Food / December 7, 2021

Luna reopens in Dublin 2

Food / December 7, 2021

Luna reopens in Dublin 2

Shamim de Brún

Luna restaurant has opened at the same original location on Drury Street in Dublin 2.

Luna opened in June 2015 and was based on the concept of a New York Italian restaurant. It was unexpectedly shut down in 2019 one week after winning best customer service at the Restaurant Association of Ireland awards.

The new Luna will be manned by chef Ben Dineen, head chef at L’Gueuleton. Dineen also spent the guts of a decade working on luxury yachts.

The menu carries the same Italian American flare but with “cosmopolitan touches”, is broken down into small plates, starters, fish and meats, just as rural italians would dine on a sunday after mass. There is also a nine-course tasting menu for €79. Fresh pasta and focaccia are made daily in-house.

Their menu name checks Irish suppliers including McLoughlins, M&K and Jane Russell for meats, Wrights of Marino for fish, Keelings for vegetables, Little Cress Microgreens, La Rousse and Italicatessen for dry goods and dairy, and Lilliput for olives, oil and cheese.

Declan O’Regan’s company Telfer, which also operates Hogan’s Bar and L’Gueuleton restaurant, acquired the property some time ago. The restaurant was originally run by John Farrell. Farrell was considered a “wunderkind restaurateur” before the collapse of Luna, a restaurant he named for his daughter. After its collapse, he was restricted as a company director of Super Miss Sue Ltd for five years.