Ireland Premier Hospitality

Glovers Alley

Glovers Alley
Written by Roma Publications

Glovers Alley

The much-anticipated Glovers Alley, a brand new restaurant from acclaimed Chef Andy McFadden, has opened as part of a wider redevelopment of Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Hotel. Glovers Alley blends outstanding food and first-class service with a beautifully designed space.

Following a lengthy spell abroad, Dublin born Andy has returned home with a wealth of knowledge having worked alongside some of the most renowned chefs in the world including Shane Osborn, Sergio Herman and Neven Maguire. He retained a Michelin Star during his time as Head Chef at both L’Autre Pied and Pied a Terre. The style of food at Glovers Alley reflects Andy’s signature style of French-influenced elegance.

Glovers Alley

The design of the restaurant has been carried out by award-winning London based Project Orange, led by Christopher Ash. He said:

“We’ve actually been involved with the hotel for a number of years. When I was working at Conran and Partners I worked on the original design for the fit out of the hotel. Since setting up Project Orange, we have been called back a number of times. We did a soft refresh of the bedrooms about ten years ago and have tweaked various restaurants and bars. This was the first opportunity to do a proper reinvention of the restaurant since it came back under the control of the hotel.

“The ambition for the client is that the restaurant acquires a Michelin star. He wanted a very high quality, fine dining and premium restaurant for Dublin. He wanted it to be luxurious and glamorous but at the same time welcoming and hospitable.”

The result is a space that reimagines Pullman Class dining through a contemporary lens. This has been achieved through a palette of rich fumed oak and waxed brass, marble and fibrous plaster, mohair and leather. Located on the first floor of the hotel, the space came with a number of problems including a deep plan with only three windows, limited natural light and low ceilings.

At the front of the space is the principle restaurant with a serpentine island banquette and brass and mirror ceiling. This area is used at all times and can function on its own for quieter service times. A smaller dining space is separated from this by a bespoke brass and mirror screen rising from the rear of the side banquette. The kitchen is then flanked by two remaining restaurant areas – a semi-private dining niche with a ‘chef’s table’ for twelve and a more decadent corner where timber linings give way to pink mohair-upholstered walls.

The other tricky aspect of the design was creating an area for the hotel to provide breakfast without compromising the rest of the aesthetic. The solution is a long marble counter that operates as a buffet counter for breakfast but as a sommelier station throughout the rest of the day.

Lighting design was also integral to the interior concept. With help from lighting specialists Foundry, various architectural lighting installations serve a number of different purposes. The central feature fitting is a particular standout and includes brass and glass sconces and chandeliers. Christopher added:

“It’s great to be able to continue working with the hotel. We are also currently working on a major refit of all of the bedrooms and then we’ll be moving onto the public areas of the hotel. In a way, the restaurant is an emblem of what is to come with the rest of the work.”

Speaking prior to the opening, Andy commented:

“Using Irelands most dedicated farmers and food producers, we want to create unique and exciting dishes. Each dish is designed to use techniques that bring out the best of each ingredient. We will be following my core philosophy of making everything in-house.”

The wine list at Glovers Alley is designed to complement Andy’s food, with an emphasis on small artisanal, organic and biodynamic producers as well as mature fine wines from around the world. Guests can choose a bottle from the extensive cellar, or treat themselves to a glass of wine paired to each of the selected dishes from the ‘Classic, ‘Reserve’ or ‘Grand Cru’ selections.

Glovers Alley is open five days a week from Tuesday-Saturday for dinner and Thursday-Saturday for Lunch and Dinner. For more information, please visit gloversalley.ie.

Glovers Alley

Blu Marine

Blu Marine specialise in the delivery of high-class interiors, bespoke joinery and flexible turnkey packages. The company has been in operation since 2007, working around the world on a multitude of projects, including the Grosvenor Hotel in London and the prestigious Queen Mary 2 Cruise Liner.

Most recently, Blu Marine has been involved with Glovers Alley; supplying and installing all the bespoke joinery, upholstered seating and brass work throughout the restaurant.

John McCool, Operations Director for Blu Marine, said:

“We knew our high-end background and Client focus would be what was required to achieve the desired look and we couldn’t wait to be a part of the prestigious restaurant project. It was important to us to showcase our bespoke talents to customers from all around the world and be a part of something as beautiful as Glovers Alley.”

John added:

“At Blu Marine, we place great emphasis in our open and honest relationships with Clients. All our staff take great pride in their work and we knew Glovers Alley would take great pride in their restaurant. We wanted pride to shine through our workmanship.”

 

DJI Design & Construct

DJI Design & Construct is a design and fit-out company based in Dublin & London. The company has a full architectural in-house design team, as well as a highly experienced estimating team, and many of DJI’s project managers & site staff are full-time employees.

Having such a comprehensive suite of skills under one umbrella means DJI can build up an efficient service, which minimises time lost in developing projects, streamlines communication and ensures a cost effective delivery. The group has been in operation since 2009 and over the past nine years, it has built up an excellent reputation for reliability and quality.

DJI operates across a range of commercial sectors, including pharmaceuticals, hospitality, retail and residential. Past projects include Theravance Biopharma, Malcolm Hollis, Fitzwilliam Hotel, Wishbone, Marks & Spencer, Tommy Hilfiger and Pepe Jeans, as well as private, one-off schemes for Irish residential developers.

Most recently, DJI has been involved with Glovers Alley. Working on this project, DJI provided quantity surveying and project coordination services, alongside a full site delivery.

DJI Design & Construct Office Manager, Mayra Vega, said:

“Glover’s Alley is an ambitious project in the heart of Dublin City Centre. The aim of the project was to bring the best of the best together, to create a new food offer for visitors to Dublin city; aiming to provide the most well considered, memorable experience possible. We were delighted to be able to contribute to this project.”

Mayra, added:

“Hard-working, honest, well respected and creative team members make for a dynamic delivery team. We’re proud of what we’re doing, delighted to be working with each of our clients and excited to create memorable spaces for people to enjoy. We are ambitious for the future of DJI because we know we deliver exceptional experiences for our clients.”

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Roma Publications