Marrakesh by Mindo one of Dublin’s hidden gems
My old college friend and I were going to an Italian restaurant for our latest Monday lunch when we had a problem. The restaurant was closed and we had to find somewhere else that was nearby. Storm Ciara was brewing up a mini storm and it was getting colder. I then had a brainwave, why don’t we go to Marrakesh on Capel Street. For those of you who don’t know it, Marrakesh by Mindo is a Moroccan restaurant which has karaoke facilities downstairs. It opened in May 2018 and its Head Chef Aziz Khrouch blends Berber cuisine with quality Irish ingredients.
Having arrived at the restaurant we were glad to get in from the cold. We were warmly greeted after we entered and were told we could sit where we liked. The restaurant has plenty of tables that are not bunched together and the Moroccan music being played was not too loud. Decorative objects such as Moroccan muskets and swords can be seen on the walls.
Choosing lunch is easy as you can choose from two menus, the individual lunch menu or the Special Lunch Deal. The first one offers you various individual priced items and the second one has two courses at €12.95 or three courses at €15.95. I went for the two-course Special Lunch Deal and chose two of the most popular Berber dishes. For my starter, I went for the Harira Soup and the Djaj Tagine for my main course. My colleague went for the Harira soup followed by the Moroccan Mixed Platter.
My Harira soup, a well know Moroccan delicacy, has ingredients including lentils, and chickpeas. A traditional Moroccan vegetarian soup, it was hearty, wholesome, absolutely delicious and just what you need on a cold day.
The basket of wonderful pita bread that perfectly complimented our soups was exceptional.
Tagine is named, after the earthenware pot in which it is cooked, and is the Moroccan version of a stew. My Djaj Tagine, a chicken dish cooked in a saffron and green olives sauce with potatoes and preserved lemons was delicious.
The different flavours were not overpowering and the sauce perfectly matched the chicken. The delicious bread it came with perfectly soaked up the wonderful juices in the soup.
Our meals came with a bottle of sparkling water and a couple of glasses of excellent Sauvignon Blanc at €8.75 per glass. As we were having our main courses, I was glad we were indoors as it had started snowing outside. For the day that was in it, I was glad we had lunch in Marrakesh by Mindo. A wholesome and hearty meal that really warms you up. Setting us up perfectly before we headed back out into the cold.
Having eaten in Marrakesh by Mindo twice in the past two months, including once with my old college friend. I knew we would not be disappointed and have a fantastic lunch. The food was fresh, tasty in wonderful surroundings and the best meal I have eaten this year. The service was top class and I will definitely be back. Do yourselves a favour and visit Marrakesh by Mindo, you won’t regret it.
Marrakesh by Mindo, 121/122 Capel St, North City, Dublin, D01 V3P0
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