A SIGNIFICANT QUANTITY of cash was stolen from a restaurant run by a Masterchef Ireland judge last night.

The cash was taken during an armed raid on Dylan McGrath’s Rustic Stone restaurant on South Great George’s St in Dublin last night.

Two men wearing balaclavas entered the premises at about 11:30pm. One is thought to have been armed with a firearm while the other was wielding a knife.

Eight members of staff who were present at the time were all locked into a room while a large amount of cash was removed from the premises.

The suspects are believed to have left the scene on pedal bikes.

It is thought the restaurant had closed for the night and that no patrons were present at the time. No injures were sustained during the incident.

Gardaí have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact them at (01) 666 9000.

McGrath’s restaurant opened in August 2010, just over a year after his previous venture Mint in Ranelagh closed. The Ranelagh closure came only months after McGrath had won a Michelin Star for the restaurant.

McGrath is perhaps better known for his role as a judge alongside Nick Munier on RTÉ’s Masterchef Ireland, the second series of which begins in two weeks.