Hawksmoor has confirmed the opening date for their first restaurant in Ireland.
Work on the historic National Bank building is weeks from completion, transforming 34 College Green into an impressive 152-seat restaurant, elegant back-to-back bar and private dining space, which will open on Thursday 25th May, with bookings opening in early May.
Subscribers to the Hawksmoor Dublin mailing list will be invited to book a table during their soft launch period from 17th through to 24th May, with 50% off the food bill as they work towards perfecting their offering.
So if you’re not already signed up, you can do so on www.hawksmoor.ie to receive updates and soft launch invitations from Hawksmoor Dublin.
Hawksmoor started in 2006, when two childhood friends, Will Beckett and Huw Gott, opened a restaurant serving steaks from traditionally-reared cattle and sustainably sourced seafood alongside a progressive cocktail programme in a then-unfashionable part of East London.
It has become a favourite across the UK and New York and has ranked Number 1 in the ‘World’s Best Steak Restaurants’ list (and currently sits second in the world and highest-ranked in Europe and North America).
Hawksmoor is also widely considered one of the most admired companies in the restaurant industry, with numerous awards to its name, a certification as one of the best employers in the UK, and as a B Corporation – a global kite mark of the highest level of integrity.
As with many of their other restaurants, which are often set in beautiful and significant listed buildings, in Dublin, Hawksmoor will sensitively celebrate the handsome fabric of the former National Bank, an ornately detailed Italianate building designed by William Barnes in the mid-1840s.
Many original features are being restored, like the banking hall’s grand 40-foot hemispherical cast-iron dome set on Corinthian columns and its elaborate plasterwork.
The use of reclaimed materials, a Hawksmoor signature, is being incorporated throughout, with reclaimed doors and repurposed antique lighting all featuring.
There will be beautiful parquet floors throughout.
“We are really excited to be opening soon,” says general manager Alex McGettigan, who was born in Bray, raised in Bristol and is now back again living among family in Bray. “After restoring this wonderful bank building to its former glory, we can’t wait to welcome our first guests through those beautifully grand doors so as many people as possible can enjoy the Hawksmoor experience in this iconic Dublin building.”
Co-founder Will Beckett and Head of Bars Liam Davy recently joined Alex in Dublin again, discussing their love of Dublin and excitement for the new restaurant, showcasing a selection of their famously creative cocktails and spending time with some of the most interesting and innovative Irish hospitality folks at the inaugural Me Auld Flower festival.
Hawksmoor has just published the company’s first annual impact report.
From the beginning, Will and Huw’s obsession with quality and ethics has led them to work with individuals and companies who share their beliefs, from local farmers and fishermen focusing on sustainability to local, national and international charities fighting food poverty.
In the past year, Hawksmoor became the world’s first carbon-neutral steak restaurant group in the UK and US; they’ve also set out a plan to get to net zero.
It also became the first UK restaurant group to gain B Corp certification, joining a global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy. The impact report sets ambitious targets and provides transparency about progress made.
Hawksmoor Dublin is the group’s 12th restaurant and has created over 90 jobs in Dublin.