Kitchen Italian is the evolution of “The Kitchen Bistro” by Gourmet Food Parlour, showcasing a fresh concept that complements Gourmet Food Parlour’s existing offering in Arnotts

October 2024: Gourmet Food Parlour, leading independent Irish restaurant and catering group has announced “Kitchen Italian” by Gourmet Food Parlour, a new restaurant concept open now in Arnotts, Ireland’s most iconic department store. This new addition rounds out the Gourmet Food Parlour offering in Arnotts, providing three distinct dining concepts to meet the needs of all customers.

“Kitchen Italian” by Gourmet Food Parlour, is the natural evolution of “The Kitchen Bistro”, as part of Gourmet Food Parlour’s ongoing strategy to prioritise and meet the needs of city centre shoppers, while showcasing the restaurant and catering groups diversified dining offers. This reconceptualised restaurant will feature a warm and relaxed atmosphere and a deceptively simple yet delicious menu, including all your Italian favourites from artisan pizza to homemade pasta, fresh salads and of course, rustic sharing flatbreads.

Customers can expect a wide selection of pizzas ranging from €15-18 euro including a Classic Margherita, made with delicious marzano tomato sauce and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Meat lovers may want to try the salami and prosciutto pizza known as The Hill of Tara and for an authentic slice of Italy, customers can try The Italiano which features marzano tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, salami, prosciutto, red onion, sun dried tomatoes and basil pesto. Also available is The Parmigiana, The Big Smoke BBQ or The Burrato Italiano.

Kitchen Italian has three pasta offers on the menu in from €17-€19 euro including a Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Rigatoni, Ravioli stuffed with nduja and mozzarella served in a creamy pesto sauce with grated parmesan or Rigatoni Alla Boscaiolawhich includes roast chicken, smoked bacon, mushroom, prosecco cream sauce and  parmesan.

Customers have a choice of three salads ranging from €14.50 to €16 including a Mediterranean Salad with artichoke, olives, sundried tomato, red onion, mixed baby leaves and balsamic dressing, a Burrata Salad with heirloom tomato salsa, basil olive oil and homemade garlic bread or a Caesar Salad with roast chicken, crispy bacon, herb croutons, parmesan shavings and basil Ceasar dressing.

One of the most popular menu items are the rustic sharing flatbreads ranging from €8 to €14 available in four variations including Sea Salt and Olive Oil, Cashel Blue Cheese and Hot Chilli Honey, Classic Garlic made with Irish butter and parsley or Heirloom Tomato and Burrata.

There is also a selection of appetisers and sides on offer from €5 to €12 euro. These include marinated olives and artichoke, crispy calamari a la romana served with lemon aioli, roasted red pepper hummus, skinny fries and of the course the ever-popular parmesan truffle fries.

To finish, customers can choose from a selection of traditional Italian desserts such as Affogato or Tiramisu, as well as a Vanilla & Caramel Panna Cotta with crushed meringue, salt & caramel sauce, and not forgetting an iconic Italian favourite, Tartufo – a gelato-based dessert with a pistachio cream centre served with white chocolate sauce & crushed pistachio. Teas, coffees, and pastries are also available.

The wine list is carefully curated and features a selection of Italian wines, with a range of cocktails also on offer with classicItalian twists such as an Aperol Spritz, Amalfi Spritz, Limoncello Fizz or Amaretto Sour.

A full kid’s menu is available for those dining with children, with a selection of gluten free, vegetarian and vegan dishes also available.

On the launch of “Kitchen Italian”, Founder & CEO, Lorraine Heskin, said:

“Launching in Arnotts last year has been a total dream come true for the team at GFP. We’ve worked extremely hard alongside the team in Arnotts to ensure we’re always meeting the needs of our customers in the city centre. While Kitchen Bistro was performing very well, it became obvious based on how customers were ordering that to keep our guests excited we needed to move it in a fresh direction. We’re always thinking ten steps ahead when it comes to consumer needs and I’m very confident this refreshed offering will bring real excitement to diners in Arnotts.

Reconceptualising “The Kitchen Bistro” to “Kitchen Italian” has been a natural evolution. The most popular dishes from The Kitchen Bistro menu were sharing plates and flatbreads, so taking the menu wholly in that direction made the most sense. Our goal is always to ensure that our offering reflects the needs of our customers, so this shift happened quite organically. Customers can still enjoy hearty dishes that are synonymous with GFP in Homemade, but for those who want to infuse an authentic taste of Italy into their day of shopping, Kitchen Italian is offering something new and exciting.

I’m excited to see our customers’ response to this new addition. Both the space and the menu have been transformed and I believe Kitchen Italian will complement the already well settled Corner Café and Homemade by Gourmet Food Parlour in Arnotts.”

Gourmet Food Parlour started as a small café in Dun Laoghaire in 2006. Led by Founder, CEO and EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist, Lorraine Heskin, the business has since grown exponentially. Since taking over the Arnotts restaurants, the company now employs over 300 people across nine locations nationwide. Specifically in Arnotts, Gourmet Food Parlour has three unique dining concepts in the department store, including Kitchen Italian by Gourmet Food Parlour, along with its existing two concepts The Corner Café by Gourmet Food Parlour and Homemade by Gourmet Food Parlour.

All three Gourmet Food Parlour dining options in Arnotts are open seven days a week. For more information, enquiries, to make a restaurant booking or catering query visit the website www.gourmetfoodparlour.ie or follow on social media: Instagram @gourmetfoodparlour,  Facebook @GourmetFoodParlour & LinkedIn @ Gourmet Food Parlour