TROY MAGUIRE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE: FOOD

A NAME that doesn't exactly trip off an Irish tongue, what is essentially a rustic French menu and a no-booking policy didn't stop L'Gueleton becoming the hottest table in town. Two years after it first opened, punters are still queuing up on Fade Street to sample the snail and Roquefort pitiviers and slow-roast belly of pork.

However, Troy Maguire, the chef behind the robust and perfectly executed Gallic cuisine, is moving on, and foodies are chattering excitedly about his next venture. In February 2007, Locks, that Portobello bastion of fine dining, will reopen after a major refubishment under the management of Kelvin Rynhart and Tresa Carr, with Maguire serving up his winning formula of simple French food, made with Irish produce.

L'Gueleton was Maguire's first restaurant, after stints spent in La Gavroche in London, Eden in Temple Bar and Peacock Alley in the Fitzwilliam Hotel. Will he miss it? "God, yes. I'm already incredibly sentimental about it and I really want L'Gueleton to keep on going from strength to strength. I'm incredibly proud of what everyone's hard work has achieved there, " he says.

Locks however, represents a new and exciting challenge. The food will remain seasonal, using as many organic suppliers as possible and he plans to spend January driving around the country, going to various farms and co-ops to find out what ingredients are available to him before devising a menu, which Maguire describes as a step down from Locks but a step up from L'Gueleton . . . a culinary middle grounds of sorts.

"The hope with Locks is that I will be there, I will be there all the time and I will do my absolute best to make it as special as possible." Perhaps we should try and make that reservation nowf