DIG IN, the world’s first ‘Art Diner’ has just opened on Dublin’s Camden Street and it looks fab

Cocktails here would be such an experience.

DIG IN, the first 'Art Diner' of its kind has just arrived on our very own Camden Street. You'll get to sip on the best cocktails, dine on delicious food, all while gazing at some of the best artworks of our time. It's an art, dining, and cocktail experience that boasts one of Ireland's most impressive art collections, including rare works by Banksy, Conor Harrington (his only original piece in Ireland), Obey, Maser, Chloe Early, JR and many more. The diner just opened last night, July 14, in the former Green 19 venue and is in collaboration with Maser himself, the renowned Irish contemporary visual artist. The art on the walls isn't the only creative thing about DIG IN though: the food menu is eclectic and imaginative and their intricate cocktail menu, created by multi-award winning mixologist Colin Dickson, has been carefully designed and inspired by the standout art mounted throughout the diner. Sip on 'Grannies', a mix of gin, suze, honeysuckle shrub, cherry and lemon, created after this brilliant piece: Or you could try their 'Masters' cocktail made with brown butter washed bourbon, honeycomb, and bitters, inspired by this original by Conor Harrington: They have a pretty large food menu that includes something for everyone, including plenty of options for the veggies, vegans, and coeliacs. You'll find dishes like salt beef tacos, Indian pale ale mussels, chicken & mushroom pie, roast cauliflower steak, spiced chickpea burgers, and so much more. This diner and cocktail venue has been the longtime dream of co-owners Steve Murray and Colin Dickson, who boldly decided to use these lockdown months to invest in bringing the unique concept to life. They knew three elements were essential when planning this new Dublin experience:

1. Creativity to the core
2. A safe environment
3. A positive story

Steven Murray explained the process of getting the diner up and running:

"The concept grew during lockdown while researching the future of events and the social experience. During an online conference a quote jumped out: 'Art Always Wins.' That was the spark that motivated us that we were on the right path. I called Colin and we started to look at how we could bring our interests and skills together to create something new, something that revolved around an art gallery experience. That was also what led to calling Maser to bounce off some ideas, something we have always done over the years. A few days later, Maser called us about Atelier Maser curating exhibitions at DIG IN and it seemed like the perfect fit."

Talking of their plans for the future, he said:

"Atelier Maser will curate a fresh exhibition every six months. We want to consistently ensure to include some of Ireland's most exciting artists breaking through, ensuring the venue will be a notable stepping stone for emerging Irish artists, all hand selected for inclusion by Atelier Maser. It will not, however, only be focused on exciting burgeoning artists. The launch collection, for example, includes some rare pieces by some of the world's leading post graffiti and fine artists. Including: Banksy, JR, Obey, Vader, Chloe Early, and the only original painting in Ireland by Conor Harrington. But we will be a canvas to the most progressive young Irish artists to launch - that is important to us."

So how will this work with Covid-19?

"We are lucky, in a strange way, to have been able to plan the venue from the outset with Covid-19 in mind. We have created distance dining with tables 1 meter apart, provided privacy booths and private dining rooms. Pre-booking can be done through our website and website partners. There are QR code menu options. Takeout orders can be collected, without leaving your car, via our new innovative WhatsApp service. In addition, a lot of time has gone into staff training, following Fáilte Ireland's guidelines before opening."

The diner is open Tuesday to Friday from 5pm to late, and Saturday & Sunday from 12pm to late. To find out more about DIG IN or to make a reservation, visit their website or check out their Instagram. This is definitely our next stop for a meal out.