The First Star In The West In A Decade

Aniar did not have to wait long. About fourteen months after it opened, the Michelin Guide gave it a star^[2].

Travel Extra's list of every Irish Michelin restaurant dates the star to 2013^[1]. The Staff Canteen noted that it was the first star in the west of Ireland in ten years^[3]. For Galway, it was a big moment.

Chefs In The Kitchen

Several cooks have led Aniar's kitchen under the star. Travel Extra names Enda McEvoy in 2013, Ultan Cooke in 2014 and JP McMahon himself from 2015^[1]. The idea behind the food has stayed the same throughout: Irish ingredients only^[2].

Holding On

A star must be earned again every year. Aniar has done it year after year^[1]. In February 2026, when the Michelin Guide held its ceremony in Dublin, Aniar was again on the list of Irish one-star restaurants^[4].

That is more than a decade of stars for a restaurant that set itself a hard rule. No imported luxuries. No easy shortcuts. Just what the west of Ireland can provide, cooked with care.

A Voice For The Trade

The star also gave McMahon a platform. He began to speak openly about the difficulties restaurants face^[3]. He became a judge for the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition in Ireland in 2016^[3].

Galway changed too. Other restaurants in the city and county have since won stars, but Aniar was the one that showed it could be done in the west^[1][3].

More Than A Restaurant

For McMahon, the star was never the end goal. It was a way to prove an idea: that Irish food deserves to be taken seriously^[2]. The next step was to bring the whole world of chefs to Galway to talk about it^[2].

From a tapas bar in 2008 to a Michelin-starred dining room five years later, the self-taught cook had come a very long way^[1][2].