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Variety Jones chef Keelan Higgs is preparing to open a second, smaller restaurant next door to his Michelin-starred Dublin venue. The new site promises a simpler, more affordable menu and aims to be ready by late April, offering another option for evening dining on Thomas Street.
From Michelin fine dining to a more relaxed offering
Variety Jones, opened by Keelan and his brother Aaron Higgs in December 2018, has held one Michelin star each year since 2019. The original restaurant, now based at 79 Thomas Street, returned to that address last year after a 2023 fire forced a temporary relocation next door.
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The space at number 78 has stood empty since the main restaurant reopened. Higgs told the Business Post he plans to launch a new venture there imminently, aiming to capture a different segment of the market.
What the new venue will offer
Higgs described the project as a pared-back alternative to Variety Jones. He said the second restaurant will feature a simpler à la carte menu, cleaner ingredient flavours and a lower price point — intentionally more accessible than the tasting-menu format that made Variety Jones famous.
‘We’re looking at doing a simpler offering, a simpler à la carte menu, simpler ingredient flavours, and at a better price point – a little bit more affordable,’ he told the Business Post.
Capacity, pace and a name
Social posts refer to the project as Mongoose. That venue is set to seat 26 guests, fewer than the 32 seats in the expanded Variety Jones dining room. The new place is designed for quicker table turns, with Higgs aiming for regular customer flow rather than long tasting sessions.
- Seating: 26 covers
- Target turnover: aiming for 90–110 customers on a busy Sunday
- Style: more casual, described as ‘a bit more craic’
Opening dates and timing
Higgs told the Business Post he was targeting Sunday 26 April as an opening date. Social media linked to the new project also sets an opening around the same period, listing 29 April. Both indicate a late-April launch ahead of the summer dining season.
‘[It’s a] bit more casual, bit more craic. If you’re not spending a fortune, you don’t mind having a bowl of pasta, a main course, and then legging it after an hour and a half,’ Higgs said, outlining the intended pace and atmosphere.
What this means for Dublin diners
For locals and visitors, the new restaurant will offer a shorter, more affordable alternative to the Michelin tasting experience while keeping ties to the Variety Jones kitchen. The project also returns a long-unused dining space on Thomas Street to active use after last year’s disruption caused by the fire.
