The openers are coming in hawt
This week is practically brimming with hospitality news, some good, some bad, some mixed. With the Leaving Cert weather well and truly hitting our thermometers, while we feel sorry for the little LC-ers, we are content in the knowledge that those exams are behind us and we are free to revel in the sun in peace. Summer has most definitely landed in the city and with it the flurry of openers and rejigs that we’ve come to expect from this time of year.
OPENERS
Sunbird, Leopardstown
Set near the Green Line Luas stop, the new ‘Central Park‘ area gives a firm nod to the Big Apple. If you are expecting New York-style lunch options from Sunbird, you’ll have to swing your Lox. Promising Middle Eastern flavours, there are some interesting items like a Lebanese breakfast tray, labneh, avocado hummus and loads more. There’s the option to “build your base” lunch option whereby you choose your base, protein, toppings and sauce. Catering to the busy lunchtime market (with the likes of Bank of America, Sage, Salesforce Vodafone having offices there) the menu takes in breakfast and lunch.
Townhouse on the Green, St Stephen’s Green
A new place on the Green has cropped up for us to dribble over. The Townhouse on the Green is a luxe new boutique hotel has juuuust opened up above Cellar 22. Set in a Georgian townhouse (number 22 St. Stephen’s Green) the same as it would have been during its construction, it remains a prestigious address. Set over the third and fourth floors of this 18th-century house, there are just nine bedrooms of varying sizes and styles. Directly inspired by the Park across the way, the designer Albert Noonan of Noonan Moran Architecture & Interior Design, used shades of green, lush textures botanical wallpapers in the interior. The nine rooms are all named after statues in Park, with some called The Fusiliers, The Joyce, The Yeats and The Ardilaun.
REBRANDS
Queen of Tarts > Il Valentino, Cow’s Lane
It’s the end of an era for Cow’s Lane as Queen of Tarts has announced it is closing down and from June 5th the space has turned into Il Valentino. Describing it as an “exciting chapter” on Instagram, the team have said that the transition has been in the works for some time, “though keeping it under wraps was no small feat. But fear not, the change is brimming with promise and excitement,” the statement reads, “with the Il Valentino brand comes new creations which we hope you’ll love just as much as we do. A menu that compliments what we did before, just better! Bringing the already well-established Il Valentino brand to Temple Bar, allows us to run a more sustainable business while providing our loyal customers with the best products. Everything is crafted from scratch in our bakery, using the finest ingredients and artisan methods.” For many folks worried about never sampling the QOTs scones or Victoria sponge again, there is some shred of hope as the team is promising the same “cosy café” cafe feel with coffee and artisan bakery products. This will be the Il Valentino brand’s third spot, with one in Grand Canal Dock and Mespil Road, and you can find the new Il Valentino on Cow’s Lane, Temple Bar, for more info click here.
MOVIN ON UP
Proper Order, Smithfield
The prayers have been answered for the Proper Order fans who have grabbed their coffee secured their No Messin’ pastries and yearned to sit down with them. From June 10th, Proper Order will be moving on up to a bigger, brighter and snazzier venue. Luckily for Smithfielders they are just moving up the way, better news again there will be ample space for seating and maybe doing a touch of remote work or even doing that meeting. The space looks absolutely top-notch, all freshly poured concrete, treated mid-cench wood and PO’s distinctive white and green branding.
CLOSURE
The Kestrel Inn, Walkinstown
Customers of The Kestrel Inn in Walkinstown, Dublin 12 celebrated ‘last orders’ last week as it closed its doors for the last time on May 31. The building is set to be redeveloped into 42 apartments, a new pub and three retail units. The plans for the new development where the Kestrel was located have been in the works since 2021.
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