In an era rife with restaurant closures and shutdowns, it’s great to see a restaurant with an established foothold continue and grow at a time of change.
After many years at the helm, Kilkenny restaurateur Frank Curran has (officially) hung up the apron and warm welcome with the city’s Petronella restaurant on The Butterslip moving into the Mountain View portfolio.
While work has been going on behind the scenes over the past few months, the O’Neill family, who operate Mountain View in Ballyhale, home to the Mountain View markets and Greenhouse Restaurant, confirmed the news in a statement released this morning (Tuesday). It’s timely too with the restaurant’s namesake Petronella de Meath recognised this past weekend as part of the recent Kilkenny Toil & Trouble festival, marking 700 years of the witch trials in Kilkenny.
Sister restaurant
Petronella becomes the first sister restaurant to the Mountain View operations, and the first foray into Kilkenny city centre for the business. Long-established as a cosy eatery on the Butterslip, Petronella has always been popular on the food front with locals and visitors alike.
Quick lunches have been a hallmark over the years, with a wealth of vegetarian and Cartoon Saloon-inspired vegan options also gracing the dinner menu. However, with the changeover in ownership comes a reinventing of the food offering at Petronella.
Gerard Dunne, formerly of Butler House and Rive Gauche – both in Kilkenny city centre – was appointed Group Executive Chef at Mountain View earlier this summer, the Kilkenny native overseeing the culinary teams and the estate’s kitchen garden, while operating as head chef on all wedding and private events at the estate.
A new seasonal menu and brunch menu offering was also launched last month at the Greenhouse Restaurant.
On the Petronella end, Dunne has curated a new menu offering, with an emphasis on ‘blending traditional Irish charm with modern European cuisine’. His concept revolves around celebrating Ireland’s rich culinary heritage, while incorporating global influences.
Opportunity knocks
“An opportunity to enter the restaurant scene in Kilkenny city doesn’t come around very often, particularly in a historic venue and well-established restaurant such as Petronella”, says Bee O’Grady, co-owner and co-founder of Mountain View.
“When we met the previous owners of Petronella, we connected with them straight away; our values of business, the vibrant restaurant scene and the welcoming service we both pride ourselves in were truly aligned from the beginning of this journey.”
If the same sense of excitement and innovation apparent at Mountain View translates to Petronella, it should make for a a great boost to the restaurant and the city’s dining scene. Plus, you still get to dine in a city-centre building, steeped in history, that dates back to the 1600s in Kilkenny, what’s not to like?
Petronella booking details
Petronella is open from Tuesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner and opens Sunday for lunch service only.
