Following a year of dining at the country's best tables, Joe McNamee on his best meals of 2022

If Levis is a mini-Mardi Gras, then Rob Krawczyk and Elaine Fleming’s Michelin-starred Restaurant Chestnut is a softly lit Buddhist temple

A big hug of a restaurant with generous seafood platters and a warm welcome

What caps the edible offering is the firm commitment to sourcing the very best of local, seasonal produce, creating a fine and genuinely Irish take on tapas

‘I think we are in a Sally Rooney novel’ quipped my guest around halfway through our meal in Apertivo Cicchetti

A restaurant worthy of all the stars and accolades

Duck away from fine dining at this gem

Chris Braganza’s cooking is wonderfully instinctive, adding his own twists, and his spicing is empathetic and sublimely balanced

There has been a rash of new burger joints in Dublin in the past couple of years but I’m not sure any can compete with this gorgeous cheesy intensity of BSkewers Burger

Chef Aishling Moore exudes controlled, powerful, confident energy, the other chefs orbiting her like planets around the sun and the food is often exceptional

Joe McNamee finds the best kids dish he has ever encountered in O’Mahony’s of Watergrasshill

A culinary odyssey through the capital city's Spanish restaurants and bars

Sonflour is a joy from start to finish and will only improve to become a true Cork keeper

The wontons were our dish of the night — with a delicate satiny exterior and a meaty filling and a properly pungent chilli and soy dip

The converted former post office is beyond picture-postcard-perfect — and the service and food are both excellent

No trickery here, just a full-on focus on flavour — you'll be wowed

A local larder used wisely and with sparky grace notes from other cuisines add up to some very delicious food

And with views of Ballycotton Lighthouse across from the pier, this pub and restaurant really is a jewel

Our reviewer enjoys a 'dream date' at this Galway restaurant — dining with a crossword, a book, and some top-rate wine recommendations

It's delicious and no main course exceeds €20 — all extraordinarily good value

Think of a wine bar in the 11th Arrondissement of Paris but add the best of Irish ingredients cooked by people who understand flavour

I suggest you log onto Allta Winter House’s website and try to get a booking or on the waitlist. 12 delicious courses cooked over fire by chefs at the top of their game — so good I’m in shock

Le Perroquet is a solid attempt at recreating a French Bistro with modern takes on classic French dishes and a kitchen that is trying hard — not everything works, but what does is excellent.

You have to try the lemon verbena and Highbank Orchard infused apple sorbet

Plus, the Irish Examiner picks up some tasty Irish Food Writing Awards 

— I particularly love the respect the kitchen gives to the ingredients at its disposal

Flavoursome and fresh food from Izz Cafe and The Castle Café in Cork