Restaurant Chestnut earned a Michelin star just months after opening in a tiny West Cork village and never let it go. Now, still Michelin-starred and highly acclaimed, its owners are preparing to serve their final dinner.
For many restaurants, earning a Michelin star is the destination.
For Restaurant Chestnut, it came almost at the beginning.
Rob Krawczyk and Elaine Fleming opened their small restaurant in Ballydehob, West Cork, in March 2018. Just six months later, Michelin awarded it a star.
Chestnut went on to retain that distinction throughout the disruption of the pandemic and major changes across the Irish hospitality industry.
Then, in May 2026, Krawczyk and Fleming announced something few diners expected: this would be Restaurant Chestnut's final season.
Its last dinner service will take place on 30 October 2026.
Chestnut remains Michelin-starred and has continued to receive major recognition in its final year. Its owners are not leaving West Cork. Instead, they describe the end of Restaurant Chestnut as the beginning of a new chapter in the region.
From a Former Pub to a Michelin Star
Chestnut occupies a small former pub in Ballydehob, close to Schull, where Krawczyk grew up. Its connection to West Cork — and its focus on the produce and character of the surrounding region — became central to the restaurant's identity.
Rather than a large city dining room, it became a destination that brought diners to a small West Cork village while retaining its Michelin star year after year.
Food at Chestnut is closely tied to its West Cork setting. The restaurant describes its cooking as inspired by nature and the surrounding landscape, with seasonal ingredients grown, raised and gathered in West Cork and elsewhere in Ireland.
Dinner is offered through a choice of set and tasting menus, including Chestnut's signature multi-course tasting experience. The menus change with the seasons, keeping the focus on local produce and what is available at the time.
Even in its final season, the accolades have continued. Chestnut was named Best Restaurant in Cork at the 2026 Irish Restaurant Awards Munster Regional Final.
Diners planning to visit during the final season can view the current dinner menus on the restaurant's website.
A New Chapter in West Cork
Krawczyk and Fleming presented the announcement as the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.
“We are so incredibly proud of what we have created here. Opening our doors in March 2018, we could not have dreamt of what was to follow,” they said in their announcement.
But the end of Restaurant Chestnut does not mean the couple are leaving West Cork.
“Our story is rooted here in West Cork and it is the place where our next chapter will begin.”
Exactly what that next chapter will look like has not yet been announced. The couple said they will reveal their plans “in time”.
After nine dinner seasons, the current season will be their last as Restaurant Chestnut.
The Final Season
Chestnut remains open for its final season, with its last dinner service scheduled for 30 October 2026.
Until then, diners still have the opportunity to travel to Ballydehob and experience the restaurant that earned a Michelin star just months after opening and retained it throughout its run.
What Krawczyk and Fleming will do next has not yet been announced, beyond their commitment to remain in West Cork.
When Restaurant Chestnut serves its final dinner, the Michelin star will still be there — and its owners will already be looking towards their next chapter.
