Nine Irish restaurants have retained their Michelin stars in the latest guide.

As well as that, 12 Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants - including one new Dublin city listing - are featured in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2015.

Michelin Bib Gourmand awards recognise places that offer good food at prices of €40 or less for a three-course meal.

The nine restaurants that retain their status are Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Thornton's at the Fitzwilliam Hotel, Chapter One and L’Ecrivain, all in Dublin city, plus the Bon Appétit in Malahide.

Beyond the capital, Kilkenny hosts two Michelin Star restaurants - Campagne in Kilkenny City and the Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Hotel, Thomastown.

Others are the House Restaurant at Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore in Co Waterford and Aniar Restaurant at Lower Dominic Street in Galway city.

New Dublin restaurant on Bib Gourmand listings

New to the list of 12 Bib Gourmand recipients is Etto on Merrion Row in Dublin city.

Others have also retained their Bib Gourmand status from earlier years.

These are The Courthouse (Carrickmacross), Deasy's (Clonakilty), Sha-Roe Bistro (Clonegal), Chart House (Dingle), Downstairs Restaurant (Clontarf, Dublin), Pichet (Trinity Street, Dublin), Pig’s Ear (Nassau Street, Dublin), Aldridge Lodge (Duncannon), Fishy Fishy (Kinsale), Wild Honey Inn (Lisdoonvarna) and La Brasserie (Malahide) - part of the Bon Appétit establishment, itself a Michelin starred restaurant.

In Northern Ireland, there are three new Bib Gourmand awards, in the form of Deanes at Queens, Bar + Grill at James Street South in Belfast and Old Schoolhouse Inn in Lisbane, Newtownards.

However no new restaurants have received a star from the critics.

Adrian Cummins is CEO of the Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI). He says that the standards are high.