An Irish student in Chicago has told of her embarrassment after not recognising Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in the restaurant she was working in.

Emma Kelly, 20, from Dublin and a hostess for the summer in the city's Barcocina restaurant, asked the leader and his friend to wait at the bar for 20 minutes before seating them at a "tiny" table outside on Sunday night.

The penny did not drop over the chance encounter until a friend, who was also working in the restaurant, pointed out Mr Varadkar.

Ms Kelly said the thought running through her head was: "Oh my God. I can't believe I've done this."

She added: "I would have know him and I would have seen his posters everywhere.

"It's just when you are in Chicago working, you just don't expect someone like that to walk in."

Ms Kelly, who is in the US on a special student visa for the summer, said she felt "very embarrassed" by the slip up and apologised before moving the Taoiseach's party to another, bigger table.

"He was really nice about it. He wasn't too mad that we did not recognise him ... I don't think," she told RTE Radio.

"He was like, 'no, it's kind of nice to feel like a normal person again'."

Ms Kelly took to Twitter to announce the chance meeting, adding : "Honestly what is wrong with me."

The hostess posted a photograph of what she said was a "painfully awkward pic" taken with the Taoiseach once the leader had been pointed out to her.

Mr Varadkar responded on Twitter: "Thanks Emma. The food & service was gr8. Enjoy the rest of your J1".

"Hahaha officially my fave Taoiseach." Emma tweeted later.