Tucked away on the other side of the river from the Medieval Mile in Kilkenny, Ireland, is an unassuming one-star Michelin restaurant, owned by Chef Garrett Byrne, who returned to his hometown and opened this French-inspired eatery in 2008. Campagne is all about excellent food and service that feels a little bit more like a friendly local cafe than an upscale restaurant. It’s a comfortable, no-frills atmosphere coupled with outstanding food which changes seasonally. Chef Garrett spent the early part of his career in London and Dublin, having most recently come from Dublin’s Chapter One, also a one-star Michelin restaurant where he was Head Chef.
Kilkenny is incredibly walkable and while some might opt to drive or taxi to Campagne, we walked from our hotel, the Butler House. Butler House caps one end of the Medieval Mile and sits basically on the property of the castle. Campagne is about a ten minute walk away. Given the relaxed atmosphere, there is no need to go beyond smart/business casual dress here. We were honestly surprised to see that some people dressed even less than that. Michelin restaurants today seem to be often more about the high quality of the dishes served.
Campagne offers a 3 course meal at lunch and dinner, as well as an unusual early bird option that, at 50 euros per person, is quite a steal for those that enjoy eating 5-6:30 pm. All of the food at Campagne lived up to the Michelin hype and it was our first lesson along our Michelin journey that some places are truly about the food and that Michelin restaurants can have a very comfortable atmosphere and don’t necessary have to have a super upscale feel to be enjoyed.