Star Chefs · Ireland
Kevin Thornton The Cashel cook who became the first Irish chef to win two Michelin stars, at Thornton's in Dublin.
The first Irish chef to hold two Michelin stars (Thornton's, 2001–2005), with stars from 1996 to 2015; trained with Paul Bocuse; RTÉ series such as HEAT and Guerilla Gourmet; a photography book and Fringe show. Less in the news since Thornton's closed in 2016.
Kevin Thornton comes from Cashel, Co Tipperary[1][5]. He worked in the vegetable gardens of the Cashel Palace Hotel, trained in fine cooking at Galway Regional Technical College and cooked at Restaurant Paul Bocuse in France[2][3].
After his first restaurant, the Wine Epergne, he opened Thornton's in Dublin in 1995 with his wife Muriel[1][2]. It won a Michelin star in 1996 and a second in 2001, making him the first Irish chef with two stars[3][5][6].
He helped set up the culinary arts degree course at the Dublin College of Catering, wrote for The Sunday Business Post and fronted RTÉ series including HEAT and Guerilla Gourmet[4]. Thornton's, by then at the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green, closed in October 2016[5][6].
Life Timeline
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- Opening From Cashel Gardens To A Room Of His Own A Tipperary cook who learned in hotel gardens, abattoirs and the kitchen of Paul Bocuse opens Thornton's in Dublin in 1995 with his wife Muriel. Read The Story
- Stars A Star In Nine Months Only nine months after opening, Thornton's wins its first Michelin star in 1996. The restaurant on Portobello Road becomes a name in Dublin dining. Read The Story
- Stars The First Irish Chef With Two Stars In 2001 Thornton's wins a second Michelin star. Kevin Thornton becomes the first Irish chef to hold two stars, and holds them until 2005. Read The Story
- Book Food For Life, On The Page And On Stage Thornton publishes Food for Life, a book of his photography, to fund medical research, and turns it into a show at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2007. Read The Story
- Closing The Last Service At Thornton's After losing its last Michelin star in 2015 and facing high rents, Thornton's closes on 29 October 2016, ending one of Dublin's great fine dining stories. Read The Story
Restaurants
- Restaurant Paul Bocuse Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, France cook [3]
- The Wine Epergne Dublin, Ireland chef-owner His first restaurant, which won rave reviews. [2]
- Thornton's Dublin, Ireland chef-owner · 1995–2016 First on Portobello Road, later at the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green; two stars 2001–2005. [5]
Ranking History
Rank10Six-month average58Assessment of the month58
We update the ranking every month. It follows a six-month weighted average of the fame score, so one quiet month changes little.
| Assessment of the month | Rank | Fame Score | Six-month average |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 10 | 58 | 58 |
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from these sources. Each number in the text points to the source it came from.
- Press Food Republic: Kevin Thornton, Ireland's Hardest Working Chef?
- Press World Gourmet Summit: Kevin Thornton
- Press Caterer & Hotelkeeper: Dublin exposure
- Press FOUR Magazine: Kevin Thornton
- Press TheJournal.ie: Thorntons announce they are to close their restaurant after it loses a Michelin star
- Press Travel Extra: 48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)