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Ireland’s top rated restaurant doesn’t have a scrap of meat on its menu.

Vegetarian Cafe Paradiso in Cork has been voted the country’s eaterie at the 2015 Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.

And chef Denis Cotter reckons it has something to do with our changing palates.

The Macroom man told the Irish Mirror: “It’s not so much that more people are vegetarian but a huge number of people are comfortable and willing to eat vegetables as a meal, without meat.

“There certainly has been a huge change and that’s reflected in the standard of vegetarian food available in all restaurants across Ireland.”

The 56-year-old said the Lancaster Quay eaterie is also the first vegetarian-only dining place to top a country’s best restaurant list on Tripadvisor.

He added: “We asked Tripadvisor if it happened before, and they told us it hadn’t – we’re the first ones. So we’re very honoured.

“In the context of a restaurant that works with vegetables, being No1 is incredible – we’re aware of that.”

The humble chef has been recognised for his talent before. He was voted Chef of the Year in 2005 by Food & Wine (Ireland) magazine, and one of his cookbooks – Paradiso Seasons – won Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Barcelona the previous year.

And despite this latest accolade, he’s not letting success go to his head.

Asked how it felt to have beaten Michelin-star restaurant Chapter One to the top spot, Denis replied: “I don’t take any satisfaction in that.

“We genuinely just enjoy [this win] in every sense and the fact that it’s best on customer reviews is very rewarding.”

Dublin’s Chapter One came in second position on Tripadvisor’s list which was released to the public and posted on their website yesterday.

The top 10 included two other from the capital – Sabor Bazil came in third and The Pig’s Ear was ranked ninth.

An Port Mor Restaurant in Westport, Co Mayo, took fourth place while Galway and Sligo had one entry each with the Kai Cafe and Restaurant and Eala Bhan in fifth and sixth places respectively.

Ristorante Rinuccini in Co Kilkenny was seventh, Freddy’s Bistro in Limerick was eighth while Zuni in Kilkenny took 10th place, proving the county is slowly becoming a foodie’s mecca.