Thornton's was a restaurant that was housed, in the period 2002–2016, in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, St. Stephen's Green, County Dublin, Ireland. It was previously located on Portobello Road since 1989. It became a fine dining restaurant, that held a one-star Michelin rating in the periods 1996-2000 and 2006–2015. In the period 2001-2005 it held a two-star rating.[1][2][3][4] The restaurant closed on 29 October 2016.[5] The space is now occupied by Glovers Alley.[6]
| Thornton's | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1989 |
| Closed | 29 October 2016 |
| Owner(s) | Kevin & Muriel Thornton |
| Head chef | Kevin Thornton |
| Food type | International, French, Irish, Modern Irish |
| Rating |  Michelin Guide |
| Street address | 128 St. Stephen’s Green |
| City | Dublin |
| Country | Ireland |
| Seating capacity | 60 |
| Website | http://www.thorntonsrestaurant.com |
Head chef Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. Patrick Guilbaud received his second star first but was born in France.[7]
Origin
editThornton's Restaurant was opened in the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green in 2002.[8][9]
Controversy
editThornton's Restaurant was embroiled in a controversy in 2007 surrounding Thornton's alleged refusal to sell chips to his restaurant customers, sparking comparisons to British chef Gordon Ramsay. A customer requested the food but, upon receiving it, he changed his mind and sent them back to the kitchen.[10] Thornton then allegedly emerged from the kitchen with the chips and slammed them down on the man's table, with the remark: “They were cooked specially for you, so you eat them, you dickhead”. He later is alleged to have called them "wankers" before removing them from his restaurant.[10]
Asked about the incident by broadcaster Joe Duffy on his RTÉ Radio 1 Liveline programme, Thornton stressed that he had not so much been infuriated by the request of chips (he supposedly provides them for younger customers on a regular basis) but that he had been aggravated by the attitude of this particular customer.[10] The incident has since seen Thornton become associated with a dislike of chips and, as recently as 2009, has been crafted as a pun by the Irish media for any other outlet which does not serve the food.[11] Thornton has also spoken out against serving food such as pizza in his restaurant.[12]
Awards
editThornton was named Food & Wine Magazine's Chef of the Year for Ireland in 2007.[8] His restaurant had two Michelin stars but it lost one of them; one newspaper at the time portrayed a cartoon of Thornton setting the Michelin Guide alight.[13]
Trivia
edit- Kevin Thornton bought the former Michelin starred restaurant Peacock Alley in 2002 after the Fitzwilliam Hotel had cancelled the lease with Conrad Gallagher.[14]
References
edit- ^ "Michelin Online Republic of Ireland". Michelinonline.co.uk. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ^ Michelin Great Britain & Ireland 2000. 2000. p. 898. ISBN 2-06006579-8.
- ^ "Irish restaurants keep their Michelin stars". Irish Independent. 25 September 2014. Retrieved 25 September 2014.
- ^ Cleary, Catherine. "Thornton's the shock casualty as Michelin star lost". The Irish Times. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ Pope, Conor (1 September 2016). "Leading chef Kevin Thornton to close Dublin restaurant". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) (subscription required) - ^ Cleary, Catherine (17 March 2018). "Review: A restaurant with notions as big as the bills". The Irish Times. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
- ^ "Our Michelin men's guide to a cheap, four-star lunch". Irish Independent. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ a b "HEAT - Kevin Dundon and Kevin Thornton". RTÉ. Accessed 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Ireland's Best Chef?". The Dubliner. 5 April 2007. Archived from the original on 22 October 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ a b c "Sunday Times: Kevin Thornton". The Sunday Times. 4 March 2007. Archived from the original on 8 February 2008. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Refuel: Into Milano and out again **". Irish Independent. 24 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Ditch the bad pizza for fine dining say top gourmet chefs". Irish Independent. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ "Star of the Day". RTÉ Guide. 14 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^ Anthony Garvey (14 August 2002). "Kevin Thornton buys Dublin's Peacock Alley". Caterersearch.com. Retrieved 20 April 2012.