:Thornton's Restaurant
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox Restaurant
| name = Thornton's
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| established = 1989
| closed = {{End date|2016|10|29|df=y}}
| current-owner = Kevin & Muriel Thornton
| head-chef = Kevin Thornton
| food-type = International, French, Irish, Modern Irish
| dress-code =
| rating = {{Michelinstar|1}} Michelin Guide
| street-address = 128 St. Stephen’s Green
| city = Dublin
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| country = Ireland
| seating-capacity = 60
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| website = http://www.thorntonsrestaurant.com}}
Thornton's was a restaurant that was housed, in the period 2002–2016, in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, St. Stephen's Green, County Dublin, Ireland. It was previously located on Portobello Road since 1989. It became a fine dining restaurant, that held a one-star Michelin rating in the periods 1996-2000 and 2006–2015. In the period 2001-2005 it held a two-star rating.{{cite web|url=http://www.michelinonline.co.uk/travelshop/star-history/2011/rg-roi.htm |title=Michelin Online Republic of Ireland |publisher=Michelinonline.co.uk |accessdate=20 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130608165624/http://www.michelinonline.co.uk/travelshop/star-history/2011/rg-roi.htm |archivedate= 8 June 2013 }}{{cite book|title=Michelin Great Britain & Ireland 2000|year=2000|isbn=2-06006579-8|page=898}}{{cite news | title = Irish restaurants keep their Michelin stars| date = 25 September 2014| accessdate = 25 September 2014| url = http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-restaurants-keep-their-michelin-stars-30614535.html | newspaper = Irish Independent }}{{Cite news|last=Cleary|first=Catherine|title=Thornton's the shock casualty as Michelin star lost|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/restaurant-reviews/thornton-s-the-shock-casualty-as-michelin-star-lost-1.2354446|access-date=2020-10-13|newspaper=The Irish Times|language=en}} The restaurant closed on 29 October 2016.{{cite news|title=Leading chef Kevin Thornton to close Dublin restaurant |first=Conor |last=Pope |url=http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/leading-chef-kevin-thornton-to-close-dublin-restaurant-1.2774845?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Ffood-and-drink%2Fleading-chef-kevin-thornton-to-close-dublin-restaurant-1.2774845 |newspaper=Irish Times |date=1 September 2016 |accessdate=5 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160902133720/http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/leading-chef-kevin-thornton-to-close-dublin-restaurant-1.2774845?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Ffood-and-drink%2Fleading-chef-kevin-thornton-to-close-dublin-restaurant-1.2774845 |archivedate= 2 September 2016 }} {{Subscription required}} The space is now occupied by Glovers Alley.{{cite news |last1=Cleary |first1=Catherine |title=Review: A restaurant with notions as big as the bills |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/restaurant-reviews/review-a-restaurant-with-notions-as-big-as-the-bills-1.3419767 |access-date=9 August 2023 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=17 March 2018 |language=en}}
Head chef Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. Patrick Guilbaud received his second star first but was born in France.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/food-drink/our-michelin-mens-guide-to-a-cheap-fourstar-lunch-1715221.html|title=Our Michelin men's guide to a cheap, four-star lunch|date=22 April 2009|accessdate=25 April 2009|newspaper=Irish Independent}}
Origin
Thornton's Restaurant was opened in the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green in 2002.{{cite web|url=http://www.thedubliner.ie/the_dubliner_magazine/2007/04/irelands_best_c.html|title=Ireland's Best Chef?|date=5 April 2007|accessdate=25 April 2009|publisher=The Dubliner|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101022143850/http://www.thedubliner.ie/the_dubliner_magazine/2007/04/irelands_best_c.html|archivedate=22 October 2010}}
Controversy
Thornton's Restaurant was embroiled in a controversy in 2007 surrounding Thornton's alleged refusal to sell chips to his restaurant customers, sparking comparisons to British chef Gordon Ramsay. A customer requested the food but, upon receiving it, he changed his mind and sent them back to the kitchen. Thornton then allegedly emerged from the kitchen with the chips and slammed them down on the man's table, with the remark: “They were cooked specially for you, so you eat them, you dickhead”. He later is alleged to have called them "wankers" before removing them from his restaurant.
Asked about the incident by broadcaster Joe Duffy on his RTÉ Radio 1 Liveline programme, Thornton stressed that he had not so much been infuriated by the request of chips (he supposedly provides them for younger customers on a regular basis) but that he had been aggravated by the attitude of this particular customer.{{cite news|url=http://kathyfoley.net/2007/03/11/sunday-times-kevin-thornton |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208231543/http://kathyfoley.net/2007/03/11/sunday-times-kevin-thornton/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 February 2008 |title=Sunday Times: Kevin Thornton |date=4 March 2007 |accessdate=25 April 2009 |newspaper=The Sunday Times }} The incident has since seen Thornton become associated with a dislike of chips and, as recently as 2009, has been crafted as a pun by the Irish media for any other outlet which does not serve the food.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/day-and-night/foodanddrink/refuel-into-milano-and-out-again-1718602.html|title=Refuel: Into Milano and out again **|date=24 April 2009|accessdate=25 April 2009|newspaper=Irish Independent}} Thornton has also spoken out against serving food such as pizza in his restaurant.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ditch-the-bad-pizza-for-fine-dining-say-top-gourmet-chefs-1714302.html|title=Ditch the bad pizza for fine dining say top gourmet chefs|date=21 April 2009|accessdate=25 April 2009|newspaper=Irish Independent}}
Awards
Thornton was named Food & Wine Magazine's Chef of the Year for Ireland in 2007.[http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/2009/0303/tvshow720.html "HEAT - Kevin Dundon and Kevin Thornton"]. RTÉ. Accessed 25 April 2009. His restaurant had two Michelin stars but it lost one of them; one newspaper at the time portrayed a cartoon of Thornton setting the Michelin Guide alight.{{cite web|url=http://www.rteguide.ie/2009/0414/star.html|title=Star of the Day|date=14 April 2009|accessdate=25 April 2009|publisher=RTÉ Guide|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130218013017/http://www.rteguide.ie/2009/0414/star.html|archivedate=18 February 2013}}
Trivia
- Kevin Thornton bought the former Michelin starred restaurant Peacock Alley in 2002 after the Fitzwilliam Hotel had cancelled the lease with Conrad Gallagher.{{cite web|author=Anthony Garvey|url=http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2002/08/16/44088/Kevin-Thornton-buys-Dublin39s-Peacock-Alley.htm |title=Kevin Thornton buys Dublin's Peacock Alley|date=14 August 2002 |publisher=Caterersearch.com|accessdate=20 April 2012}}
References
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{{Michelin stars in Ireland}}
Category:Defunct Michelin-starred restaurants in Ireland