Punters and business owners on Dublin’s Capel St yesterday insisted they were not surprised it had been named one of the coolest streets in the world.
The restaurant and pub mecca, which was permanently pedestrianised in May, was praised for its “whirl of culture” and “some of the best food in Dublin”. The bustling road, home to iconic boozers Slatterys and the Boar’s Head, ranked 22nd on global travel magazine Time Out’s prestigious list of “The 33 coolest streets in the world”.
Capel Street, which is the longest-traffic free street in Dublin, ranked higher than roads in Madrid, New York, Syndey, Barcelona, Boston, Mumbai, Singapore, Tokyo, Cape Town, and Istanbul. While Rue Wellington in Montreal, Canada was placed at the top.
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Hugh Hourican, who owns The Boar’s Head with his wife Ann, said he isn’t surprised the street received the accolade and said it has changed a lot since he opened his doors in August 1994. Speaking from behind the counter, he told The Irish Mirror: “We’re here 28 years in business myself and my wife. It has changed a lot in the last few years.
“We were probably one of the first streets to get outdoor dining and a designated area for it so it introduced a lot of people to Capel Street…it brought a lot of interest to Capel Street regarding hospitality or retail. A lot of the businesses are owner run.
“People tend to like owner run-businesses no matter what sort of business that it is. You get some personal attention. Capel Street has improved a lot. I’m not surprised to see we’re ranked among the coolest streets in the world. There’s a great future for Capel Street and there’s a great future for Dublin itself.”
Legendary tailor Louis Copeland said “a whole mixture of people” go to Capel Street and he said he’s watched the road evolve over time. The suitmaker, who was speaking from the iconic brand’s main shop, told The Irish Mirror: “My father started in the 30s. So that’s a long time ago. We’ve seen the street evolve, it’s become trendier.”
Mr Copeland, who has fitted Hollywood A-listers Patrick Dempsey, Pierce Brosnan and Richard Harris with suits, said people come to Capel Street because they get a “personal touch”. He explained: “The shops are mostly independents which is great. So when people come into Capel Street, they get personal service. There’s a lot of personal service on the street.”
Time Out says since the street has been pedestrianised it is “the ideal spot for sipping pints in the sun and just generally hanging out.” They also urged people to try out the White Rabbit restaurant which is hidden in the back of the Super Asia Foods supermarket and said the eatery “has mastered Asian street food”.
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Co-owner Dong Gyu Kim said the restaurant he owns with his business partner Kwan Hyung Cho has been booming since they opened up last August. Dong, 36, who is originally from Seoul, told Irish Mirror: “I’d say Capel Street is the fastest-changing street in Dublin. We opened last August. We opened during Covid so didn’t expect much but business has been booming.”
He put part of his success down to the increasing popularity of Korean culture in Ireland. Dong explained: “K culture is booming all over the world. Youngsters see people eating corndogs in Korean drama and they want to know what it’s like. Every day we’re running of batter to make them that’s how popular they are.”
NCAD students Holly Walsh, Anna Scott, Katerina Healy, who were enjoying food at All Bar Chicken, said the street has massively improved since traffic was banned. Katerina, 18, said: “Capel Street is really nice since it’s been pedestrianised. We came here for lunch which isn’t something we’d normally do.
“It’s actually very scenic and that’s something I don’t think I would have said about Capel Street. There’s a really nice vibe since the traffic is gone. Beforehand, Capel Street wasn’t somewhere I’d go it was somewhere where I’d end up.”
Nabila Merino, who is from Valencia in Spain, was having lunch with her pal Larissa Souza and said the street has changed in recent years. She said: “It has changed a lot. It used to be a lot rougher. I wouldn’t walk around here at night a few years ago. It’s gotten way better. It’s more gentrified.”
While Londoner Gary Barnes who was visiting Dublin with pals to attend the Wolf Alice gig in the 3Olympia said Capel Street reminded him of SoHo in the English capital. Gary, who was drinking outside Slattery’s, said “The Guinness is unreal here. It’s going down a treat. It’s different to at home.”
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Slattery’s owner Brian Conlon told The Irish Mirror: “I’m not surprised Capel Street was named as one of the coolest streets in the world. It’s a really really good street. There’s a great mixture of everything here. There’s a complete mixture who come here whether it’s locals or tourists. The street has changed for the better since it was pedestrianised.”
Time Out quizzed 20,000 people and asked local experts to rank their top streets for food, fun, culture and community. The well-known magazine said they “wanted to know about the places that locals love”.
Once people submitted their answers local Time Out editors narrowed down the list to create the definitive shortlist. In the Capel Street’s review, Time Out also name-checked the famous Pantibar and told punters to have some drinks at 1661 - Ireland’s first poitín bar.
They added: “It might be tough to spot Dublin’s coolest street right off the bat, but spend a bit of time here and you’ll discover that the buzz on Capel Street is like no other in the city. You won’t find the glamorous shops of Grafton Street or the tourist-trap pubs of Temple Bar here … There is genuinely always something new to discover on Capel Street, whether it’s a steamy bowl of authentic pho, a lively Moroccan restaurant with karaoke from noon to night, or brunch at the super-popular Brother Hubbard.”
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