2023 Award Winners NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR 2023

Bramley Restaurant Abbeyleix Co Laois

Abbeyleix is a popular destination for many reasons - including wonderful gardens to visit, the Collin's Bog Looped Walk, Heritage House museum, and one of the country's finest old pubs, Morrissey's. And now, having taken the overall title of Ireland's Tidiest Town for 2023, many more visitors will be a drawn to this attractive Heritage Town - and among the many treats in store they will be lucky to find Sam and Emily Moody’s lovely restaurant, Bramley, in the much-loved old shop premises of the same name. Beautifully refurbished, it is a bright, high-ceilinged room with a semi open kitchen and a gently classy feeling - a lovely setting for enjoying some seriously good cooking. Formerly Executive Chef at nearby Ballyfin Demesne, Sam Moody brought a big fine dining reputation with him to Abbeyleix, yet Bramley has the feel of a real local restaurant. On the Guide's initial visit, for example, it was full of happy local diners who were table hopping to greet and chat with their friends - not something that is likely to happen in many of the recently opened high-end restaurants. The cooking has great finesse, as would be expected, but this is not show-off food and some of the details and smaller dishes, such as an exceptionally delicious garden pea soup, are most memorable. This could so easily have just been another fine dining restaurant, but with its customer-friendly hours and varied menus, there's a sense that this is a place that´s becoming part of the community.