2023 Award Winners ATMOSPHERIC RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2023

The Sea Rooms - Kelly’s Resort Hotel & Spa Rosslare Co Wexford

One of our most popular awards, as Irish diners place a high premium on atmosphere – often rating it even above the quality of food when choosing where to eat out. But, as everyone familiar with past winners of our Atmospheric category will know, the food comes first, with great atmosphere as the icing on the cake.
With its special brand of relaxed professionalism, the Kelly family’s renowned beachside hotel sums up all that is best about the sunny South-East for many regular visitors. Perhaps it’s because its history in the same family spans three centuries, so there’s not a lot they don’t know about keeping guests happy. But it’s also because they never stand still. There’s always something new in the mix at Kelly’s and, in recent years, the most exciting changes have been the kitchen gardens – which have been developing at a remarkable pace and guests are welcome to visit them – and a new restaurant in which to enjoy their bounty, the wonderful Sea Rooms. Impossible to capture on camera, there are so many elements and angles to this stunning addition that only the human eye can take it all in. And, seen in the context of the hotel as a whole, The Sea Rooms give a sense of completion, enhancing the entire property in a most satisfying way. Inside, the wonderful light- and art-filled space makes a unique setting for chef Chris Fullam's excellent cooking, which is pleasingly respectful to the seasons and their produce - a simple bowl of utterly delicious garden vegetables was a highlight on a recent visit. That’s something that takes restraint from a talented chef, and it would be good to see more of it.