Two North of Ireland eateries have made it onto a top magazine’s list of best restaurants on the island.
National Geographic is celebrating the explosion of the food scene on both sides of the border.
Pyke ‘N’ Pommes, which started out as a food truck before evolving into a container and a double-decker bus in Derry, made it onto the list.
The Strand Road addition saw it rank at number nine with Kevin Pyke praised for “bringing serious foodie chops”.
“You won’t meet the rubber tyre man at Pyke ‘N’ Pommes, but you will get to tuck into a magnificently moist Legenderry Burger made from local wagyu beef, market fish cooked in a charcoal oven, or tacos topped with treats like porter braised brisket or battered pickled cauliflower,” the article states.
The listing prompted Pyke ‘N’ Pommes to post on its Facebook page: “Morning Derry.
A Pyke ‘N’ Pommes burger
Meanwhile, The Muddlers Club in Belfast is ranked at number three and credited with its role in revolutionising the book of Irish food.
“Belfast’s buzzy Cathedral Quarter feels both on and off-grid; chef Gareth McCaughey’s Muddlers Club like a gourmet geocache hidden in its backstreets,” the article states.
“Named after a secret society that met here over 200 years ago, it’s a social space, with a post-industrial feel softened by lovely ceramics, big windows and a small cocktail bar.”
It was the open kitchen which impressed the most as it is the source of the “slick balance of confident, Michelin-starred cuisine that never feels overbearing” which impressed the author.
They singled out the Mourne lamb with aubergine and dukka – as well as the duck with charred carrot, miso and almond – for praise.
Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen in Dublin was ranked at number one.
It has been hailed as “the jewel of Dublin’s north side” and the “North Star for Irish fine dining”.
The Finnish chef is praised for knowing Irish food inside out and described as “a technical wizard who composes like an artist” – skills which could see the eatery become Ireland’s first three-Michelin star restaurant.
It has been dubbed expensive, but essential.
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