The Higgs brothers behind Michelin-starred Variety Jones in Dublin 8 will open their second restaurant – a casual, a la carte venture called Mongoose – on Sunday, April 26th.

Keelan Higgs, who heads the Variety Jones kitchen while his brother Aaron Higgs looks after front of house, said they hope to deliver “good vibes, good food, good wine, good times” in Mongoose, which is located in the original Variety Jones premises at 78 Thomas Street. A 2023 fire in the building led to Variety Jones relocating next door, where it has remained.

“It’s a relief to a certain extent,” said Keelan Higgs of the decision to reoccupy number 78, where the brothers have continued paying rent. The idea of a second restaurant was “always in our mind”, but the timing now feels particularly right, he added. “Things that make sense tend to present themselves as you go.”

Seating a maximum of 28, Mongoose will offer a short and simple menu with starters such as ox tongue, pasta options and mains including a whole chicken to share. It will be open for lunch and dinner on Sundays and Mondays and dinner on Tuesdays, with all menus designed to minimise food waste.

Higgs said he will not “fluff up” dishes just to elevate prices, which he expects to range from €8 to €13 for starters; €15 to €18 for pasta; and €18 to €25 for mains. The Sunday lunch is expected to be a particular draw, with capacity for 100-plus guests, as is a quick Monday lunch, where two courses will be priced at €24 and three at €32. Dishes on offer this coming Monday will include a starter of braised artichoke, a main of bangers, mash and gravy, and dessert of orange cake with milk ice cream.

By contrast, Variety Jones, which has held a Michelin star since a year after opening in 2018, serves a chef’s choice set menu priced at €110.

Keelan Higgs sees the overall Mongoose concept as responding to a gap in the Dublin market, where a casual restaurant with a €30 main course is almost the norm but is “not delivering what you need it to”.

Just as the two restaurants are physically linked, so are their names. Variety Jones and Mongoose are both aliases for a man convicted in the US for his role in building the Silk Road, an online darknet platform.

Online booking for Mongoose is open now, with Higgs also hoping to accommodate walk-ins.

Instagram: @mongoose­_ie