Madam, - I read with interest the obituary of Renato Sidoli, who ran the Unicorn restaurant in Dublin for many years (The Irish Times, May 12th). I would like to mention the original Unicorn restaurant at 11 Merrion Row, which faced on to Merrion row on the right-hand-side of Merrion Court. The Unicorn was originally named by a family friend, Sheela Coffey, who had a particular fascination with this mythical creature. My father and mother, Erwin and Lisl Strunz, who were Austrian, ran the Unicorn during the war years.
The venture was funded by William Griffith and the lease for the building was not expensive as the house had a strange reputation, having supposedly been used at some time by W.B. Yeats and friends to hold séances.
The Unicorn produced a very high standard of continental cooking, fine wines and an atmosphere attracting many patrons of the arts, literature, theatre and political life. It was considered to be among the best eating houses in Dublin. - Yours, etc,
PETER STRUNZ, Woodley Park, Dublin.