AFTER exactly two months out of business, one of Dublin's best known restaurateurs delighted a loyal following when he finally reopened is doors last night. John, Howard's Ballsbridge premises Le Coq Hardi suffered from a fire on December 15th which left the building in need of total refurbishment. "I was quite sore about it," comments Mr Howard in what surely must qualify as a remarkable instance of understatement.
"We were completely booked out until Christmas and all that business was lost because of some faulty electrical wiring.
As if the loss of customers wasn't bad enough, Le Coq Hardi also had its famous wine cellar in the restaurant wiped out by the fire. "Fortunately we have two cellars, so the elsewhere was all right. I've been buying in London for the past couple of weeks hopefully it'll now be back as good as it ever was.
But even it the wines remain consistent, regulars will notice some changes in the building Mr Howard and his wife Catherine have occupied since 1977. "It, always had the feel of a gentleman's club, he explains, "but now we've decided to make the place brighter and more fresh. And we're making similar shifts in the style of cooking too there are one or two new concepts, like a single plate lunch with a glass of good wine although we'll still be doing our three course lunch as well."
With its reputation as a perfect spot for discreet trysts, Le Coq Hardi's gathering last night was predictably low key and reserved for long standing supporters. "Every one's been so loyal that's the fantastic thing about it," says Mr Howard.
But wisely, he's not taking anyone's loyalty for granted, insisting "this is like starting a new restaurant. We've a whole series of new headaches."