Róisín Meets: L’Ecrivain proprietor Derry Clarke

L’Ecrivain owner Derry Clarke is not short of anecdotes about the 1980’s Dublin restaurant scene. And in particular of lavish expense account lunches indulged in by bankers, advertising executives and more than a few politicians.

“These were pre-social media days, pre-mobile phone days and quite free. It was a different time. Not looking back with rose-tinted glasses, but it was nicer, there was less pressure on people. Lunch was lunch. A long lunch. Not one table, two or three, I mean per day, might keep a table for the whole night and go again, for dinner. Easy!”

On this week’s Roísín Meets podcast, Clarke tells some of those stories. He also talks about surviving tough times for both his family and his business.