Damascus Gate (Upper Camden St)

Damascus Gate is the first falafel restaurant I’ve stumbled upon (as opposed to planned on going to). I was cycling through town and saw it up at the top of Upper Camden Street, parked the bike and went in for a look/taste. It’s more of ‘proper’ restaurant than any of the other places reviewed thus far on this site. There’s a nice outdoor terrace, music to match the cuisine and beautiful decor. The staff were exceptionally friendly and attentive which is always nice!

Flavour: 9/10. The falafel was extremely fresh, served with hummus and a salad. It was crunchy, tasty and hot. The naan came later than the main plate but was also lovely and warm, if a little small. (I was offered more falafel and naan later in the meal!).

Filling & Sauces: 8/10. Just the one sauce – a lovely garlic sauce drizzled over each falafel ball. I would’ve loved more of it and/or a second flavour to dip into. The plate was covered with accompliments though – a crunchy salad with mixed peppers, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and a serving of hummus, not to mention a delicious tabbouleh salad.

Presentation & Value: 8/10. There’s no faulting the presentation as the above photo shows. The plate was amazing to look at with obvious effort gone into how it looks. The cost however, wasn’t cheap. Admittedly it is a restaurant and I sat down, was waited on and waited on very well too. However, for a lunch falafel plate €11 seems a little steep to me.

Overall grade: 8/10. I left Damascus Gate wondering what the rest of the menu would be like – in a very positive way! The falafel was delicious, the waiters were friendly and attentive and the restaurant was not like somewhere you;d expect to walk into in Dublin. I’ll be back here, but next time I’ll be probably go for a menu meal for the better value!

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Damascus-Gate-Restaurant/438903772847704

Ephesus (Capel St)

Two things struck me as soon as I walked into Ephesus – firstly, how very clean the place was and secondly, how friendly the staff were – a pretty good start. It’s a big open kebab shop, closer to a restaurant in layout than a late night, post-pub eatery with big windows and lots of nicely laid out tables. The man behind the counter was friendly, courteous and full of chat (both before and after serving me the meal), keen for me to come back in the future. Locals and tourists alike were greeted heartily when I was there, both groups had been in before.

Flavour: 9/10. The falafel was made up of a number of small falafel rings, almost like mini-doughnuts as opposed to the standards balls of falafel that were crunchy, tasty and full of flavour. Lashings of sauce and fillings alongside 4 quarters of a large, thin naan bread made for a DIY approach which was fun and not something I’d seen yet.

Fillings & Sauces: 9/10. Onces again I asked for everything and this time I got the whole nine yards – shredded lettuce, tomatoes, red cabbage, white onions, and a long, yellow, mild  sweet pepper with a gentle kick. (He didn’t give me the smaller fiery chillis, thankfully!). All of the fillings were really fresh and succulent. The sauces were a white garlic sauce and a red, tomato based chili sauce and they actually tasted of their ingredients!

Presentation & Value: 9/10. A full, colourful plate of food served in a clean restaurant and with care. He didn’t rush making up the plate of food and asked me if I wanted each thing he added, even though I’d asked for everything. The meal cost a very reasonable €7, including a bowl of very tasty chips and a bottle of water.

Overall Grade: 9/10. There’s no doubting that this falafel will be very hard to beat. It was delicious and excellent value for money. I’ll be back here for definite,  and I’ll be bringing people with me too!