Owner "really delighted" as Athlone’s Thyme retains Michelin listing for eighth year

Thyme restaurant in Athlone has retained its prestigious Bib Gourmand listing in the 2026 Michelin Guide for the eighth consecutive year.

Thyme is one of three restaurants across the Midlands to retain the much sought-after listing in the wake of the hosting of the annual Michelin Awards Ceremony for Great Britain and Ireland in Dublin last week.

The other two Bib Gourmand establishments in the Midlands are both located in county Laois, Ballyfin Demesne and Bramley in Abbeyleix.

Thyme, based at Custume Place, was established almost two decades ago by owner and head chef, John Coffey, and has grown its reputation steadily since then for the consistency and quality of its food offering which makes extensive use of local produce sourced from producers right across the Midlands.

The Michelin Guide differentiates restaurants by quality and price, with Stars honouring exceptional, high-end cuisine and Bib Gourmand recognising distinct character with quality food at fair prices.

Reacting to the news that Thyme has once again retained its prestigious Michelin listing, John Coffey said he was “delighted” to get the good news after the conclusion of the Michelin Awards ceremony in Dublin's Convention Centre.

“I suppose there was a certain amount of relief,” he admitted, “but I'm really delighted for our team here in Thyme who are very committed and who work very hard to ensure our standards remain consistently high.”

Having established Thyme in 2007, John Coffey says he never envisaged that he would still be running the business 18 years later.

“Within a couple of years of us setting up here in Custume Place the economic recession hit and people just stopped going out and stopped spending money. We encountered some very challenging times in the early years, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, and we are still here,” he philosophically observes.

Running a business is “always challenging” according to the award-winnig chef, who says the hospitality sector is one branch of business that is affected more than most by a whole range of external factors.

“You just have to have faith that you will be able to weather the storms, and we are very lucky to have very loyal customers, suppliers and staff.”

When considering his business model, John Coffey says his vision for Thyme was always to have quality associated with the restaurant, and he says he encourages his team to “continually improve our standards and our food offering.”

He adds that his staff of 12 people are “very invested” in the ethos he strives to create in the restaurant.

Insofar as it is possible, John Coffey also strives to source all his produce from local suppliers and has developed a close working relationship with some of the top food producers across the Midlands.

This philosophy of attention to detail and locally-sourced produce has resulted in Thyme winning multiple awards over the years, including its first Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019, and retaining the prestigous Michelin listing every year since.

As well as being very popular with locals, Thyme has become somewhat of a 'destination restaurant' for many overseas visitors who include it on their tourist itinerary when travelling through the Midlands, according to John Coffey.

“We find that many of our overseas visitors would be very aware of Thyme and would make their booking before they even arrive in Ireland, and that is very encouraging for us,” he says.

Also very encouraging is the number of chefs who have trained in the kitchen of Thyme under the guidance of John Coffey and who have since gone on to achieve great success in the culinary world, including Bon Chocolatier founders, Georgia Quealy and Daniel Linehan, and Curt Evans, who has established a successful Irish restaurant in the Chinese city of Shanghai. John has also trained a number of chefs who reached the finals of the prestigious International Euro-Torque Young Chef of the Year competition.

Having worked as a restaurant owner and head chef for the past 18 years, John Coffey says one of the biggest changes he has noticed is the number of customers visting Thyme who are “very clued in” about food and also have a great awareness of where food comes from.

“More people than ever are watching cookery programmes on TV and on their phones and they are trying to create restaurant-quality food at home, so when they go actually out to a restaurant they are looking for a very special experience,” he says.

The Michelin Guide 2026 had the following to say about Thyme: "This long-standing restaurant is constantly evolving under the guidance of its proud and passionate chef-owner. Inside, the bright green decor adds a warm, stylish touch, while the atmosphere is regularly buzzing, thanks to the restaurant's understandable popularity.

"The cooking is based around quality local produce, shown off in well-judged dishes that bring together harmonious flavours and textures. The menus mix new, seasonal creations with perennial favourites like the glazed ham hock with crispy hen's egg. The delightful service adds to the appeal."