Increasing energy prices, economic uncertainty and labour shortages have put enormous pressure on restaurants, and every day lately seems to bring another closure. Here's where's shut up shop in the last few weeks.
The Pigeon House, Clontarf
The Pigeon House Clontarf has closed, with one of their chefs posting a picture of "the last dessert served in The Pigeon House" on Sunday 13th November, followed by the final ticket in the kitchen saying "that's all folks, the pigeon has flown x". The restaurant had held a Michelin Bib Gourmand award until this year when it was dropped from the guide completely. Their sister restaurant Pigeon House Delgany remain open.
Cali Kitchen, Dún Laoghaire
Californian-inspired Dun Laoghaire café Cali Kitchen, owned by Catríona and Steve Roberts (an ex-Ballymaloe pupil) have announced they will close for good on Sunday November 27th. They opened their colourful, healthy-eating focused café three and a half years ago after returning home from California, but say they can no longer juggle everything on their plate, and the time has come to "pass on the mantle to another great business". No news yet on who will fill the space.
The Store & Yard, Greystones
The Store and Yard Café at Belmont Demense in Greystones, an offshoot of Sandycove Store and Yard, has closed, posting on November 9th that their second location is not "financially viable in this current climate". Their Sandycove Store and Yard remains open.
Winedown, Montague Street
The closure of Meltdown's sister wine bar Winedown was announced on November 4th after two-years of trading. Owner Maeve O'Malley blamed today's the current climate, along with difficulty in making it work alongside family life. Their last day of trading will be this Saturday, November 12th, if you want to pop in for one more glass.
Table Wine, Dublin 8
Table Wine & Loose Canon owners Kevin Powell and Brian O'Keefe announced on October 18th that their high profile Pleasants Street wine bar Table Wine would close in November, after just a year of trading. The pair previously ran Meet Me in the Morning café in the same location, but they swapped coffee beans for natural wine in November 2021. They blamed "everything being the way it is" as the reason for the decision to shut the wine bar, and their last service will be on Saturday November 19th if you want one last plate of pickled eggs.
Circa, Terenure
Circa, the former Michelin-recommended restaurant in Terenure, is the city's highest profile closure yet. They announced their time was up on October 4th, citing price increases and staff shortages as part of the reasons for the decision. Originally opened by four industry friends four years ago, they blazed brightly at the start, with Michelin awarding them a Bib Gourmand in their first year of opening, but taking it away the year after. One by one the founders left to do other things, and head chef Gareth Naughton stepped away from the restaurant mid-pandemic, leaving owner/manager Ross Duffy as the only original founder left. Circa has shut with immediate effect.
Vegan Sandwich Co, Smithfield and St. Stephen's Green
Both Vegan Sandwich Co. locations have closed, with owner Sam Pearson having to announce the news on his personal Instagram account on October 5th - the company's page was recently hacked and they still have no access to it. He blamed rising costs, energy prices and rent doubling in their St Stephen's Green site as the overarching factors that have shut his stores, and described himself as 'heartbroken' but 'proud'. He's also pledged to help his former employees find new jobs.
Hemmingways, Stillorgan
Hemmingways Stillorgan, the sister restaurant of Hemmingways Clontarf, closed on October 30th, according to a sign outside, as their social channels and website remain quiet. They opened just before the first lockdown and say they've found external challenges "impossible to overcome".
Liston's, Camden Street
Camden Street grocer Liston's which has been in business since 2000, ceased trading on September 16th, 2022. The news slowly trickled out on social media and was confirmed by Liston's, on their website giving special thanks to their staff, suppliers and customers over the last 22 years. No word yet on what's going to fill the space.
Monck's Green, Phibsborough
Monck's Green (formerly Woodstock) in Phibsborough closed on the 28th of September, after 30 years serving the local community. They seem to be doing it with a heavy heart, and their last few posts are filled with all the nostalgia.
Lifeboat Beef & Reef, Skerries
Blaming rising costs, seafood and meat restaurant Lifeboat Beef & Reef in Skerries has shut their doors, claiming they had no other option. Their final day serving was Sunday 2nd of October, and they haven't announced any plans to reopen elsewhere.
Lenehan's Bar + Grill, Rathmines
Lenehan's spiked speculation in early September, cancelling a live music event at short notice before word got around that diners with bookings were having them cancelled. A sign on the door confirmed the restaurant was no more, and they haven't been active on Instagram since. No official statement has been made but bookings are closed.
Dorian, Donnybrook
Dorian in Donnybrook took to social media to announce its closure on the 20th September. They narrowly missed out on a year in business, having opened in November 2021. It was a turbulent year with changes in management and a head chef replaced halfway through, and it seems that they never found their sweet spot.
Hush, Rathmines
Hush's Rathmines premises appeared on the commercial section of property website Daft at the beginning of October, saying it was "available immediately." Readers also told us there has been no action there for months. Owners Jules Mak, who owns Mak in Ranelagh, and his friend and business partner Peter Burke opened their doors in August 2020, during the height of the pandemic. They've made no formal announcement, but they haven't been active on Instagram since July 4th.
Spatched, Rathmines
Fried chicken restaurant Spatched seems to have struggled in the shadow of older sister Sprezzatura next door, and it seems their owners felt it was best put on ice for the time being to focus on the more in-demand brand. The team are hoping to bring back Spatched at a later date, in another space.
B Skewers, Bolton Street
B Skewers owner Bruno Amado took to Instagram on September 25th to announce the closure of B Skewers at their current Bolton street location, with Sunday October 2nd their last day of trading. But before you weep about all the Brazilian BBQ you never got to eat, the good news is they have opened B Skewers 2.0 in Temple Bar, and ATF Insiders got the first look.
Know of any other Dublin restaurant closures? Let us know by emailing info@allthefood.ie
