Delicious North African food in trendy South Dublin
- Michael Geraghty
- Sep 26, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 2, 2019
Moroccan food, an amalgamation of cultures
So many of the methods come from cooking traditions of countries around North African, Mediterranean and Arabic cuisine.
With such a mixture, it can really stand out in terms of flavour and freshness. Using the best ingredients like Saffron, Mint, Olive oil, dried fruits and different types of meats and seafood, there is guaranteed to be something that will knock your socks off.
Dada's Moroccan Restaurant on South William Street takes every relatable flavour you can think of and create an exceptional North African dining experience. Dada's chef Jalal Belmaati cooked in some of the most excellent restaurants in North Africa and began his career in some of Casablanca's five-star hotels. After working in Spain and Ireland refining his skills.
It's easy to walk past without noticing the restaurant as I have done for many years. After a friend recommended the restaurant, when I walked to the door, the "Aha" moment came when I realised I knew the place. Stepping through the door, the friendly manager welcomed us, checked our reservation and led us to our table. If there is one thing I appreciate it when I enter a restaurant, it is the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff. It was excellent.
It's a "Bring your own bottle" restaurant, so we brought a bottle of red. After the waiter gave us our menu's, he asked if it was ok for him to open the wine, instead of just leaving us to do it ourselves. I really welcomed the touch, I was thirsty.
I'm not too accustomed to Moroccan cuisine, so I urged the waiter for a recommendation. It was before 6.30 pm, and he pointed out that an early bird special was still on. So based on the waiter's suggestion, I went for a Chicken Shish with a beautiful harissa sauce, and baked monkfish main course.
I have to admit, I enjoyed the starter, and you could taste the quality and freshness of the harissa. The monkfish, when the first mouthful went in, I felt like standing up and hugging the waiter for introducing me to such a beautiful meal. It was simply divine!
I slowly ate and chewed my way through the dish, my partner embarrassed by the sounds of pleasure that were coming from every mouthful. The main course was served with a traditional Khobz bread with was beautifully prepared and was perfect for mopping up the remaining flavours on the plate. After dinner, we had an espresso, and a cardamon and lemon tart, which we shared and again was a fantastic roundup to the entire meal.
Two starters, two mains, two coffees, and a dessert along with corkage and tip all came to under €60! So it's fantastic value for a City Centre meal on a Saturday evening. I would highly recommend Dada to anyone, and I cannot wait to go back to take in more of what this fantastic restaurant has to offer.
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 5 pm - 10.30 pm
Sunday 2.30 pm - 10 pm
Official Website: https://www.dadarestaurant.ie
Email: info@dadarestaurant.ie
Phone Number: +353 1 617 0777
Google map location: Dada
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