'Absolutely delighted' two Laois restaurants make Georgina Campbell's food guide

A recently launched Laois gastropub and a luxury Laois restaurant and guesthouse have made it to the prestigious independent Georgina Campbell's food and hospitality guide, likely to bring more discerning customers to their doors.

The Old Canal restaurant and pub in Mountmellick, and Ómós restaurant and guesthouse in Abbeyleix, are the new additions, making it to ten the Laois business establishments in the guide to the best of Irish food destinations.

The Old Canal is described in glowing terms in the website.

“The former Turley’s Bar in Mountmellick entered an exciting new era in 2026, when Chef Barry Liscombe - well known from his years at the excellent Hartes Group in neighbouring Kildare - and his front of house partner, Joanne Deegan, opened a restaurant in this 1950s building beside the historic Lock Master’s House and renamed it The Old Canal Bar and Kitchen.

Bringing their experience, high-quality provenance-driven food, reasonable prices, genuine hospitality and terrific service to Mountmellick, it's given a great lift to the small rural town that Joanne calls home - and could be an inspiration to others thinking of opening hospitality ventures outside of the popular tourism areas.

“The cooking style is clean with strong flavours, as would be expected from a Barry Liscombe kitchen, and the children’s menu is way above average, a proper menu

All round, the experience and commitment brought to their new venture by Barry Liscombe and Joanne Deegan shows in every detail, making The Old Canal Bar and Kitchen a brilliant addition to dining options in the midlands - and well worth a detour.”

The business shared their delight with their customers.

“A proud moment for the Old Canal. We are absolutely delighted to share that The Old Canal Bar & Kitchen has been featured in the prestigious Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide. And to make it even more special, we're one of just 10 places to eat listed in County Laois. To receive this recognition means so much to us, especially as a new business doing what we love, right here in Mountmellick,” they said.

The guide describes luxury destination Ómos in even more glowing terms, as well as other businesses in Abbeyleix.

It had already won their Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year last September, a month after it opened.

“Five years in the planning, Omos was one of the most keenly anticipated openings of 2026: the culmination of intensive research by executive chef and chief dreamer Cúán Greene who documented those dreams on his eponymous Omos substack since returning to Ireland from sharpening his knives and skills in some of Copenhagen’s hottest kitchens.

And a dreamy set up it is. A reimagined Victorian country house on the edge of John Collison's Abbeyleix House & Farm estate on the outskirts of handsome Abbeyleix village – already blessed with a picture-perfect pub-grocers, Morrisey’s of Abbeyleix, craft baker Mueller & O'Connell Bakery and the deservedly popular restaurant Bramley – with a custom-built restaurant overlooking ponds and kitchen gardens and a fully open kitchen at its heart.

Here Cúán and team calmly construct and deliver a 12-course menu that draws from his travels as a chef and as a child living in France with his family, but also from his memories and experiences of Irish food and closely informed by the subtle shifts of Irish seasons.

“A deeply considered expression of modern Irish gastronomy, one that is in no small part influenced by the international experience of its ambitious, well-travelled and highly skilled chefs – and yet is proudly keen to express that Irishness too. All of this plays out in a dining room that whose walls and tables are adorned with expressions of Irish craft and design in a way that underlines the philosophy of the intuitive cooking here. A unique experience that is well worth the five-year wait – and the considerable bill that dinner here will set you back.

Each room is distinct in character with Irish-designed bed linen, handcrafted ceramics and Omos bodycare - and you can even take a bit of Omos home with you, as products are available to purchase at the little shop, An Siopa Beag.

The wonderfully holistic vibe at Omos reflects a restorative philosophy of kindness and sustainability, which is very restful and seen in thoughtfully hospitable details throughout the experience. Guests can help themselves to tea or coffee by the fire at any time, and snacks are available throughout the day. And your stay will end on a lovely note, with a personal thank-you letter and a reminder to stop in at Morrissey’s for a pint if they haven’t already been.”

See the full reviews here.