First Dates Maitre D’ star Mateo Saina has broken his silence after losing his job at Dublin restaurant, Ian’s Kitchen.
The restaurant is owned by Michelin star chef Ian Ussher and his wife, Elaine, who joined forces with Mateo in 2024, bringing his maître d’ skills to the Kimmage location. The restaurant was renamed Ian’s Kitchen by Mateo.
Ian and Mateo’s friendship formed in 2005 when the pair worked alongside each other in the two-star Michelin restaurant, Thorntons on Stephen’s Green.
Pic: Ian’s Kitchen by Mateo/Instagram
Ian said on his website that they ‘always knew they would work together again.’ But now, Ian and Elaine have announced Ian’s Kitchen has closed its doors because of a ‘partnership that didn’t work’.
Mateo reacted to the closure, exclusively telling EVOKE: ‘We see it a different way and that’s it.’
Saina Mateo, First Dates Ireland. Pic: RTE
Asked if there was a row that led to Mateo leaving the restaurant, he said: ‘Ah no… I wouldn’t like to discuss this publicly, you know. We both agreed [to end the partnership].’
Mateo is currently on our screens on RTE One as host and Maitre D’ of First Dates, where he said he has ‘enjoyed filming the show’ like he does ‘every season.’
The Croatian native said he was exploring his options about what he would do next, adding: ‘We’ll see what’s next. I’ll take my time to see my options.’
Asked if he wished to add anything more to Ian and Elaine’s statement on social media, Mateo replied: ‘No. The statement speaks for itself. I don’t need to add more.’
Pic: Ian Ussher/Instagram
In a statement, owners Ian and Elaine said they were closing down the restaurant because of a ‘partnership that didn’t work’.
They said: ‘We want to be clear and honest. This wasn’t about rising costs or the industry. It came down to senior-level communication and a partnership that didn’t work.
‘That’s the truth and it’s heartbreaking,’ they said. Ian and Elaine said that closing the restaurant is the ‘hardest thing we’ve ever had to share’, saying ‘because it truly is the end of Ian’s Kitchen as you knew it.’
‘What started as a dream became something incredibly special: packed mornings, full tables, queues on the path, families, regulars, kids running to their favourite seats. That community meant everything to us — which is why this hurts so much.’
Ian and Elaine said they were ‘taking back full control of 189 Kimmage Road West’, adding that they were starting ‘fresh with a full refit, new energy and a refreshed offering.’
FIRST DATES IRELAND, Mateo Saina, the shows the affable maître d’. Pic: RTE
‘Myself and Elaine are taking back full control of 189 Kimmage Road West. We’re starting fresh with a full refit, new energy and a refreshed offering — keeping some Ian’s Kitchen favourites while building something that works better for staff and serves the community the way it deserves.
‘Back to our roots: family and community first. Kids Eat Free pancakes are back every Sunday from day one. That decision should never have changed.’
They added that this is ‘the end of the brand as it stood, not the people who started it.’
Ian and Elaine thanked their ‘amazing staff,’ saying: ‘We’re endlessly grateful and truly sorry it ended this way.
‘To every customer who supported us, queued in the rain, brought your families and made us part of your routine — you built this place with us. Now, the reset.
‘Our goal is simple: full tables, queues on the path and this corner buzzing again. We’ll share updates and sneak peeks as it all comes together. Our hearts are heavy, but full of hope. This isn’t the end it’s a reset. A refocus. A new beginning.’
Speaking about joining forces with Ian and Elaine in 2024, Mateo said he was ‘hopeful’ that his time in TV would help bring customers into the restaurant.
‘This is my neighbourhood restaurant and where I would go to eat most weekends, plus it must be noted Ian’s Kitchen was already mega popular before my time,’ he said.