Eric Matthews and Richie Barrett, the duo behind Kicky’s in Dublin, are taking over Bang, the long-standing restaurant on Merrion Row.
The business partners, who will continue to own and operate Kicky’s, will retain the Bang name but reinvent the restaurant with an Iberian-inspired menu built around small plates, sharing dishes and meat and fish cooked over open fire. They expect to open the new-look Bang on January 19th, marking the next chapter for the restaurant which has been a Dublin fixture since it was established in 1999 by Simon and Christian Stokes.
Matthews, who met Barrett while both were working in Bang some years ago, described their vision for the restaurant as “more open, friendly and less stiff”. He said Bang will get a “cosmetic facelift”, allowing them to offer a range of dining experiences over its three levels.
On the ground floor, six seats will be available at a counter overlooking the kitchen with the aim of creating a “more open and fun” experience. In the basement, there will be “intimate” booth seating, with fewer bookings for the larger groups Bang has traditionally welcomed in this space. The upstairs diningroom will be available for private dining and events, with the ironwork staircase to be exposed after being covered in greenery for years. Some seats will be kept for walk-ins, with the overall capacity slightly reduced 90.
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Matthews and Barrett will use the same architecture firm – 21 Spaces – in Bang as in Kicky’s to deliver a “more fun, more relaxed” look. They hope to give space to the work of a young artist, as they did with Leah Hewson in Kicky’s.
The two see the overall project as “coming full circle”, given they met in Bang when Matthews was in the early years of his chef career and Barrett was learning his trade in the family business then run by his father, Joe Barrett. Both went on to gain experience in notable restaurants at home and abroad before coming back together to open Mediterranean-inspired Kicky’s on South Great George’s Street in 2023. It was a significant opening at the time, with Matthews having most recently been head chef at Michelin-starred Chapter One in Dublin and Barrett bringing his wine experience from restaurants including Bang, Etto and Uno Mas.
“We have a proven track record,” said Matthews, who will be chef director across Kicky’s and Bang, mentoring two teams of chefs. Barrett will be director of operations across the two venues, with a focus on wine and cocktails, nurturing senior team leaders and improving the overall customer experience.
The new-look Bang will use the same fine Irish producers as Kicky’s and will feature house-created cocktails alongside a considered wine list, with a particular focus on family-run vineyards from Spain and Portugal. It will offer dinner from Monday to Saturday and lunch from Wednesday to Saturday. Barrett said Saturday with likely involve being open all day as opposed to operating two sittings. Bookings will open on December 22nd, and the existing Bang will be open as normal until the end of the year.
“We have a lot of fun [in Kicky’s] here and I want to do more of that,” said Matthews, adding that the expansion will involve “sticking more money in and having to take a bit of a risk”, but making clear this was being done with confidence. “It’s something I’ve dreamt of,” he said, paying tribute to the team at Kicky’s for allowing the space for the two to take on another project.
Barrett said business was strong at Kicky’s after two years in operation, with weekends booked out weeks in advance and a new lunch shift added on Wednesdays in response to demand.
“We are always seeking new ways to improve the offering in Kicky’s and are laser-focused on driving the business forward in 2026 and beyond.” he said.
