Oliver Dunne

The Climb

Starting as commis chef at Gotham Café in Dublin, Oliver Dunne entered a kitchen role defined by discipline and the daily mechanics of service. From there, he moved to chef at Peacock Alley, then to head chef at Zucchini (renamed Mint) in Ranelagh, Dublin (2003–2006). That stretch shows the usual hard lesson of the trade: technique matters, but so do consistency, timing, and the ability to hold a room together service after service. Today, Dunne is owner of Bon Appétit (since 2006), a long-running base in Malahide that anchors his work there. He is also guest chef of Dublin Cookery School, and co-opener of Cleaver East at the Clarence Hotel (since 2013), extending his remit into another prominent Dublin address. Read together, those roles show a career built by progression rather than reset. Each move added scope, from brigade work to ownership and opening projects, with Malahide and Dublin remaining the key working ground.

Today

Oliver Dunne is owner and chef at Osteria Nove in Malahide. The role keeps him tied to the same coastal town that has remained central to his professional life, even as his work has extended into other projects. He is also co-opener at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin, keeping one foot in a major city setting. The current shape of his work is straightforward: ownership in Malahide, alongside the demands of opening and supporting other venues. It is the practical balance of a chef who has stayed in circulation, moving between day-to-day service and longer-term project building.

In Their Words “Every day brings new opportunities to improve. Many of us rest on our laurels or past achievements, yesterday’s man is soon forgotten.” The line matches the structure of his career. It treats improvement as routine labour, not a slogan, and puts the emphasis where kitchens usually do: on the next service, not the last one.

Recognition

Oliver Dunne has received Ireland's Best New Restaurant. Oliver's honors include Michelin star (2008).