people focus on the chefs who win which is significant, of course," but these awards are "broader than that and recognise every part of a restaurant team".
Getting awarded a star rating or recommendation from Michelin means that the inspectors are acknowledging the contribution of "everything from the front of house team, to the work behind the provenance of the food, to every single member of the restaurant at every level," he said.
While speculation grows across the food industry in the countdown to the ceremony, there is much focus on the hope that tonight will see an announcement of a three-star rating for a restaurant on the island of Ireland for the first time.
There are currently five restaurants in the Republic of Ireland that hold two stars and they include Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Chapter One by Mickael Viljane, Liath in Dublin as well as Dede and Terre both in Cork - and hopes are high.
There are 157 restaurants worldwide that hold a three-star rating.
'Oscars of the food world'
"It's the Oscars of the food world," said General Manager of The Old Spot Gastropub in Dublin's Sandymount Denise McBrien.
She described attending the ceremony as "a dream come true", adding that she has worked in restaurants and the Irish food industry for over 30 years and has always wanted to go to the Michelin award ceremony.
She said she is "so excited that we get to go to it for the first time".
Mr Cummins said he is hoping that "the effect of the Michelin visit will add weight to the campaign for rolling out a national food tourism strategy across the country by Fáilte Ireland".
Tourists are looking for "good food experiences," he said, adding that a "formal strategy would really help support the industry".
"We believe that visitors are looking for this kind of information in a clear and easily accessible way and we would encourage Fáilte Ireland to develop a strategy in conjunction with the industry as soon as possible," he said.
Michelin Guide star rating system traces origins to France
The Michelin Guide rating system began in France in 1926 and one star signifies "a very good restaurant", two stars signify "excellent cooking that is worth a detour" and three stars mean "exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey".
A Bib Gourmand is awarded to restaurants serving "exceptionally good food at moderate prices" and the winners of those for 2026 have already been announced.
There are 18 restaurants in Ireland with one star, with Northern Ireland having two one-star Michelin restaurants - Ox and Muddler's Club.
Many of those restaurant teams will be hoping to be upgraded in a bid to garner more valuable Michelin recognition.
Having worked in high profile restaurants including L'Ecrivain, Ms McBrien has been at the award-winning The Old Spot for eight years.
She described how "immensely proud" she was of the team there when they got Michelin "recommends" status confirmed a few weeks ago.
"We have had the busiest January in years," she said, adding that the impact of being on Michelin's list is "transformative" for a restaurant.
"You are on a list, a guide and that is so useful for visitors and great for us," she said.
"It is a really important recognition for any restaurant and all the Irish teams are on tenterhooks to see how our wonderful restaurants do tonight at the ceremony."
Any recognition from Michelin is 'extremely valuable'
While the dream of being awarded three stars from Michelin is hard fought, Ms McBrien pointed out that any recognition from Michelin is "extremely valuable".
Michelin 'recommended' means that "your eatery is featured in the Michelin Guide and highlighted for serving high-quality, above-average food and these establishments are recognised for offering a great meal, highlighting good ingredients, and skillful cooking, essentially acting as a 'seal of approval' from Michelin inspectors."
Ms McBrien said it is a "hard won" recognition for any team and really "satisfying not just for our excellent chef Mark Ahessy who has led the kitchen for four years, but for everyone involved in getting the food on to the table".
She noted that that impact on the local community was "lovely as local residents from Bath Avenue shared in the joy of the achievement".
She said it "felt like a shared achievement which gave us all a boost".
As part of the celebrations, Dublin venues have been hosting 'The Chef Sessions: 2' which is a series of one-off events, collaborations and late-night gatherings across the city centre designed to add to the build up to the ceremony.
The ceremony will be live streamed on YouTube from 6pm.
Read more: The good, the bad and the ugly of Michelin stars for chefs & restaurants
