Dakota is the name of the bar that may lay claim to being Dublin's most fashionable - for the moment. It opened several weeks ago on South William Street and appeals to architect Hugh Wallace because, while contemporary in design, it has an unfussy interior which is unlikely to date. Dakota also marks a return to the tradition of Irish pubs not declaring their presence on the street. It has no full-length plateglass windows onto the street and, except for the crowds attempting to gain entry on weekend evenings, could go unnoticed by passers-by.
Owner Paul Keaveney worked with Derek Heavey of RKD Architects to create the 3,500 square feet of former warehouse space. "Every bar you see tries to put a glass wall onto the street now," says Keaveney, who also owns the Odeon in what used to be Harcourt Street railway station. "The direction we went was dictated by the nature of the building but we've also gone for something a little more classic that'll last over time." The interior of Dakota has been left as simple as possible, with a wood floor and plain brick walls; the only substantial intervention is the bar itself and the pools of seating along the edges of the room.
Among restaurants, one of the most admired new premises is a fast-food outlet on Dublin's Suffolk Street. Opened a year ago, Nude Food specialises in fresh healthy produce and its design, according to the man responsible, Paul Daly, is intended to reflect that intention. As with Dakota, natural materials have been used throughout but with as little fuss as possible and the flooring, tables and seating are wooden. "Everything's democratic and simple - it's almost like going back to school again," is how Daly describes the interior which, thanks to the durability of the work and its want of dependence on transient fashions, is likely to last long after other restaurants have had to be redone.
"It's down to knowing your business," says Paul Daly. "You can talk up anything because the client is looking to you for advice, but in the end using the right materials properly is what matters."