Kevin Thornton is Chef Proprietor of Michelin starred Thornton’s Restaurant in Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green. After many years of international experience including the renowned Restaurant Paul Bocuse in Lyon,Kevin and his partner Muriel opened their first restaurant in 1990. Since opening his first restaurant in 1990, Thornton’s Restaurant has won food awards nationally and internationally.
Kevin’s passion, understanding and drive to bring excellence to the plate has made him Ireland’s highest achieving chef and he is the first Irish chef ever to have received 2 michelin stars.
Kevin’s contemporary cooking is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce and is inspired by his keen appreciation for nature.
Kevin opened his second restaurant – Menu by Kevin Thornton – at the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Belfast in March of 2009. Menu by Kevin Thornton offers a casual dining experience in stylish surroundings.
Kevin is also a very keen photographer and his book Food for Life – the Photography of Kevin Thornton is, according to Food and Wine Magazine “unparalleled in its beauty by any other food publication in Ireland”. The purpose of the book is to not only illustrate his passion for food, but also to raise public consciousness of life-threatening acute meningococcal disease. In 1996, Kevin and Muriel’s son – Conor – was cured of this, and all profits from the sale of this book go to aid research in the treatment that saved their son. Kevin has developed an expression of his work and an extension of his book into a performance also entitled – Food for Life – which ran at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2007.
Kevin has been a food writer for many publications including The Sunday Business Post and The Gloss magazine. His TV work includes No Experience Required (RTE) Guerilla Gourmet (RTE) and two series of the very popular HEAT (RTE). His radio experience includes co-presenting Foodtalk – a six part series on Newstalk 106. He is also a regular contributor to The Food Show on 4FM.
Kevin has also lectured at The Dublin College of Catering and was instrumental in the setting up of their degree course in Culinary Arts.
- 2 Michelin stars
1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel
128 St Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2
014787008