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‘I love experimenting with new flavours’: Allta’s Niall Davidson on inspiration and innovation
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is their most innovative statement device yet – engineered for visionaries who demand more from their tech. Here, we place it in the hands of one of Ireland’s most innovative and visionary chefs, Niall Davidson of Allta.
Niall Davidson is a trailblazing chef who honed his craft in some of the world’s most acclaimed kitchens before returning to Ireland to found his award-winning restaurant Allta at the impressively young age of just 26. (Allta was most recently awarded Best Fine Dining restaurant in Ireland by Georgina Campbell). Niall left his native Derry to start his cooking career in St John Bread & Wine, London; Michelin-starred In de Wulf in Belgium; Chiltern Firehouse, London; and Astrid y Gastón in Peru, before returning to Ireland to open Allta in 2019.
Now back on Irish soil, Niall has brought all this experience to bear, to redefine what modern Irish dining can be. At Allta, his food feels both rooted and radical; proof that Ireland’s culinary identity is no longer something to apologise for, but something very much to celebrate.
Food and flavours
“At Allta, it’s all about the ingredients,” says Niall. “We only use the best quality, with as few food miles as possible. When we started, the focus was on tracking down local growers, fishermen, foragers, and small producers. Over time, we’ve built up a beautiful network of around 50 suppliers across Ireland. They’re not just producers, they’re people we know and trust. Our menu is driven by what’s seasonal and Irish.”
Niall and his team also go out foraging regularly. “We try to go out at least once a week. It could be for mushrooms, seaweed or wild herbs. Whatever is in season. These are flavours you can’t just buy; you have to find them. Bringing those ingredients back into the kitchen helps us create something unique.”
“I love experimenting with new flavours and creating new seasonal dishes for the menu. For me, it usually starts with a product, not just an idea. Take our new venison dish: it begins with the deer, sourced from a professional guide in Wicklow. He dry-ages it with incredible care before it even reaches the kitchen. From there, it’s about building in layers of flavour that reflect the season; right now, that means damsons, smoked egg yolk for richness, and a coffee and cacao nib miso I made three months ago. We finish it with a grating of cured venison heart. That, to me, is the perfect nose-to-tail cooking: minimising waste and using every part of the animal.”
Design and creativity
Anyone who has dined in Allta, or been lucky enough to bag a seat at one of the restaurant’s inspired pop-up events, such as the recent Summer Table, will know what a key role design and aesthetics play in the Allta experience. “Design is hugely important to me,” says Niall. “Lighting and sound matter even more than the furniture – in my opinion, anyway. One of the first things we did when designing the restaurant was build in sound insulation; no one wants to hear knives clattering or chefs shouting. Once the acoustics were right, we layered in music, which is part of our DNA.” Even the speakers in Allta are a work of art, designed by Irish maker Toby Hatchett.
“I like dining rooms with a bit of music, atmosphere, and energy. Lighting is equally key – moody, intimate, but focused on the food. My design inspiration is always evolving. I’m always sketching ideas or capturing references when I travel, and having a device like the Samsung Galaxy Fold7 is so handy; while it’s super slim, it folds out to boast an 8-inch immersive screen providing the perfect canvas for pulling up moodboards and playing with ideas.” It’s also worth noting that the new Galaxy Z Fold7’s large screen is fully optimised with One UI 8.0, giving you plenty of room to test out Google Gemini’s AI strengths – without obstructing your view – making multitasking a breeze.
“Restaurants are about people and products, but technology shapes how we share our work. Social media, photography, videography, they’ve transformed how chefs learn, how ideas spread, and how we tell our story. And with the Samsung Galaxy Fold7’s enhanced camera and video capabilities, including Galaxy AI Generative Edit, we have the ability to capture and share our food in incredibly high quality, which is essential to how we connect with our audience.”
Ambition and vision
When it comes to Unfolding your Vision, what advice does Niall have for others? “Don’t take no for an answer, and don’t let logistics scare you off. I’ve been self-employed since I was 25, and the last 12 years have had their fair share of challenges. But you get up every morning and work. Failure is part of the process. I’ve failed, and I’ll fail again, but that’s how you learn. Focus less on the obstacles and more on the feeling of achieving your dream.”
About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
- Sleek design – One of Samsung’s most innovative designs, the Galaxy Z Fold7 has been re-engineered to be the slimmest, lightest Fold yet at just 8.9mm. With expansive screens inside and out to show you a new, undisrupted world of craftsmanship, it’s the Ultra experience, unfolded.
- High resolution – Capture super stunning, high-resolution shots with its powerful 200 MP camera, which is perfectly paired with ProVisual Engine. Then, use the big screen to view your pics for incredible true-to-life immersion.
- High tech – Editing photos is easier than ever with the Fold7’s built-in next-gen Galaxy AI technology, specifically designed for the ultimate foldable experience. Capture the finer points in every scene and let Galaxy AI do the rest, improving colour and details for clarity, and even enhancing skin tones and textures.
- Ultimate multitasker – The Fold7 is made with the most powerful processor customised for Galaxy with staggering gaming and AI enhancements. It’s 38% faster than last year’s model, so you can multitask between apps, browsers and camera functions with ease, vastly improving your overall Galaxy experience. Plus, with the Galaxy Fold7’s Now Bar and Now Brief, you can also stay instantly updated and in control – get live notifications, music and tools at your fingertips, plus AI-powered personalised briefings all day long.
- Long-lasting – Speedy processing doesn’t mean you have to compromise on battery life – the phone’s 4400 mAh battery capacity powers all-day use, allowing for maximum power efficiency without draining your battery. You can even enjoy up to 24 hours of video playback time, ideal for working on the fly or frequent travel.
Photography by Dan Dunne
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is Samsung’s most innovative statement device yet – engineered for visionaries who demand more from their tech. Unfolding to reveal a spectacular 8-inch Infinity Flex Display, it offers unmatched multitasking capabilities and editing power with Dual Screen view, 200MP camera, cinematic display quality, enhanced gaming capabilities and a whole new level of collaboration with the next era of Galaxy AI and Google Gemini, rewired to work harder on the big screen. It is also the slimmest Fold ever.
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