Let’s take a culinary trip down memory lane back to 1989. Ireland was just emerging from a recession, if you wanted a coffee your only choice was instant and meat and two veg were your everyday staples.

Eating out was for a very special occasion and foreign cuisine was for the most part just that; foreign.

So how, in 30 years, have we come from a situation where a town had one or two eateries to today where cafes, gastropubs and restaurants can be found on every street corner? It’s down to people like Antonio Cavaliere and his wife Marion who were brave enough to take a chance and open an Italian restaurant in Kilkenny in 1989.

Pasta education

Although both are still involved in the business, they have taken a step back and their son Riccardo (right) now runs the signature Michelin-star restaurant.

He tells us about his parent’s venture. “My father moved to Ireland when he was 15 from Lazio in Italy and worked under the classically trained chef, Bernardino Gentile at Quo Vadis in Dublin.

“It was one of the first and most influential Italian restaurants in Ireland back then and not only did he develop his culinary skills, he also met my mother who was working there. They had dreams of setting up their own restaurant and had their eye on Kilkenny. They knew it was a good city to do business, affluent, with strong clientele. So they waited for the right premises and when one came up just across the road from the castle, they jumped on it.”

Rinuccinis restaurant in Kilkenny.

The people of Kilkenny may have been well travelled but in 1989, pasta and ragu were still exotic foods. “Yes there was certainly some education needed, but my parents were clever. They had Irish chicken and fillet steak on the menu to attract people to the restaurant but as time went by, they noticed more diners being experimental, opting for the Italian specials.”

Dining dedication

However, the timing was still a challenge. “When we opened in 1989 we were emerging from a deep recession. There were only two other restaurants in Kilkenny because people really only ate out for very special occasions.

“It was a hard slog and Dad talks about nights where they might only have had four diners. But as we moved into the 90s, people had a little more money and when they were spending their hard-earned cash, they wanted a top-class meal.

“And that was when my parents really worked hard and got ahead. I remember myself and my brothers and sisters coming into the restaurant after school to do our homework because Mam and Dad would both be working and Dad might be there until 2am. But they established a firm foundation that has stood to this day.”

In 2005, Riccardo got involved in the business with his parents.

“We all worked in the restaurant when we were old enough. However, in 1995 I went off to school in Dublin and then I worked as a manager in the furniture business for a few years. So when I expressed an interest in coming home, I was returning with a different perspective. I had a newfound respect for the successful business my parents were running while I had also gained experience that they valued. That mutual respect has been really important to us all working together in a family business.”

Growing with time

Working together, the business has expanded over the years to meet the dining demands of Kilkenny city.

“In the early days, we had seven guestrooms but with more hotels opening in the city, we decided to solely focus on the food and in 2005, we expanded the kitchen and office and increased our seating capacity from 54 chairs to 110 chairs.

We also did a big upgrade to modernise the restaurant in 2008. Of course, that was just before the recession which was challenging but it did keep us relevant and modern during difficult years.”

Riccardo says it was the small things that people value that kept their footfall during that time. “We handpick and import our wines directly from Italy so we have control over the stock. The high-end wines came off the menu and we were still able to offer good-quality wines at a more reasonable price. Our early bird menu also did well at that time. But we didn’t cut back on staff. Our team has built relationships with our customers, you can’t put a value on that.

“All our Italian ingredients are imported directly from Italy and everything else is local and Irish.

We drive down to Kilmore Quay two or three times a week to pick our fish and everything in the kitchen is given time. We could slow cook our bacon lardons for half an hour, rather than just giving it a flash in the pan but that focus on time really brings out the flavour and you taste it on the plate.”

In fact, Antonio’s excellence in the kitchen led to a Michelin star in 1994, a merit that they have maintained ever since. “Getting a Michelin is one thing, maintaining it over the years is quite another, but it is a stamp of approval that puts you on another level and encourages people to walk through the door.”

Head chef

“Dad is still very much involved in the kitchen. He and my mother spend six months a year now in Italy and six months in Ireland and when he is home, he’ll be in the kitchen developing new recipes, working on the menus.

“Our head chef Johnathan Quinto is also from Lazio in Italy, the same town where my father grew up.

He started working with us in the starters section and his experience grew from there so when Dad is away in Italy, he knows the kitchen is in safe hands.”

There is one other member of the family also very much involved, Riccardo’s wife Orla. “Orla and I have been together since we were in secondary school so she remembers coming into the restaurant after school and she saw the hours that my parents put in.

Orla runs the HR element of the business and looks after the payroll, and she is a very supportive partner which given the hours, is really important in this business.” And what about the future of Rinnucinis?

“We have two children, Cameron (24) and Sophia (10). Cameron has an excellent palate, a real eye for detail and he is very savvy when it comes to marketing. He would be a great asset to the business so we’ll see what the future holds.

“But it is important to live away and get some experience so when you return home you have an appreciation for what has been built. We’re delighted to be 30 years in business and hopefully, we’ll look forward to many more.”