French Fine Dining Arrives In Dublin

Opening a fine French restaurant in a recession sounds like madness. In December 1981, Patrick Guilbaud did exactly that in Dublin^[2].

His first dining room was at St James's Place, just off Baggot Street^[1]. His goal was simple to say and hard to do: bring top-class French cooking to Irish diners^[3].

A Tough Crowd

Dublin was not ready for everything at once. The restaurant had to introduce dishes that most guests had never seen^[2]. Some vegetables and herbs were hard to find, so even sourcing was a battle^[2].

Then there were the arguments. Guests debated the size of the portions. There was no salt and pepper on the tables, which surprised many^[2].

Spudgate

The most famous row was about potatoes. Irish diners expected potatoes with every meal. The kitchen did not always serve them. The episode became known as spudgate^[2]. It sounds funny now, but it shows how new his cooking was to the city.

A Team For Life

Guilbaud did not build the restaurant alone. Guillaume Lebrun, a chef trained at Lenôtre who had cooked for events with Paul Bocuse and Pierre Troisgros, joined him in 1981^[4]. Stéphane Robin came to run the dining room^[2]. Decades later, the same names still lead the house^[3].

Slowly, Dublin came around. Guests learned to trust the menu. Suppliers learned what the kitchen needed. Bit by bit, the little French restaurant off Baggot Street became a place people talked about.

In 1981, Ireland had only around 350 restaurants^[1]. Guilbaud's opening was one small step in a long change in how the country eats out.

It all started with a stubborn Frenchman, a recession and a belief that Dublin deserved the best^[1][2].