Such is the eclectic mix of restaurant styles in Temple Bar that Belgo's grand arrival - with its Belgian food, 101 beers and waitstaff dressed as Trappist monks - isn't the curiosity it might have been five years ago, or might indeed still be if it were to open in another part of Dublin. Its 180 covers will bring the number of restaurant seats in the area to a very well-fed 6,000. That's a lot of diners in a very contained area that roughly measures a square mile, so in terms of sheer numbers Temple Bar could be said to be the dining capital of Ireland. While the focus of attention and criticism has been on the number of pubs, or superpubs, that have sprung up in the area, less attention has been paid to the success of the restaurant sector.
Temple Bar Properties did a survey last year and found that 32 per cent of visitors to the area came to eat while 31 per cent came to drink.
The quarter's success is firmly based on an unplanned market-led mix that has led to an enormous variety of food styles and prices. Part of the reason for the sheer number of restaurants in the area is that they do not suffer from the same location problems that have plagued the development of the retail sector. While shoppers have been shown to be extremely reluctant to stray off the beaten track of Temple Bar and Crown Alley, diners have no such inhibitions.
Belgo is opening on Sycamore Street, a side street whose name will be unfamiliar to the vast majority of prospective diners. The turning point for the restaurant scene in the area came a little over three years ago with the opening of mid- to upper-priced eateries like The Mermaid and Eden which instantly won a great deal of critical acclaim and foodie kudos and bridged the price gap between the fine dining experience of the Tea Rooms in the Clarence Hotel and the casual American style of Elephant & Castle in terms of quality dining. Five years ago Temple Bar properties were keen to up the area's profile as a dining destination so they inaugurated the Taste of Temple Bar awards. They've dropped it this year because they feel that the job is done. There - is now an awareness among the public and among tourists that Temple Bar is the place for mid-price dining - and mid-price is taken to be between £15 and £20 per person. Aside from attractive pricing the range of cuisines on offer has proven to be a strong draw - from sushi to pizza, classic French cuisine to modern Cal-Ital. Just as the variety of food styles differs so does the quality but, given the sheer number of restaurants, that really isn't surprising. From the start, Temple Bar Properties had a policy against fast food outlets and in the main that seems to have worked, although the Irish chain Abrakebabra takes up a prominent position in the landmark building at Merchant's Arch.
Branches of other well-known chains have opened, including Milanos, the stylish UK pizza chain, and there is a recently opened O'Brien's Sandwich Bar. However, chains are very much in the minority and the vast majority of the 70-plus restaurants in the area appeal because of their individuality.
Prime examples of the success of restaurants with their own personality include Dish, on Crow Street, and the quirky and charming Queen of Tarts on Cork Hill which, although newly opened, already has a steady lunchtime following.
The owners of Belgo will be hoping that they are as booked up as Temple Bar's other big-name restaurants. Elephant & Castle, which opened long before the area became fashionable or profitable, is still a place where you expect to queue and Brunos is so popular that most nights they have a high-priced restaurant's dream - two fully booked sittings.
