The Green House

[unclepat]

Now that it's all over twitter, I think it's finally ok to talk about this new venture. I can safely say that I have never been more excited about a restaurant opening.
Take the experience of a savvy restauranteur like Eamonn O Reilly and marry it with the genius ( and I don't use the term lightly) of Mickael Viljanen and you've got the most exciting thing to happen the Dublin dining scene for yonks.
I've said it before but IMO Mickael's food is the best I have ever eaten in this country.
When I tasted his cooking in Gregan's Castle, I'd recently been lucky enough to have eaten in Arzak, El Cellar de Can Roca and Martin Berasategui's Lasarte and I honestly felt that Mickael's food was as good as any of them.
I reckon it will give the city centre the kick in the ass it needs and really put Dublin on the map as a serious culinary destination...no pressure then!

[Melendez]

Where will it be?
Is Mickael Viljanen leaving Gregan's Castle to do this full time, or is this a "remote" venture?

[unclepat]

AFAIK, it's a full time project and will be on Dawson Street

[markh]

Pat, is it where Bleu is now or somewhere different, do you know ?

[Melendez]

Ron Black's is still vacant on Dawson street, that would be my guess. Would make a lovely restaurant.

[unclepat]

Where Bleu is now will be venue

[Melendez]

I was never any good at guessing.

[markh]

Clue is in the ownership !!

[Melendez]

I know, but I reckoned they'd want a bigger venue if they were bringing the big Kahuna over from Clare. You'd wonder if there will be enough revenue in the venture to satisfy everyone involved. I've never actually been inside Bleu, maybe it's bigger than it looks.

[JayBee]

Sounds great. Do you know what the ETA is on the new venue?

[markh]

"mid to late March", according to a tweet from Mickael Viljanen.

[Diapason]

I'm very excited about this!

[unclepat]

So The Greenhouse opens today..I hope the critics give it a little settling in period before decending on it but I'm sure they'll be all over it straight away to be first to get the scoop.
The room looks great and is a more fitting environment for Mickael's food than Gregan's Castle was.
I wish them every success and can't wait to try it out.

[Diapason]

I was passing on Saturday so I popped in to have a look. I never really liked the space before, but it looks beautiful now. I'm booked in for a couple of visits over the next while, and I can't wait!

[Melendez]

I'm not going to get the opportunity to try it until he updates his website sample menu to remove duck hearts, veal tongue and eel. I don't care if they are on the menu when I get there, I'm sure they will be fine, just take them off the sample menu.

[dallen]

3 delicious ingredients....what's wrong with you

[unclepat]

Melendez, the menu on the website is the one that is actually running at the moment...I don't get where you're coming from. If those ingredients don't appeal then you won't enjoy this restaurant.

[Diapason]

It's actually quite a ballsy move to open with a menu that a) is structured as it as, and b) contains such a degree of non-standard ingredients. I applaud it hugely, it's a real statement of intent, but it may make for a slow start among the muggles. I showed the menu to a non-foodie colleague yesterday and his only reaction was "I don't know what this stuff is".

[Melendez]

Melendez, the menu on the website is the one that is actually running at the moment...I don't get where you're coming from. If those ingredients don't appeal then you won't enjoy this restaurant.

I'd have no problem with it myself, I'm dying to try it. I've never tasted duck hearts but would be curious to try them and value the experience even if I didn't like them. But I am never getting herself to agree to selecting the restaurant when that's showing on the menu. Curiously, it was the eel rather than the duck hearts that was the real deal breaker. I can't deny that I'd be ever so slightly anxious about the duck hearts myself.