Banba restaurant opens on Harcourt Street in Dublin with seasonal menu

Banba opens on Harcourt Street in Dublin on Friday, October 16th, bringing seasonal plates and a kitchen-island cocktail bar inside a Georgian townhouse, according to a report by The Irish Times.

Restaurant Design and Pantry-Style Decor on Harcourt Street

Stepping inside the new venue, diners encounter a central kitchen island instead of a traditional bar counter. The interior features natural woods, amber banquettes, earthy-red chairs, and warm lighting. Nicholas Mosse pottery, Irish artwork, and underlit pickle jars furnish the space to create a home-like atmosphere.

The decor itself, we wanted it to feel like you are going to somebody’s home, said Ross Bryans, executive chef of the Dean group, as reported by The Irish Times.

The lounge includes an open fireplace. Bryans noted that the layout aims to mimic a domestic kitchen counter. The menu will rotate frequently.

When you go to somebody’s house, you don’t go there to have the same meal twice, so we want to rotate the menu. At least one or two dishes every two weeks to keep things relevant and really work with the growers and the seasons, Bryans stated in the same report.

Bryans Sources Ingredients from Local Farms

The culinary program relies heavily on local farms. Bryans highlighted the ingredient sourcing process ahead of the launch.

You would be amazed how good the produce is a 15-minute drive up the M50, Bryans told The Irish Times.

One signature starter is the Archer’s Farm gem salad from Rush, Co Dublin, paired with blue talls goat curd and a preserved strawberry vinaigrette for €12. The chef explained the choice of unripened fruit for the dish.

I created a dish specifically for this restaurant where I have taken three farms that are relatively quite close to each other, Bryans explained. He uses baby gem salad from Archer’s Farm, cress and leaves from McCormack’s in Co Meath, and pre-ripened strawberries picked in May from Kelly’s in Co Meath. So I use baby gem salad from Archer’s, beautiful cress and leaves from McCormack’s (in Co Meath) and then I got some strawberries back in May from Kelly’s (in Co Meath) and they were kind of yellow-green just before they were ripened, so I had them picked and I preserved them.

Describing the flavor profile, Bryans noted: It tastes almost like a savoury strawberry because it hasn’t had the sugars develop inside yet.

Additional starters include a chicken liver foie gras parfait with spiced apple chutney, Killahora apples, and ice wine priced at €14. Vegetarian options feature roasted cauliflower with nuts, seeds, and gremolata, alongside roasted pumpkin with a spiced honey glaze, both priced at €14. Main courses include wild clams with sweetcorn, mushrooms, and Madeira Velouté for €24, and a pork chop tomahawk served with charcutière sauce and creamy scallion mash for €35.

O’Leary Uses Pre-Batched Cocktails and House-Made Sodas

I remember when I saw the plans, I was scratching my head like, ‘How am I going to produce a top-class cocktail menu from this?’, O’Leary told The Irish Times.

To overcome this, approximately 90 percent of preparation occurs before service. Cocktails are bottled, pre-batched, carbonated, and poured directly over ice. The beverage program features house-made sodas, including Banba Cola.

We have made our own Coca-Cola using a couple of different spices and herbs. We are using figs, perilla, cinnamon, vanilla, some smoked oak and then we balance it with some citric acid and some saline solution. Some caramel as well, O’Leary stated.

Every cocktail incorporates an Irish ingredient, such as Valentia Island Vermouth in the espresso martini or a blend of three Móinéir fruit wines for a New York sour. The wine list opens with a dedicated map and section highlighting international and domestic winemakers of Irish descent.

Featured winemakers include David Llewellyn of Lusca Wine in Lusk, Co Dublin, Andrew Eakin and Naomi Murtagh of Château Puynard in Bordeaux, and the Horgan family of Leeuwin Estate in Western Australia. O’Leary noted regarding the selection: You would be blown away.

Origin of the Name and Opening Date

The restaurant derives its title from Irish mythology. O’Leary explained that Banba comes from the Irish word Banbha, it’s a mythological Irish woman. Bryans added: She was the goddess of the fertility of the land.

From a food perspective, we want to make sure we are sourcing the best Irish products possible. So we spent a lot of time working with these producers to really showcase the beautiful products that are available in Ireland, Bryans concluded in the report.

Banba opens its doors on Friday, October 16th.