The Greenhouse Earns Its First Star

Every autumn, Irish chefs wait for one piece of news: the new Michelin Guide. For The Greenhouse, the wait ended happily. The restaurant won its first Michelin star^[1][2].

The Staff Canteen dates the star to 2015 and to the guide for 2016^[1][2]. Either way, the message was the same. Three years after opening, Viljanen's kitchen was among the best in the country.

What A Star Means

A Michelin star is not given for a single great meal. Inspectors come back, often without warning, and they judge the food on the plate. To win a star, a kitchen must be excellent every night, not just once.

For Viljanen, it was also a personal milestone. Fifteen years earlier he had arrived in Ireland as a young cook from Finland^[1]. Now his name stood in the most famous restaurant guide in the world.

More Prizes

The awards kept coming. During his time at The Greenhouse he was twice named Chef of the Year by Food & Wine Magazine, most recently in 2019^[1]. Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide also named him Chef of the Year in 2019^[1].

A Growing Name

His reputation was spreading beyond Ireland too. In 2018 he sat as a judge at the final of the S.Pellegrino Young Chef competition in London^[1]. Chefs from around the world were now asking for his opinion.

Inside the kitchen, little changed. The surprise menu stayed at the heart of the experience. Dishes were still created from the best produce of the day^[1]. The star did not make the team play it safe. If anything, it gave them the confidence to push further.

There was one more step to take. It is a big one, and in Dublin it had not been taken by a new restaurant for many years. Viljanen was about to take it^[1][2].