Development of the Irish hotel and restaurant industry
Since the beginning of time, food has brought people together in unity, whether for a
celebratory feast, a family gathering, or a gastronomic social event. Food has a way of
bringing joy and pleasure to our lives, but it wasn’t until the 18th century that the
emergence of a food industry began, where people would gather under the same roof to
dine in a restaurant. In the beginning, it was a luxury for the wealthy, but as time went on
the restaurant industry throughout the world developed, and invited people from all walks
of life to enjoy cuisines from all around the world.
The first restaurant to ever grace our world was opened in Paris by Monsieur Boulanger in
1765. Monsieur Boulanger served a singledish – sheep’s feet simmered in a white sauce.
The restaurant was unique from other food businesses such as Cafes or Inns, as it solely
focused on food. Taverns served alcohol and cafes served tea and coffee but at Monsieur
Boulanger’s restaurant people enjoyed the novelty of eating out for the first time. The
success of this restaurant led to the significant increase of more new restaurants across
France.
The United States followed behind France, with the actual term “restaurant” not entering
into the common phrasing until the 19th century. The first restaurant in the United States
was Delmonico’s, which was opened in 1824 by Swiss brothers Giovanni and Pietro
Delmonico. Taking French inspiration, the restaurant was the first luxury restaurant in New
York, and for almost 100 years defined “haute cuisine” in America. Dishes invented at
Delmonico’s include Baked Alaska, Delmonico Potatoes, Delmonico Steak, Eggs Benedict and
Lobster Newburg. Delmonico’s introduced to America the relatively-new French concept of
a menu, where you could order different foods, for different prices and come in at any time
of the day that suited you!
During the First half of the 20th century the restaurant business in Dublin began to bloom,
especially close to Temple Bar and Trinity College. Many of Dublin’s most popular
restaurants were part of hotels and the most popular of all was The Russell Hotel
Restaurant. Headed by French chef Pierre Rolland, the restaurant was an educational
foundation for many up and coming Irish chefs. The Michelin Guide to Great Britain and
Ireland was first published in 1974, and awarded one star to the Russell Hotel.
Subsequently, the hotel and restaurant also closed in 1974. During the 1970s and 1980s,
Haute cuisine moved from the restaurants of Dublin to the country house hotels throughout
Ireland. Restaurants near temple bar and close to Stephen’s green were becoming more
popular as Dublin city centre was booming.
Although Ireland was gradually making its gastronomic mark within the world of fine dining,
the later part of the 20th century also brought an emergence of fast food and American
‘diner’ themed restaurants. The most famous of these restaurants being Captain America’s
which first opened its doors on Grafton Street in 1971 and remains open to this day.
Over the past few years Dublin has also seen a major influx of restaurants which are inspired
by cuisines from all corners of the world – Asian, Indian, Chinese, Thai, and Japanese
restaurants are all extremely popular choices for people when it comes to dining out.
Ireland’s restaurant industry has seen its fair share of tough times, some have failed, others
have triumphed and some of the industries people have used their failure to lead them to
future success. Throughout it all, the one thing we can be sure of is that food will always be
enjoyed and loved. Over the years, the Irish have grown an affinity with dining out,
especially near Temple Bar and Stephens Green areas, and with Dublin having a world class
array of choice when it comes to restaurants