Variety Jones becomes Mongoose, Mongoose becomes Variety Jones, it's the circle of life.
For the past few months there's been even more hype than usual around Dublin's Michelin-starred darling
Variety Jones, as owners Keelan and Aaron Higgs prepared to take over a neighbouring building on Thomas Street and reopen it as a larger restaurant. Anyone who's visited VJ's pint-sized dining room in the Liberties knows booking is highly competitive - every Dublin foodie wants to sample the famous Chef's Choice Sharing Menu and there's only so many spaces at the table.
As of yesterday, Variety Jones have officially moved into 79 Thomas Street, a corner building which previously housed Café Noto. With tall arched windows and decorative panels the building definitely makes a strong impression on the street; it's the kind of place you can absolutely picture bustling with diners and skilled staff weaving in and out between tables.
While Variety Jones will be able to stretch their limbs at the new venue, their original home next door at 78 Thomas Street will remain open under the new name Mongoose. Here, the Higgs brothers have elected to serve more casual but equally delicious fare in the form of a four-course family-style menu priced at €60 pp. Chef Kealan has described the food as "simple, stripped back and super seasonal".
Speaking about the new opener, Kealan observed: "it's very hard in my eyes to get a decent, tasty bit of grub for a reasonable price, it's sorely lacking in the city. It just requires you to be a bit more thrifty with your ingredients and a bit smarter with your cooking, but you can do it within reason".
Mongoose opened quietly for trial dinings last week (not quietly enough to stop the tables being snapped up, mind you) and the reception so far has been overwhelmingly positive.
https://twitter.com/GeorgeChinaglia/status/1673441220243210240?s=20
Pop-ups will continue to run at Mongoose while the kitchen team find their feet - you can book in for their next trial dining this Sunday (2nd July)
here.
Meanwhile, Variety Jones is fully opened to the public - book your spot via their
website.
Header image via Twitter/Variety Jones
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