Gallagher's Boxty House in Temple Bar turns 30 this yearGallagher's Boxty House
Established in 1988 by chef Pádraic Óg Gallagher, Gallagher’s Boxty House is celebrating its 30th birthday this year.
The iconic Temple Bar restaurant, Gallagher’s Boxty House, is known for highlighting boxty, a classic Irish potato dish, in delicious and innovative ways.
When Pádraic Óg Gallagher first opened his restaurant, Temple Bar was the exact opposite of what it is now: It was seen as an undesirable part of Dublin with extremely cheap rent. Today, Temple Bar is a bustling city center hub that attracts locals and tourists alike, so his gamble in setting up Boxty House there 30 years ago has certainly paid off!
Read more: How to make traditional Irish potato cakes or "boxty"
Pádraic Óg decided to develop Gallagher’s Boxty House while he was working in Venezuela as a young man. Recalling fond memories of the boxty he had enjoyed back home in Ireland, he was determined to make history as the first chef to put traditional Irish boxty, a type of potato bread, at center stage in a restaurant and so Gallagher’s Boxty House was born.
Pádraic Óg is a chef and potato expert
The restaurant’s ethos ‘The Humble Spud Made Beautiful’ shines through in all of the menu items, each highlighting natural Irish ingredients from artisan producers in different ways.
Some of the most popular dishes include ‘Our Famous Gaelic Boxty’ which involves fillet of beef wrapped in a traditional Leitrim boxty pancake and ‘Boxty Fries’ which are a unique take on the traditional French fry consisting of deep-fried strips of boxty pancake with rocket and garlic mayo.
Now catering to 3,000 customers a week, Gallagher’s Boxty House has been a roaring success. Known as a Temple Bar institution, Pádraic Óg’s restaurant highlights traditional Irish cuisine, making it a must-visit for tourists from all over the world.
Read more: Champ! An Irish Mammy’s recipe for a traditional Irish potato dish