Botanic House

Botanical: 1. Helen O’Dwyer and Conor Doyle; 2. Lynne Ferrari  and Andrea Donegan; 3. Claire Malone and Maria Fusco. (Pix. BMcE)

The naissance of the latest new Gastro pub in North Dublin was celebrated recently with the new look Botanic House in Glasnevin.  This place has always been a familiar and friendly façade on the busy Botanic Road and now offers a superb Gastro menu served 7 days a week overseen by chef Callum Watson, who has worked for Marco Pierre White as Head Chef in many of his restaurants.

Offering a restaurant quality menu to suit all tastes at a reasonable price with excellent service standards, the aim of the new management team at Botanic House is to become a leading venue for food. With years of experience in the bar and restaurant trade managing some of London’s most exciting venues, this team are bringing their experience to revitalise one of  Dublin’s oldest establishments.

A host of familiar faces from Dublin’s social scene attended the Botanic Bar with live entertainment and great food. Guests on the night included Niall Quinn and wife Gillian, Boyband Level 5 (just released their new single with Mary Byrne for Christmas) and Claire Malone.

 

This is Beer

Beer here: 1. Matty O’Gorman and Lucy Deane; 2. Blathnaid McKenna; 3. Sarah Williams and Neil Fletcher. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

Despite the fact that over 40,000 beers from around the world are produced using just four natural ingredients – hops, barley, water and yeast - 25% of Irish consumers still believe the beer brewing process involves chemicals, according to a survey conducted by ThisIsBeer.ie.

With just 10% of those surveyed believing that beer is produced naturally, ThisIsBeer.ie hosted a series of events in November, designed to celebrate beer’s four natural ingredients and challenge misconceptions around one of the nation’s favourite beverages!

Dublin natives were in for a treat for the senses as ThisIsBeer.ie hosted multi-sensory beer tasting experiences at 4 Dame Lane.  Beer aficionados and novices alike were invited to the multi-sensory beer tasting experiences where ThisIsBeer.ie’s internationally renowned experts Marc Stroobandt and Fiona Smith brought to life beer’s completely natural brewing process and excited the senses, flavour-matching a range of beers with different foods.

www.thisisbeer.ie 

Upper Baggot Street

Village people: 1. Charlie Chawke and Nicola Williams; 2. Grainne Murphy and Cyril McAree; 3. Johnny and Maeve Plower. (Pix. Kieran Harnett)

The Upper Baggot Street area of Dublin is synonymous with writers and artists and now too as a dynamic and thriving hub of retail businesses and professional services supported by financial institutions.  Traders in the area hosted a celebratory dinner at the beautiful Dylan Hotel to launch their newly formed Association.

Proving a long established fact that opening a new business during a recession is not only possible but successful, the last year has seen more than a dozen new businesses open in this historic area, and enjoying successful trading, bucking a national trend. Along with existing businesses reporting an upsurge in trade, a small group of traders and business decided to form an Association calling it The Village at Upper Baggot Street to help strengthen and unify activities and services to benefit all traders which in turn benefits the locale and its customers.

Special guest at the inaugural dinner is Charlie Chawke who has reopened Searson's which lay vacant for over a year.  Charlie had previously bid on the establishment some 20 years ago so this is a personal and business win for him.

Association chairperson Nicola Williams of Bergins auctioneers is supported in her efforts by a panel of representatives from the area, including Karen Kirby, of AIB, Oonagh O'Hagan of Meaghers Chemists, Catherine Doyle of Donnybrook Fair, Róisín Ní Mhórdha of Impression PR, and Maeve Brocklesby of Weirs.

Friday Feeling

Doing Friday: 1. Ciara Donnelly and Declan O'Toole; 2. 98 FM's Dermot and Dave; 3. Cici Cavanagh and Amanda Man. (pix. Kieran Harnett)

Apparently Dublin Does Fridays like nowhere else in the world and it was certainly a hive of activity last Friday as new campaign to celebrate the sociability of Dublin pubs - kicked off in The Bank on College Green. Guests, including 98FM's Dermot and Dave, Tom Dunne and Jennifer Maguire gathered to put the working week behind them with awell-deserved after-work drink with friends and colleagues.

Dublin Does Fridays runs until 30th March in pubs across the city and suburbs with an invitation to give our world-class pub scene a boost by filling it with people who are the heart and soul of Dublin. Also tune in each week to Snug TV on YouTube, a special online show fronted by Jennifer Maguire, which will be recorded in selected Dublin pubs round the city over the next nine weeks.

Get involved by visiting www.dublindoesfridays.ie