The Shelbourne, an iconic Dublin hotel, is elevating its culinary program with a fresh, thoughtful vision intended to shape the city’s dining scene. Under Executive Chef Garry Hughes, the kitchen blends playful luxury with classical refinement, prioritizing locally sourced ingredients and experience-driven dining for both visitors and Dubliners.
Below are the new culinary highlights that celebrate modern Irish cooking and sustainable hospitality:
The Saddle Room © Aoife O’Riordan
The Rise of High-Low Dining
At No.27 Bar & Lounge, guests can now enjoy a house-made Tommy Doherty Sausage Roll paired with a glass of Champagne — a concise example of the high-low dining trend. Comfort food is given a refined treatment through premium ingredients and careful technique, and this particular pairing has quickly become a favorite on the menu.
Back to Basics
The Shelbourne’s bars are revisiting classic dishes and cocktails with subtle, deliberate twists. Batched martinis ensure a consistently chilled, balanced cocktail from the first sip to the last. In The Lord Mayor’s Lounge, Hughes reimagines the éclair with caramel diplomat cream and crunchy praline for a modern take on the beloved dessert. Over at The Saddle Room, a premium Irish wagyu sourced from a farm roughly 30 miles from Dublin offers a luxurious reinterpretation of the traditional steak.
© Aoife O’Riordan
Sustainable Sips
The hotel has reduced waste by 50 percent this year and continues to expand sustainable food and beverage initiatives. No.27 features closed-loop cocktails that reuse excess ingredients to minimize waste. The recently opened seasonal Terrace serves wine on tap, a fresher and more sustainable alternative that reduces single-bottle consumption. On the menu, zero-waste desserts — like The Saddle Room’s orange-chocolate confection — demonstrate a commitment to minimizing food waste while delivering inventive flavors.
Garry Hughes’s approach combines respect for culinary tradition with contemporary sensibilities: local sourcing, careful technique, and a focus on both sustainability and memorable dining experiences. The Shelbourne’s refreshed offerings are designed to appeal to guests who appreciate refined comfort food, thoughtful cocktails, and environmental responsibility, reinforcing the hotel’s place in Dublin’s evolving culinary landscape.