Renowned Irish chef Richard Corrigan is set to open a new restaurant in Old Street, on the former site of Nuala.
The much loved chef is best known for his pair of Mayfair restaurants, the eponymous Corrigan’s and seafood joint Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill. However, he has decided to make the move to Shoreditch to open a new restaurant called Daffodil Mulligan.
Nuala's former head chef, Niall Davidson
Rather appropriately, the new restaurant will find its home on the former site of Nuala, an Irish-inspired joint headed up by chef Niall Davidson that both critics and the public had high hopes for. Unfortunately, Davidson left the operation just four months after it opened, and following a series of other key staff departures, Nuala closed its doors in early 2018, less than a year after making its debut.
Corrigan hasn’t revealed much about his new venture yet, but we do know that Daffodil Mulligan will have an emphasis on coastal cuisine, and that much of the produce used in dishes will come directly from the farm on Corrigan’s Virginia Lodge estate in County Cavan, Ireland.
Wondering about the name? Well, Daffodil Mulligan is the daughter of Biddy Mulligan, a legendary street seller from Ireland who was immortalised in the song ‘Biddy Mulligan, the pride of the Coombe’.
The main dining room at Corrigan's Mayfair
Corrigan has brought in some big industry names to help him realise his vision - he’s working with fellow Irishman John Nugent who helped to launch King’s Place in King’s Cross, and has bought in drinks expert Toby Gibney from much-feted Irish pub Gibney’s of Malahide to oversee the drinks offering.
Daffodil Mulligan is currently scheduled to open its doors in September of this year.
Want to keep up to date with all of the openings from big name chefs? Learn all about Jason Atherton’s new restaurant The Betterment.