Columns - Irish Examiner

Joe McNamee

A former chef, Joe McNamee is Senior Food Writer at the Irish Examiner. Holding a BA in Culinary Arts, he writes about food and reviews restaurants for Weekend.

Joe McNamee: Bullying was embedded in the DNA of London kitchens — here's my experience

The only lesson those English chefs absorbed was Bullying 101.

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

Joe McNamee: I enjoy some fast food but here's why I avoid McDonald's like the plague

I know too well the allure of ‘dishes’ crafted in labs, combining high-sugar, high-fat and excess salt to hit that sweet spot driving dopamine-dense addiction.

Sat, 14 Mar, 2026

S Restaurant review: Some of the finest ‘traditional’ cooking in Ireland can be found in Adare

Brilliant 1826 boasts skill and substance

Fri, 13 Mar, 2026

Joe McNamee: How FoodCloud is in the fight against the food waste

FoodCloud was founded by Aoibheann O’Brien and Iseult Ward when they met as students in Trinity.

Sat, 07 Mar, 2026

Joe McNamee: Waterford-based GIY deserves the Nobel Prize

‘Our Farm’ allows the practice do preaching

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

S Restaurant review: This Killarney spot serves one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had in Ireland

It is one of the best hospitality offerings in the Kingdom and, yes, we are deeply smitten

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Chicken bone broth in a glass jar and fresh vegetables

Joe McNamee: Good broth is the magic gold elixir we all need

My Glasgow Granny used to tell me when we’d visit that I was her ‘wee broth of a boy’ even though, a sickly wain, I was more akin to watery gruel

Sat, 21 Feb, 2026

Joe McNamee: Your Valentine's chocolate could be confectionery — here's how to tell the difference

In Ireland and Britain, most of what we call ‘chocolate’ is no more than confectionery, sweetened chocolate-flavoured treats

Sat, 14 Feb, 2026

S Restaurant review: This Adare café nails each dish every time — I left a very happy diner

Even in the depths of winter, Cafe Logr shines like summer

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Restaurant review: Kinsale's St Francis Provisions is one of Ireland’s finest restaurants

Kinsale’s St Francis Provisions claimed the Best Service award at the Michelin Guide Ireland & Britain Awards Ceremony 2026 at Dublin’s Convention Centre. Here's is our 2023 review of the Cork restaurant

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026