Food & Wine Magazine – Restaurant of the Year Awards 2017

Food & Wine Magazine has been running its Restaurant of the Year Awards since 2001. This year has seen a revamp of the Awards with a host of new categories added to celebrate the changing face of the Irish culinary scene. We have been nominated in a number of categories and we would be so grateful if you would take a minute to vote for us in the following categories, by clicking on this link:

1. FOOD&WINE Destination Restaurant of the Year Award

There are so many restaurants across Ireland that are worth travelling to for the food alone. Our food offering and location in the heart of Kilkenny city makes us an ideal destination to those wanting to travel for long lazy lunches and delicious dinners.

2. FOOD&WINE Best for Wine Lovers Award

We offer exclusive Italian wine and prosecco, imported directly from our home surrounds of Lazio on the west coast of Italy. Each wine is handpicked by our family from the very best local vineyards. Italian wines are like the Italian people, rustic, lively and full of passion. We house our wine in our custom built wine cellar under our upper dinning room and visible through a glass ceiling, making Rinuccini an ideal destination for wine lovers.

3. FOOD&WINE Overall Restaurant of the Year Award

Rinuccini is a family owned and run multi award-winning Italian restaurant located in the heart of Kilkenny City for over 25 years. We specialise in classic Italian cuisine made with local Irish ingredients and key Italian ingredients imported directly from Italy. Our fish is sourced fresh from the boats in Kilmore Quay, we make our own pasta by hand here in our restaurant in Kilkenny and our desserts are made from scratch right here on our premises in our prep kitchen.

4. FOOD&WINE Overall Chef of the Year Award – Antonio Cavaliere

Antonio came to Ireland from Lazio aged 15. He served his apprenticeship under the classically trained chef, Bernardino Gentile, at Quo Vadis in Dublin, one of the first and most influential Italian restaurants on the Irish scene. In 1989, Antonio and his wife, Marion fulfilled their lifelong dream and opened Ristorante Rinuccini, Kilkenny’s first Italian restaurant, opposite the city’s medieval Kilkenny Castle at the start of what is now the Medieval Mile.

Antonio has gained many accolades, including ‘Chef of the Year’ and under his guidance and vision we have consistently been listed in the Michelin Guide for fifteen years. He has also received acknowledgements from the McKenna Guides, Georgina Campbell and Lucinda O’Sullivan.

Antonio was selected to become a member of Good Food Ireland for his commitment to sourcing the very highest quality local and Irish produce. He also sources all his own wines and many of his Italian ingredients, including salumi, cheese and extra virgin olive oil from select vineyards and artisan producers from his native Italy.

If you would like to vote for Rinuccini in these categories, just click on this link. Many thanks for your continued custom and support.

Best wishes,

Riccardo and all the team here at Rinuccini.