The first ‘Art Diner’ of its kind has just opened on Camden Street

Uniquely Irish

Jul 15, 2020

We've found the ultimate spot for your first post-lockdown dinner.

DIG IN Art Diner has just opened on Dublin’s Camden Street. The venue, formerly long-time Camden Street favourite Green 19, is a unique art, dining and cocktail experience, in collaboration with renowned Irish contemporary visual artist Maser. The food menu is eclectic and imaginative while the intricate cocktail menu has carefully been designed and inspired by the standout art mounted throughout the stylish venue.

DIG IN has been a long time art-centred dream by co-owners Steve Murray and Colin Dickson, who boldly decided to use the time of lockdown to invest in bringing the unique concept of an Art Diner to life in Dublin.

DIG IN now houses a remarkable art collection, with rare works from many world-famous post graffiti artists, including Banksy, Chloe Early, Invader and the only original Conor Harrington painting in Ireland.

Co-owners Steve & Colin knew three elements were certain when planning this new Dublin experience:

1. Creativity to the core.

2. A safe environment.

3. A positive story.

But what exactly is an Art Diner?

“We’ve heard this a lot in the last month. It tells us we are doing something new. And when you do that there are no reference points. Nothing to compare it against. So let us do our best to explain what an Art Diner is: This is the intersection of the most pioneering art out there right now served with great food and drink inspired by the art on the walls.

"DIG IN is the experience when all of those things come together.”

How will it work with COVID-19?

"We are lucky, in a strange way, to have been able to plan the venue from the outset with COVID-19 in mind. We have created distance dining with tables 1 meter apart, provided privacy boots and private dining rooms. Pre-booking can be done through our website and website partners. There are QR code menu options. Takeout orders can be collected, without leaving your car, via our new innovative WhatsApp service.

In addition, a lot of time has gone into staff training, following Fáilte Ireland’s guidelines before opening.”

Speaking about his involvement in bringing this new art experience to Ireland, Maser said: "As proud supporters of the arts in Ireland, Steve and I know each other for over a decade and have worked on several projects together. When he spoke to me about DIG IN, I was keen to be involved. For me, DIG IN is another space to showcase the rich art that is being created right now. By showcasing the work in a social setting, it creates a new art experience for visitors to enjoy. Over time we hope to develop the events programme to include other activities such as immersive art dinners and more – this is only the beginning!"