The landmark D’Olier Chambers building in Dublin city centre has secured a new lease of life just in time for the Christmas season. Church & Chambers, a sister restaurant to the Michelin Guide-recommended Mr Fox on Parnell Square, is to open for business following the agreement of a 20-year letting for the property. The annual reserved rent is €120,000 with reviews at five-year intervals.
The team behind the project is James Moore, former head chef of the two-Michelin-starred New York restaurant Atera, and Jane Frye, with the pair relocating from the United States to embark on the new venture with the chef and owner of Mr Fox, Dubliner Anthony Smith.
The new restaurant’s name, Church & Chambers, is a nod to the building’s historic presence in Dublin as well as the team’s roots in the Tribeca neighbourhood of New York City. The renovation of D’Olier Chambers, a 19th-century listed structure, is being handled by design specialists Pure Fitout. While the restaurant will have a minimalist design, the historic character of the building will be recognised through the preservation of original period details.
Located opposite Trinity College Dublin at the junction of D’Olier and Pearse streets, Church & Chamber’s will comprise the ground floor and basement area of D’Olier Chambers. The restaurant will extend to 3,100sq ft and will be laid out to a provide seating area at ground level with kitchens and patron facilities in the basement. The diningroom will feature a chef’s counter, giving diners a front-row seat to observe the kitchen.
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Commenting on Church & Chambers’ decision to open at D’Olier Chambers, Nigel Kingston who handled the letting for the landlord on behalf of Colliers, said: “This letting shows the strong level of demand for food and beverage space in the city. It also displays a fresh level of confidence from the new breed of operators who are prepared to consider locations that would be outside the normal and established food and beverage quarters. The development of College Square by the Marlet Property Group on the adjoining Hawkins Street site will further underpin and copper-fasten this as an both an office and go-to food and beverage location.”
