Sallyanne raises a glass as Dublin’s l’Ecrivain reopens
THE wait is almost over for Derry and Sallyanne Clarke’s Michelin-starred restaurant, l’Ecrivain.
Situated in Dublin’s Baggot Street, the fine dining restaurant has been closed since March after the nation went into lockdown.
But the doors will reopen tomorrow with many Covid safety precautions in place.
‘We are excited to get back open,’ said Sallyanne. ‘It has been a long process, but we have the highest of hygiene standards, it will be the same l’Ecrivain and we are very confident that we can offer the same dining experience that we always have.
‘There is one door in and one door out with a red rope separating them. Customers will have their temperature checked at reception and once it’s all clear they make their way to the bar for a pre-dinner drink.
‘We have taken the chairs away from the bar and separated the tables to ensure social distance.’
They have also hired a designated staff member to wipe surfaces like handrails and any other common areas regularly. And Sallyanne even bought two alarm clocks for the kitchen and staff room that are set to ring every 20 minutes to remind all staff to wash their hands.’
She said: ‘Tables are set side-by-side and we have discreet, unobtrusive Perspex screens as dividers that won’t take from the ambience or the look of the place.’
After 31 years in business Derry and Sallyanne announced earlier this year that they were closing l’Ecrivain in July. However, the couple are reopening in the short term to afford them the opportunity to say farewell and so customers can redeem vouchers.
While Sallyanne thinks that some of the larger restaurants will weather this storm, she fears for smaller businesses. ‘The industry as a whole needs support in either VAT or rates reductions to help ignite the industry,’ she said.