It’s finally here… Hyde – Dublin’s coolest new hotspot opened this week, providing a full 360 offering, including a stylish daytime café bar; a sleek bar where guests can enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail or light snack with drinks; an Asian-style restaurant headed up by award-winning chef Karl Whelan; an indoor-outdoor terrace for those looking to meet up with friends over drinks and a yakitori sharing plate or to host an event for up to 100 guests; and a stylish rooftop bar (due to open in spring 2023) serving up a yakitori and canapé menu and providing an events space that will cater for up to 200 guests.
Jamie Belton, Director of Operations at Hyde, says, “The desire for a traditional higher-end dining experience has well and truly dwindled, and we are now seeing far more new lifestyle destinations opening rather than fine-dining establishments. These days, guests are looking for simple and elegant, premium cuisine infused with a luxurious and lifestyle-inspired touch. Michael Stafford and I saw a place in Dublin for this and we knew if we put our resources behind us and created a business centred on people, both employees and guests, then we would bring an Irish destination venue that you could otherwise only enjoy abroad. We wanted to create a 360 space that allows our guests an experience that invites them to spend their whole night, whatever the occasion, with great service and accessible prices. We spent a long time getting our team together and believe we have some of the most forward-thinking and talented people in the industry.”
One of the highlights of the Irish-owned venue is Gekko, a contemporary restaurant on the second floor serving up Asian-inspired dishes created by award-winning chef Karl Whelan using premium Irish produce. On the first floor is Suki, a sleek bar serving up cocktails and light snacks. On the ground floor is a welcoming French-style daytime Café Bar, while on the top floor guests will discover the tropical garden paradise that is Tanuki Terrace, an indoor-outdoor space that will serve sharing plates and cocktails until late.
Karl Whelan, Executive Chef at Hyde, says, “Developing the menus for Hyde has been really exciting. We are so lucky in Ireland to have access to such amazing produce, which is the inspiration for everything we do in the kitchen. We use simple techniques, sauces and seasonings to frame the natural flavour of these ingredients. The team and I are really looking forward to welcoming guests to Hyde where they can enjoy the fruits of this process.”
The inspiration for the ground floor was a French-style café.
While the space is bright and airy, the materials used lend themselves to a more luxurious feel, including the large brass canopy over the bar and blush pink and burgundy banquet seat. The focal point of the café is a horseshoe-shaped bar with reeded timber detail in mint green.
The second floor is the largest floor in the building and is home to Suki Bar and Gekko Restaurant. Suki is dark and sultry with detailed timber panelling and beautiful pink, burgundy and navy banquettes. The feature bar has a graduating marble-effect tile that goes from white to mid-grey and is complemented by a burgundy and brass canopy above. Gekko has a similar feel to Suki but has a lighter colour palette and is more open and airier. Banquettes and booths in rich velvets run around the perimeter of the room, complemented by rich timbers and marble tables. The bar is central to the space, clad in pale timber and offset with brass complements.
The third and final floor is home to the Tanuki Terrace, which was designed to feel like a tropical garden. This indoor-outdoor space has a very different feel to the rest of the venue, with a graduated herringbone floor running from white to black, offset with green and pink tones.
One of the outdoor terraces has a wall of booths and banquettes with plants and greenery. Planting is a huge part of the concept for this space which brings the area to life.
Hyde is open seven days per week with Gekko open daily for both lunch while the Café Bar is open 8.30am-4pm Monday to Friday.
Photos Kieran Harnett
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