It’s champagne time for the country’s top chefs who made the grade in one of the most exclusive culinary and hospitality clubs in the land — the 100 Best Restaurants and 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland.

Celebrity chef Dylan McGrath has revealed that he considered turning his back on Ireland before he made his comeback with his new restaurant empire.

Fade Street Social, Fade Street, Dublin 2; tel: 01-6040066; fadestreetsocial.com

Bite, 29 South Frederick Street, Dublin; Tel: 01-6797000; bitedublin.com

A court is to decide tomorrow if a quartet of publicans, headed by night club entrepreneur John Reynolds, will foot the €100,000 legal costs bill for their unsuccessful bid to stop 'Masterchef' judge Dylan McGrath, getting a full public house license for his new restaurant.

TV’s Masterchef judge Dylan McGrath was yesterday granted a full public house drinks licence for his new €1.4m restaurant in Fade St, Dublin.

Masterchef judge Dylan McGrath says he is over the moon he has won a licensing row in the courts over his new venture Fade Street Social in Dublin city.

A licensing row over Masterchef judge Dylan McGrath's new restaurant venture in Dublin city will be decided by a court next Tuesday.

Masterchef judge Dylan McGrath told a judge he had no intention of turning his €new €1.4m restaurant in Dublin’s Fade St into a “public house”.

Masterchef judge and restaurateur Dylan McGrath is at the centre of a court case involving licensing objections to his new premises in Dublin’s Fade St.

By Ray Managh