Cafe Bliss, 4 A Montague Street, Dublin 2

Cafe Bliss, Dublin 2

I’ve passed by this restaurant about a million times … okay that’s an exaggeration but it has been tons and each time I have, it has appeared to be packed with happy diners. When walking with a friend who lives in the area, I shared with her my observation and she both agreed and recommended the place to me at the same time.

My first thought was great, another one for the list. My second was when will the opportunity arise? Well it did yesterday evening. When walking with the hubby back to the car after a long and happy ramble around Dublin, we spotted that Cafe Bliss was both open for business (it opens 7 days a week) and was relatively quiet.

This was a first and perfect for me as depending on my mood I don’t do busy busy busy, which come to think of it may be why I hadn’t ventured in through the Cafe Bliss doors before.

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Our Cafe Bliss Experience

On entering the café we were warmly greeted and chose our table, next to the window so we could look out at the drizzle, warm inside with food beaconing. We chose from the Early Bird Menu, which at €9.95 for a three course meal is really great value even if the third is a tea or coffee, but only great value depending on the taste. Mmm what to choose, there were a few toss ups to see but after a few minutes our minds were made up.

The Starters

Patrick chose the Spicy Lamb Kebabs, served with fresh mint, coriander and yoghurt dip. I chose the Vegetable Parcels, mixed vegetables wrapped with filo pastry served with mint dip. Both were elegantly presented. Patrick’s spicy lamb kebabs had a nice wee kick to them and the dip complimented them perfectly. The filo pastry of my parcels was crisp and not greasy again the dip accompaniment worked really well with the dish.

Vegetable Parcels, mixed vegetables wrapped with filo pastry served with mint dip

The Mains

For the main meal Patrick chose Golden Chicken Curry, served with rice and I chose the Malaysian Chicken with jasmine rice, chilli, marinated chicken, fresh coriander, ginger, garlic, mint, basil, lemongrass and lime peel. The meals arrived at our table in massive deep bowl shaped plates, if that makes sense. I loved the presentation, Patrick hinted that he found it a bit awkward eating from them but I think he was just being awkward.

The chicken for both dishes was both white and juicy and there was lots of it. Patrick’s curry was Indian in style with a the perfect after kick that a good curry should have. My Malaysian chicken was thai in flavour and was delicious. I was unsure about the ratio of rice to chicken and sauce but it worked out really well, not too much not too little. Nom bloody nom.

Malaysian Chicken with jasmine rice, chili, marinated chicken, fresh coriander, ginger, garlic, mint, basil, lemongrass and lime peel — Malaysian Chicken with jasmine rice, chilli, marinated chicken, fresh coriander, ginger, garlic, mint, basil, lemongrass and lime peel

The Conclusion:

Will I return? Yes with a CAPITAL Y! and I really look forward to it. The photo’s actually got my tummy rumbling when writing this. The food was delicious. The choice was brilliant, even for an Early Bird.

There is something for everyone, from salads and wraps to curries and mexican food but if you’re not content with the choice or arrive after 7pm, there is no doubt that you’ll find something on the extensive Á la Carte Menu. Having such a diverse range of food could prove a difficult job for any chef to succeed with but at Cafe Bliss they do. The service was welcoming and friendly with the right amount of attentiveness. The value was brilliant and even if we had chosen from the Á la Carte Menu, the prices there were competitive.

What surprised me more about Cafe Bliss is that there are extra seats and booths further back in the restaurant, which if like me you’re not into busy busy busy sometimes could prove tempting or if romance is on the cards. What made it clear to why Cafe Bliss always seems so busy is the fact they do not charge for corkage, so you can book a table for you and your partner in crime, or a group of your friends or even just for yourself and bring along your favourite tipple at no extra cost. Sweet!

For more information on Cafe Bliss, their menus (the brekkies look great) you can visit their website here cafebliss.info – I would recommend booking if there are a few of you, to avoid disappointment.

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