Cellar Restaurant at Step House Hotel

The Cellar Restaurant is the dining room of the Step House Hotel, a four-star boutique hotel in the village of Borris, County Carlow. The restaurant takes its name and character from its setting in the old kitchens of the house, a series of small interconnected rooms with deep stone archways and vaulted ceilings that lend it an intimate, atmospheric feel.

The Step House itself is a Georgian building of around two hundred years, originally a dower house on the McMurrough Kavanagh estate, the family long associated with the area. The restaurant’s kitchen takes a classical French approach, cooking dishes from scratch with an emphasis on seasonal, locally sourced artisan ingredients. Supporting nearby producers is central to how the place operates, with much of the meat and produce drawn from local farms.

The Cellar has earned a steady reputation and a number of awards over the years. Dining is served at set times, typically for Sunday lunch and on Friday and Saturday evenings, and booking is essential, so it is worth reserving a table in advance of a visit.