First Look: The Unicorn Restaurant reopens on Merrion Row

A hotly anticipated reopening in Dublin takes place this weekend when The Unicorn – the most storied restaurant in the city – relaunches under new ownership. The restaurant, along with its sister wine bar, In Vino Veritas is located on Merrion Court, just off Merrion Row in Dublin 2, just a short walk from St Stephens Green. After closing its doors in 2021 it returns with restaurateur and executive chef Kristan Burness at the helm.
The Unicorn has had quite the history. Recognised by many as the ultimate symbol of excess, borne from the Celtic Tiger era, it had lived quite the life before that heady time. Opened in a row of former stables in 1938 by Renato Sidoli and his wife Nina, it is widely acknowledged that The Unicorn introduced pasta to the Irish, so a love affair was born. In the 1980s, clientele included politicians, judges, spindoctors and media moguls but things really ramped up in the 1990s when chef Giorgio Casari and his wife Noreen took over the premises.
The conspicuous consumption at the time fuelled The Unicorn’s success, and for years it was the go-to for poets, politicians, rock stars and of course, the darling of the Celtic Tiger, the bankers and the builders. The food in its heyday lived up to its reputation with the Friday lunchtime antipasti buffet gaining celebrity status in its own right. The dapper doorman, Frank, who managed the door for nearly 30 years, was a celebrity in his own right and loved regaling patrons with stories of famous visitors over the years, proudly showing off the pictures he kept on his mobile phone. And then, the bubble burst.
A change of ownership more than 10 years ago saw The Unicorn become The Unicorn by Fiorentina for a short while, the original Fiorentina being Burness’s Italian restaurant on Parliament Street. Burness’s stay at The Unicorn might have been brief, but it obviously left an indelible mark on the chef and today, some 10 years later he is opening the doors of The Unicorn by Kristan Burness. “It has been a dream of mine, to finish what I started here a decade ago,” says Kristan. “My other businesses are established and running smoothly, so when I was approached about the property, I couldn’t resist. There are challenging times ahead, but if it was easy, it wouldn’t be fun.”
The new restaurant interior has changed little since its glory days with the original bar taking pride of place in the diningroom, and the vast gilt mirror making the space feel bright and spacious. Today, the old wooden floors are stained a glossy black and new pixelated Renaissance paintings adorn the walls. Quirky new light fittings add a slightly industrial edge to an otherwise classic room. Outside, the renowned terrace is set up for those willing to brave the winter chill, the once iconic awning replaced by vast umbrellas to fend off rain (or indeed nosy passersby).
Bruce Chen returns as head chef and Zelda Melia joins the team as operations manager after five years with neighbouring, The Greyson. The new menu remains true to The Unicorn’s Italian roots and there is a choice of three starters, three pasta and risotto dishes, three main courses and three desserts. As a price guide, starters range from €16 for burrata with heritage tomato and basil, to €23 for west Cork scallops. Main courses range from €27-€42, with Burness’s signature risotto con funghi e tartufo (risotto with mushrooms and black truffle) priced at €28. The most expensive dish on the menu is loin of milk-fed veal with spinach, salsa verde and mashed potato at €42. Desserts include Amalfi lemon tart with blackberry sorbet and Unicorn tiramisu with hazelnut, Disaronno and chocolate, both €10.50. The restaurant will open for dinner six days a week from today (closed Sunday), with lunch served Wednesday to Saturday.
There is also an extensive wine list and the wine bar, In Vino Veritas (formerly No 5 Piano Bar) will continue the late night tradition of serenading guests with live piano recitals after dinner. It will open until late from Wednesday to Sunday. Bookings are now live on Opentable.