Dublin city centre is set to get an outdoor roof-top cinema and restaurant after temporary planning permission was granted.
Plans are in place to transform the top floor of a multi-storey car park on Trinity Street behind Dame Street into an open air cinema and restaurant, and there are also plans for a gallery and exhibition area on the fifth floor.
The plan was proposed by chef Niall Davidson, who opened Allta restaurant in Dublin in 2019.
He sought approval for planning as he considered it was unlikely indoor dining would return to the capital before the autumn.
But the council has attached a condition that the uses are limited to a gallery, licensed outdoor restaurant and cinema which must remain closed to the public between midnight and 8am daily.
Davidson will transform the top floors of the Trinity Street car park into the restaurant/rooftop cinema for three years.
Separate plans to include a cocktail bar were denied.
This comes after concerns were raised by owners of nearby bar 4 Dame Lane that the space could “easily morph into a full rooftop cocktail bar with only a small element of restaurant”.
Consultants acting for Pawnbeach also claimed the rooftop restaurant and cinema could also create issues in terms of noise and nuisance which could lead to “the area developing a public image problem.”
But Bashview, the owners of the Trinity Street car park believe the proposed development will create “a unique attraction to combat the decline in visitor numbers witnessed over the past 18 months.”
Mr Davidson has said the plan is to operate the cinema on Sundays and early weeknights.
It has not yet been confirmed when exactly the restaurant and cinema will open.
