Italian restaurant Gloria Osteria has opened its doors in Dublin — here's what you need to know
Gloria Osteria has opened its doors on Westmoreland Street in Dublin.
Lovers of Italian cuisine have been waiting in anticipation for the opening of Gloria Osteria, a new elegant Italian restaurant offering in the heart of Dublin.
Nestled in a restored 19th-century bank on Westmoreland Street in the city centre, Gloria Osteria offers a menu of fresh homemade pasta, classic Italian secondo, grilled steaks and seasonal cocktails.
Ran by restaurant group Big Mamma, Gloria Osteria Dublin is the third restaurant of its kind to open, after Milan and Barcelona.
The restaurant group, which also includes pizzerias, food courts, and experiences based around authentic Italian cuisine with a twist, is the brainchild of Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux.
Born in France, out of the desire to transport people to Italy through its unique and atmospheric trattorias (Italian restaurants), Big Mamma talks of putting people at the heart of everything they do, from their producers to their team and guests.
Back in October, I visited Italy with Big Mamma for a glimpse into the group’s ethos and farm-to-table approach, which included visits to two of their producers, Caseificio Gennari in Parma and Tenuta Mazzolino winery in Oltrepò Pavese, and a beautiful meal at the impressive Gloria Osteria Milano.
Since then, I’ve been anticipating the launch party of the restaurant, which was celebrated this week, ahead of the restaurant’s grand opening on Thursday.
The sight of the queues on Westmoreland Street wrapping around to College Street on the night proved the restaurant to be one of the hottest openings in Dublin this side of Christmas.
But what can people expect when they visit?
The bold Milanese palazzo in the heart of Dublin offers an authentic Italian menu curated by Chef Davide Migallo, featuring beloved classics with a few playful twists.
The dishes are made with the finest produce sourced directly from Big Mamma’s 170 Italian artisans, such as Puglian burrata and 22-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano.
Some of the highlights on the menu include the veal Ossobuco cooked in Guinness served with creamy polenta and velvety Taleggio fondue, extra-long Spaghettoni al Tartufo with creamy truffle sauce and a twisted take on the classic Lasagna, all served up on Big Mamma’s signature quirky painted plates.
For dessert, the much-loved six-inch high lemon pie, Soufflè al Cioccolato with pistachio gelato, and tiramisu spooned out from a dish tableside will be a hit with those who have a sweet tooth.
When making a reservation online, if the website doesn’t show a specific time slot as available, it means the restaurant is fully booked. Walk-ins are accepted, but are subject to availability.
Bookings of up to 20 guests are accepted at Gloria Osteria Dublin for festive gatherings, and will include the prodotti-focused set menu featuring all the Gloria favourites.
Speaking to the head chef of Gloria Osteria Milano, Manuel Prota, and executive chef of the Big Mamma group, Filippo La Gattuta, shared their excitement to see Gloria Osteria open in Dublin.
Speaking about the restaurant group’s roots and journey from its beginnings in Paris to where it is now, Prota said: “Big Mamma was born 10 years ago. It was born thanks to the passion of these two guys who built this incredible company, Tigrane and Victor, our founders. They are two French guys who fell in love with Italy and have a huge passion for Italy.
“They travelled around Italy to find our first batch of suppliers, and they did it by themselves. It was an incredible experience for them, and they discovered the first idea of Big Mamma, so bring small producers instead of big chains of production, to bring into, at the time, Paris, because the first restaurant we opened is in Paris.
"So the idea is to bring the best product into our beautiful environment that Studio Kiki builds, and at an affordable price. That allows us to use the best products from all around Italy, and we are really proud of this, and this is since day one, and it continues after 10 years.”
La Gattuta said that the recipes don’t veer far from traditional Italian kitchens but have what he described as the “Big Mamma twist” that makes the dishes unique and special.
Prota said he is very excited to see Gloria Osteria Dublin open its doors in what he described as “an incredibly beautiful place in Westmoreland Street”.
“The location is amazing, the restaurant is amazing. It’s full of historical feeling,” he said.
Speaking about the menu on offer at the Dublin restaurant, he said that while the concept of Big Mamma has not changed, there are some new twists in every recipe.
Upon entry into the restaurant, the atmosphere is warm and elegant, and the interior is eclectic and colourful.
The interior pays homage to the height of 1970s Italian glamour dreamt up by Studio Kiki, the Big Mamma’s in-house design team, and features some subtle touches of Irish heritage, with meticulous attention to detail by interior designer Chloe Townsend.
The restaurant is decorated in decadent tones and features Gloria’s trademark Jacopo Foggini chandeliers, a sweeping 10-metre-long Rosso Levanto marble bar, specially sourced Italian antiques and art, fawn coloured seating, which Townsend says is a nod to the deer in the Phoenix Park, and still has elements of the 19th-century bank, including the original wood panelling and brickwork, shining through.
Speaking to the Townsend touched on the work that has gone into the year-long restaurant project which she said has been “a real team-collective”.
“It’s been really wonderful to see the team come over here, and get to explore Dublin and Ireland and that’s also instigated into our design.
“Especially during install, we get to work with all the different teams. But the design team in particular, we come for the whole year through different stages, and it’s been so nice that they get to see this city and take parts of it too for inspiration. It builds a brand with the area you’re designing a restaurant for. It’s been really nice for them and they’re very excited about seeing it come alive.”
Speaking about the vibe of the restaurant’s design, she said: “There is a story behind the Gloria restaurants. I worked on the Barcelona one as well, so I was quite familiar with that story, and the persona of the person who is supposed to be eating here – she’s a fashionista – so it was how to embody that, make it feel unique, make it feel of the area but also be true to that story, that person and that idea.
“There are definitely elements from Milan and Barcelona that we see come through, like the beautiful arches in here with the metalwork around it, that’s very Gloria-feeling and then with the artwork as well, there’s a storyline that goes through all the different Glorias as well through the artwork.
“This time around, we altered the colour-scheme a good bit and it’s a bit moodier for the country that it’s in with our weather. We also picked some beautiful fabrics that, when we saw them, we thought were perfect for Ireland. There’s the Bambi fabric that makes us think the Phoenix Park. What’s also wonderful is the carpet as well, which is in the original Gloria in Milan but the design of it is actually quite Celtic, so it actually works really well here.”
Speaking about the response to the opening of Gloria Osteria Dublin, Townsend said: “The response has been so nice and I’ve been getting loads of lovely messages. Each of these projects takes so long to create, so then to feel that people get to sit in it and enjoy it – it’s the reason you work on these kinds of projects.
“Especially with the time of year, I think everyone is in the mood to be going out so it’s been a really big response and what’s really lovely is that it feels quite different for Dublin and I think people want to see something new and I do feel like that’s what this space is.”
The best thing about Gloria Osteria is that you can choose how you want to experience the restaurant.
There is a choice of menu, lunch and dinner, so you can keep things a little more low-key, or decide to dress up, and go all out by trying some of the Italian-leaning cocktails, such as a Sicilian margarita or negroni.
The sideways lasagna is priced at €27, the slow-cooked pulled veal is €18, the lobster and caviar spaghettoni is €45, the veal ossobuco in Guinness is €34, Gloria's salmon wellington is €32 and the Kildare beef tagliata with shallot sauce is €28. House cocktails start from €14, while virgin cocktails start from €8.50.
Doors are now open, and bookings can be made online by visiting the Gloria Osteria Dublin website.
