McGettigan’s Cookhouse & Bar launches in Dublin
The McGettigan family, who’ve a wealth of experience in the dining and bar industry, has brought its Dubai concept to Dublin with the opening of McGettigan’s Cookhouse & Bar at The North Star Hotel in the city centre.
Print4 July 2013
The group currently operates four award-winning gastro-bars in Dubai and this, the fifth in the chain, marks the completion of the Dublin hotel’s refurbishment.
The restaurant and bar recently opened on Dublin’s Amiens Street close to the IFSC, with the creation of 16 new jobs contributing to a total of 80 staff at The North Star Hotel. Brian McGettigan, Chief Executive of The North Star Hotel, purchased the 140-bedroom hotel in 2004. In 2009 he undertook a major expansion project at the hotel adding three additional floors of Premier Club Bedrooms and Suites with the seventh floor offering stunning views of the Dublin skyline through floor-to-ceiling windows.
In the last year all 160 bedrooms have been completely refurbished while the finishing touches were added to McGettigan’s Cookhouse & Bar. Overall €13 million has been invested in the refurbishment including the creation of McGettigan’s Cookhouse & Bar which has brought the hotel from Three to Four Star standard.
Cookhouse & Bar
The new cookhouse is a relaxed eatery with an open kitchen serving the best of Irish cuisine where popular favourites are given a gourmet twist. The restaurant is committed to using the finest quality meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, sourced locally from North County Dublin and from producers within a 20km radius.
As an extension of the Cookhouse, McCoy’s beer garden also offers ‘al fresco’ casual dining in an atmospheric space.
Executive Chef
Executive Chef Craig Higgins, originally from Antrim, has worked with Brian to fine-tune and develop the new menu. Following training in Cathal Brugha Street College, Craig went on to work with The Fitzgerald and the Hugh O’Regan Group in The Harbourmaster, The Greenhouse, the Odeon Group and Dublin’s Morrison Hotel.
The menus launched represent Irish and international favourites served fresh from the open kitchen in an American cookhouse style. A focus on local produce is prevalent with 35-day dry-aged Lambay Island beef rib-eye and sirloin steaks and a Skillet of Dublin Landed Fish, a medley of fresh cod, smoked haddock, mussels, clams, salmon, red gurnard and smoked salmon as well as many other culinary delights.
“This is the icing on the cake to the full refurbishment of The North Star Hotel,” commented Brian, “With Executive Chef Craig Higgins and his team at the helm we’ve developed a gourmet menu in an American steakhouse layout working with local food producers in North Dublin.
“North County Dublin has some of the best farmers and producers in the country so we work closely with Ray Collier Butchers, Artisan Food, Kish Fish, Brendan Guinan and Iona Fruit Farm.
“We have invested a lot into The North Star Hotel over the last few years and we feel that these developments put us on the map as a Four Star hotel offering excellent facilities with a top level of service to its customers.”
Brian has been involved in the hotel industry throughout his life as his father’s family owned the Regency Hotel Group. Brian worked his way up through the ranks of kitchen porter/commis chef/function waiter/barman/nightclub manager/Duty Manager throughout his school and college years and took on more senior roles when he graduated with a Commerce degree from UCD before buying The North Star in 2004.
This is the fifth McGettigan’s to be added to the chain with four more in Dubai, one of which recently won Time Magazine’s Pub of the Year in Dubai.
As well as his commitments to The North Star Hotel, Brian continues to work alongside his family overseeing, developing and representing its interests in Dublin, the UK and Dubai. He’s also Managing Director of Bonnington Group UK.
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