Shelbourne Social
One of Ireland’s most anticipated hospitality openings of 2018, Shelbourne Social by Dylan McGrath, welcomed its first customers at the end of November.
Shelbourne Social is a contemporary restaurant and bar featuring cutting-edge design elements and promises to deliver a dynamic boost to South Dublin’s social scene. An investment in excess of €3 million has gone into creating the contemporary 85-seat venue, which incorporates a modern restaurant offering, with a relaxed and informal style of dining, while the bar at Shelbourne Social is a laid-back space, with a bold and daring cocktail selection filled with innovative and creative flavour pairings.
Shelbourne Social is the sixth restaurant concept and third bar concept from the large restaurant group operated by Dylan McGrath and his business partner Vincent Melinn. The group’s other core team members are Gerard Melinn and Billy Creaney. The restaurant group employs more than 250 staff across a number of other prime Dublin city venues that also include Fade Street Social, Rustic Stone, Bonsai Bar, Taste and Brasserie Sixty6.
Dylan McGrath said:
“Myself, my partner Vincent and our team are thoroughly enjoying working on this new venture. There are so many details being agreed and mulled over by so many skilled people in different fields, all pulling together with the aim of executing something cool, with a style of its own, without being too precious and still delicious. Our aim is to add to an already thriving area. We hope Shelbourne Social will be well received. We’ve worked hard on this.”
The new venue — designed by award-winning Harcourt Architects — has an impressive footprint of 6,500 square feet, and incorporates a diverse and inviting sequence of social spaces, including large-scale, light-filled gathering areas along with intimate dining and cocktail niches. Justin Kinsella, Harcourt Architects Director, said:
“Consistent with the dynamic offering of Dylan and his team, we have sought to provide a diverse and inviting sequence of social spaces including large scale, light filled gathering areas along with intimate dining and cocktail niches.
“As with the exceptional food and drink to be provided in Shelbourne Social, the material palette utilizes the best available materials sourced from around the world, including Regia and Arabasacato marbles from Italy, soft and naturally pigmented leathers from Spanish tanneries and naturally stained American oaks.
“Finally honouring the site’s unique history, as that of the renowned glasshouse manufacturer Richard Turner’s Hammersmith Ironworks (creater of the Irish Botanical Gardens and London’s Kew Gardens) a triptych of large scale stained glass artworks have been commissioned by the client to feature in double height space. We are very excited about these pieces in particular and when in place will act as beacon within the local area.”
All the joinery and metalworks have been carried out by the best of Irish craftsmen. The interior design is by London outfit 20.20 Limited — award-winning hospitality designers who have designed the hospitality suites at Arsenal Football club, London Stadium, The Royal Ascot, Etihad Stadium and Anfield — and it centres on delivering sophistication, luxury and a playful, urban vibe to the heart of Ballsbridge.
Work to transform the space on site was carried out by BHA Construction. Contracts Manger Richie Howlin told Premier Hospitality:
“Like all fast track projects, the biggest challenge is co-ordination between all the sub-contractors and keeping the quality of finishes to a high standard, which we have achieved at the Shelbourne Social
“We have worked with the client before on a couple of project before this one so we were well aware of their expectations. Shelbourne Social is a restaurant and bar fit out that we started at the end of August, with a programme of 14 weeks. It’s a high-end, modern fit out comprising of a bar, restaurant and a café.
“You come in the door off Shelbourne Road and you’re into the main restaurant, which is downstairs. Upstairs there is an extension of the main restaurant and a cocktail bar. The cocktail bar is on a mezzanine level so you can look down onto the restaurant below. This is obviously one of the key features. It will be an attractive statement with the lighting and timber panels on the wall. There are plenty of features that will stand out.”
To honour the unique history of the Shelbourne One site as renowned glasshouse manufacturer Richard Turner’s Hammersmith Ironworks, considerable care was taken by the project architects to use the best of Irish craftsmen to undertake the joinery and metal works.
Central to the creation of Shelbourne Social has been the Dylan McGrath development kitchen team – namely well-known chefs Rory Carville, Gavin McDonagh, Bernard McGuane and Mohamed Ouchbakou. They worked with Dylan for a number of months to create the Shelbourne Social menus.
Located on the most prominent corner of the impressive new Ballsbridge One scheme, and in proximity to the Aviva Stadium and Dublin’s tech hub at Grand Canal Dock, Shelbourne Social is set to become a central and vibrant feature of the social life of Shelbourne Road and south Dublin. The restaurant is open Tuesday to Thursday, 5.00pm-10.00pm; Friday and Saturday, 5.00pm-11.00pm.
To find out more, please visit www.shelbournesocial.com.
Ashgrove Mechanical Services Ltd
Ashgrove Mechanical Services was founded in 2009 and since its formation, has built up a reputation for delivering quality installation on time and on budget. As a result, they have built up a prestigious client base, working in the health, education, medical devices, pharma, food services, commercial, and hotel and leisure sectors.
They specialise in plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilation and electrical services as well as having a design team in the office for mechanical and electrical projects. They have completed projects for Stay City Hotel, Stewart’s Hospital School and Cosmo Chinese Restaurant over the years. They have also completed works in the Rustic Stone, Fade Street Social and Brassiere 66 for Vincent and Dillon.
Most recently they completed work at Shelbourne Social Ballsbridge where they completed the design and build of the mechanical and electrical aspects in a five week period.
Commenting on their work, Declan Gilsenan from Ashgrove Mechanical Services said: “We pride ourselves on the standard of work, completing projects on time and always being available if something needs to be sorted. Fit out is one of our specialities and we currently look after all of the restaurants owned by the owner of Shelbourne Social. To see this finished product is very pleasing, especially in the short time frame.
“Ashgrove Mechanical services would like to wish Gerard, Dillon and Vincent the very best of luck with their new restaurant. It has and always is a pleasure working with you.”
