Temple Bar’s iconic Queen of Tarts is closing but a new Il Valentino will be filling the void

Published 11:16 4 Jun 2024 BST

End of an era for Cow's Lane

There will always be those spots which make a big impact on you, places that you visited when you were young, impressionable and didn't really know the difference between a cappuccino and an americano. Queen of Tarts holds that place for me and will hold that place for a lot of other people. I remember 'going up to Dublin' for the day and getting the recommendation to head to it from a friend of friend, who I thought was unquestionably cool and knowledgable. Heading through the vividly red threshold, gazing at the rows upon rows of cakes, scones and pastries will always stick in my memory. I've been lucky that such a formative part of my food experience has been hanging around for so long, and this loss is softened by the fact that the owners are sticking around and just changing the place around.

The team announced that they will bid farewell to Queen of Tarts and launch an Il Valentino in its stead on Wednesday, June 5th.

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.

Have some other food/drink news for us? Give us a shout on [email protected]

READ ON: Small but perfectly formed: Dublin’s best new foodie street has emerged

Explore more on these topics:

il valentino

queen of tarts