Campagne

Curved banquettes and local artwork set the tone at this fine dining restaurant tucked into a stone archway in Kilkenny, where the kitchen holds a Michelin star and earns it by doing less, not more. The chef's classical cooking runs toward richly flavored dishes, plated with the kind of quiet precision that makes you notice the saucing. His partner runs the front of house, and the room stays warm without trying too hard.

One honor, in evidence: