THIS BUILDING HAS BEEN HOME TO MANY DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS
THE RESTAURANT NOW KNOWN AS 30 CHURCH STREET [THE LAST VISIT IT WAS PULCINELLA'S SECRET RESTAURANT]
I had planned to have lunch at this restaurant in Howth today but I was unaware that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so I gave up on the lunch idea and photographed St Mary's Abbey which is overlooked by the restaurant.
The address 30 Church Street in Howth has long been a fixture of the village's dining scene, but its identity has been famously fluid. For many years, locals and regular visitors joked that the restaurant at this location changed its name as frequently as the tides changed in the harbour.
The premise, which is a historic building, was once home to a variety of eateries. One particularly well-remembered iteration was Pulcinella's Secret Restaurant, an authentic Italian pizzeria known for its stone-baked pizzas and classic pasta dishes. However, like its predecessors (including an early venue named The Big Blue), Pulcinella's eventually closed its doors.
In the mid-2010s, the space continued to cycle through concepts, briefly operating as Boqueria, a popular Spanish tapas restaurant. By January 2018, the property's high turnover was symbolically sealed by a 'For Sale' sign—a moment that underscored the challenges of running a successful business in such a competitive location.
Today, the story has a happier ending. The site is now occupied by the namesake 30 Church Street. This current establishment has successfully blended the location's Italian heritage—offering delicious wood-fired pizzas—with a focus on high-quality Irish produce, including fresh seafood and steaks. It stands as a testament to perseverance, finally establishing a long-term presence where other concepts struggled.
I had planned to have lunch at this restaurant in Howth today but I was unaware that they are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so I gave up on the lunch idea and photographed St Mary's Abbey which is overlooked by the restaurant.
The address 30 Church Street in Howth has long been a fixture of the village's dining scene, but its identity has been famously fluid. For many years, locals and regular visitors joked that the restaurant at this location changed its name as frequently as the tides changed in the harbour.
The premise, which is a historic building, was once home to a variety of eateries. One particularly well-remembered iteration was Pulcinella's Secret Restaurant, an authentic Italian pizzeria known for its stone-baked pizzas and classic pasta dishes. However, like its predecessors (including an early venue named The Big Blue), Pulcinella's eventually closed its doors.
In the mid-2010s, the space continued to cycle through concepts, briefly operating as Boqueria, a popular Spanish tapas restaurant. By January 2018, the property's high turnover was symbolically sealed by a 'For Sale' sign—a moment that underscored the challenges of running a successful business in such a competitive location.
Today, the story has a happier ending. The site is now occupied by the namesake 30 Church Street. This current establishment has successfully blended the location's Italian heritage—offering delicious wood-fired pizzas—with a focus on high-quality Irish produce, including fresh seafood and steaks. It stands as a testament to perseverance, finally establishing a long-term presence where other concepts struggled.
THE BUILDING AT 30 CHURCH STREET