Behind the Vine Gate
The Standard Was Set Early
Marco Pierre White became the youngest chef in history to be awarded three Michelin stars — earning his third at Harvey’s in London at the age of thirty-three. Before Gordon Ramsay spent three years in Marco’s kitchen learning the foundations that would later earn him his own stars. Before Heston Blumenthal. Before the era of the celebrity chef. There was Marco — and the standard he set in those kitchens became the benchmark for an entire generation of British and Irish fine dining.
His philosophy was always the same. Proper ingredients, properly handled. Classical technique, executed without compromise. A menu where every dish earns its place — nothing decorative, nothing superfluous. Simple, in the way that only the best things are simple.
That philosophy is what the Courtyard Bar & Grill was built on. And it is what the kitchen runs on every service.
About Our History
The Beginning
Peppers, garlic, shallots, olives, couscous, hessian sacks filled with pulses, potatoes, onions, apples — in Fitzpatrick's Greengrocer and Fruiterer on Camden Street, produce sourced fresh from local farms rubbed elbows with exotic fruit and vegetables Dubliners had never seen or tasted. Frank Fitzpatrick Senior had an eye for detail and a standard for everything — the produce, the staff, the appearance of his children lined up on Sundays to box up orders. Camden Street in the 70s was an artistic quarter, and Fitzpatrick's attracted everyone from diplomats to Micheál Mac Liammóir, who would drop by in full regalia: hat, spats, white powdered face punctuated by red lips. Frank died in his beloved shop on a Saturday afternoon in 1975 — the busiest day of the week. The family carried on.
The First Restaurants
As the Fitzpatrick children grew up, the shop evolved — into a deli, a café, eventually a restaurant. The creative partnership between siblings Padraig, Frank and Geraldine Fitzpatrick and Des Barker established the groundbreaking first Fitzers eatery on Camden Street, with architect Ken Edmonson painting cable reels in a multitude of colours to serve as tables. What followed was twenty-three years at the National Gallery, catering at The Point and Baggot Street, five years at the RDS, and Fitzers on Dawson Street. Not your ordinary restaurant chain — food and family with provenance.
The Standard Was Set
While Fitzers were building their reputation in Dublin, Marco Pierre White was working with the Roux Brothers at La Gavroche and Nico Landenis at Chez Nico at 93 Park Lane. He became the youngest chef in history to be awarded three Michelin stars — earning his third at Harvey's in London at the age of thirty-three. Before Gordon Ramsay spent three years in Marco's kitchen learning the foundations that would later earn him his own stars. Before Heston Blumenthal. Before the era of the celebrity chef — there was Marco, and the standard he set became the benchmark for an entire generation of British and Irish fine dining. Marco retired in 1999 to concentrate on his publishing and media interests. The kitchens he left behind continued to produce some of the finest chefs in the world.
When Marco Met Fitzers
Marco Pierre White and the Fitzpatrick family had been business associates and friends for some time before they opened together. The alliance was a natural one — neither takes anything for granted, and for both, business is personal. Every meal properly prepared and served is an opportunity, a risk and an honour. In March 2009, MPW and the Fitzpatricks collaborated to open the Marco Pierre White Steakhouse & Grill at 51 Dawson Street — the first MPW restaurant in Ireland, and the beginning of a relationship between the brand and Dublin that has held ever since.
Coming Home To Donnybrook
The opening of a second restaurant in Donnybrook brought the Fitzpatrick family back to a neighbourhood they call home. Tucked behind a vine-covered gate on Belmont Avenue, the Marco Pierre White Courtyard Bar & Grill gave Dublin 4 something it didn't know it needed — a restaurant with genuine culinary pedigree, a beautiful courtyard setting, and the warmth of a family-run operation at its heart. The Garden Room. The Library Room. The heated terrace. The vine gate. A dining room where business lunches become long afternoons and wedding receptions become the evenings guests still talk about years later.
Today
Ireland's Best Restaurant Wedding Venue 2024/2025. Over a decade of Sunday lunches, Thursday nights, milestone birthdays, corporate dinners and wedding receptions that guests still talk about. The chefs who cook your meal trained under Marco in London. The waitstaff are professional, warm and genuinely love their vocation. The standards Frank Fitzpatrick Senior held on Camden Street in the 1970s — attention to detail, pride in the product, care for every person who walks through the door — are the same standards the Courtyard Bar & Grill holds on Belmont Avenue today. Some things don't change. They just find a better address.
The Legend Continues...
Stay Tuned!
The Kitchen
The chefs who cook your meal at the Courtyard trained under Marco in London. That is not a marketing line — it is the actual standard by which the kitchen operates. Classical French technique. The same approach to sourcing, preparation and execution that earned Marco his reputation.
Prime Irish beef. Wild Atlantic seafood. Seasonal Irish produce that earns its place on the plate. The menu is deliberately concise. Every dish on it is there because it belongs — not because it fills space.
The sauces are made from scratch. The stocks are proper. The simplicity on the plate represents a significant amount of work behind it — which is exactly what Marco always meant when he said simple.
The Team
When you walk through the lush gardens and heated terrace of the Courtyard Bar & Grill into the dining room, you are met with a warm welcome.
From the professional front of house to the kitchen brigade, the team here is united in one intention — to make your meal an occasion. The waitstaff are friendly and professional, instinctively anticipating your needs under the watchful eye of experienced managers. The details are noticed: the music, the lighting, the pace of service.
Each member of the team is carefully chosen and genuinely loves their vocation. That is what Marco has always required. It is what makes the difference between a meal and a memory.
Find Us
Marco Pierre White Courtyard Bar & Grill
1 Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook, Dublin 4
Look for the vine gate.
Close to Aviva Stadium · RDS · Intercontinental Hotel · Herbert Park Hotel · Clayton Hotel
Opening Hours
Thursday – Saturday: from 5pm
Sunday: from 1pm
BYOB Thursdays — €10 corkage per bottle (Does not apply during December)
Reservations
Phone: 01 551 0555
Email: courtyard@marcopierrewhite.ie
