Iris P.

i love falafel and Mediterranean food in general, so this place was a must try. its a fast casual chain with a variety of salads, platters, sandwiches/wraps. everything is vegetarian and the falafels are crispy and delish! also very good price point -- about 7-10 euros for most things

Brent W.

Popped in for a quick snack to hold me over till dinner. This small little hole in the wall had some tasty falafel with three options of sauces that are made fresh daily. All of them were delicious.

Pepper W.

Very good, although you had to order in one building and then exit and go next door for the dining room. Supposedly going to fix that in the future.

Taz G.

Umi Falafel is a small restaurant on Dame Street. There are other restaurants and businesses on this street. You can order to go or you can sit in the back of the building. There are a small amount of seats in the back. They are close together and a little cramped. This restaurant only has one bathroom that is also in the back of the restaurant. The decorations are mediocre with spices placed on a self. The food was good tasting, you know what you are getting from the menu. The sauces are on the table for you to put as much or little as you want. Both tzatziki sauce and chili sauce. We ordered meal 2 which was 4 falafels with came with the pita bread and hummus dip and the haloumi cheese sandwich. Both were pleasant. The falafels were a little on the dry side and the hummus could have had a little more flavor with garlic or lemon juice. This would be a great lunch spot or if you want to pick something up quickly to eat.

Isabella B.

It was my second day in Dublin and I wanted a light meal as I had a 3-course dinner later in the evening. I spotted this place as a recommended cheap eat on TripAdvisor and being on Dame Street was on the main drag between my hotel and Trinity College. Like Mexican food in California, Middle Eastern is Europe's go to for cheap food and from what I hear they do it well. Not surprisingly this place is popular with the lunch crowd filled with people of all types from tourists to people taking a work lunch. Their focus seems to be more for takeaway but they have a small dining space in the back. I got their meal one (Palestinian bread: pocket full of hummus, tomato, cucumber pickles, fried aubergine, flat parsley and chilli & tahini sauce, €7.50). For €7.50 falafel is a go-to for a filling meal for many a vegetarian. The condiments around it were excellent as it provided spice and sauce for what is otherwise a lukewarm and flat falafel. I had better falafel at Tender Green's back in the US and their focus was salads. The Batata Hara (Lebanese spiced potato wedges) have a curry-like taste to them and in comparision was much better than the falafel. This won't be my last trip to Europe so I hope I have more chances to try better falafel in the Continent.

Amanda S.

I came across the place while exploring Dublin! I thought it was only takeaway, but they have a small lovely sit-in area further back into the restaurant. You can tell from the previous wallpaper and ceiling that it used to be a cafe, but I still love the low circular lights, the dark forest green paint, pickle jars on the wall, and wood carved signs. I went around 6:30 on a weekday, and I waited about 15 minutes. I ordered the Palestinian falafel, which was stuffed with tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, and pickles. It looks a bit small, but it is definitely filling. It was seasoned very well, and the combination of the pickles and the freshly sliced tomatoes was very refreshing! They put a handful of parsley in as well, which I enjoyed immensely. I would recommend coming at a off hour as there are not that many seats (and most of them are for 2 or 4 people) or doing a takeaway! Bring a vegan or vegetarian friend here and they will be very happy :)

Eugenia C.

Loved it! The place is small but well organized, clean, modern and neat! The food was delicious and I was able to enjoy a full vegan meal at the right price. If I come back to Dublin, I would love to have another meal here :3 In the picture: palestinian falafel and umi's batata hara

James K.

Umi Falafel has two branches in Dublin - Dame Street and Rathmines - and I expect there will be more branches to come. The Dame St. branch is very popular, and rightly so - central location, friendly staff, delicious and affordable vegetarian food. For €7.50 I got a falafel sandwich, spiced potato wedges, and mint tea. My brother went with the soup combo (€8.50) which included a large bowl of lentil soup instead of the potato wedges. It was great comfort food for a cold day and extremely filling too (we could barely finish it all). The lentil soup was creamy and nicely balanced with lemon and seasoning; my Palestinian falafel sandwich was delicious, consisting of a large pita containing three falafel (freshly cooked to order), fried aubergine, tomato, cucumber pickles, parsley, chili, and tahini sauce. The waitress recommended the mint tea, and I'm glad she did - the fresh mint leaves soaking in black tea made for a refreshing and beautiful pick-me-up! For social and environmental impact, I'm giving them 5/5 green stars. Everything on the menu is vegetarian and many items are vegan too (many items are gluten-free also). They serve everything on ceramic plates with metal utensils, and the only disposable item was a thin sheet of paper on each tray. They have paper bags (responsibly sourced paper) at the exit should you need to take anything to go. The main ingredients that they use, chickpeas and lentils, are among best crops for sustainably feeding the growing population, particularly as sources of protein. Lentils and chickpeas are both classified as pulses (part of the legume family) - these plants fix their own nitrogen and therefore have much lower fertilizer needs. This provides a significant environmental benefit since fertilizer requires a lot of energy to make and is also responsible for a lot of pollution. They also require less water than many other protein sources, if grown sustainably. The UN declared 2016 the year of the pulse to draw attention to these foods as more sustainable protein sources. Umi cook their falafel in pure rapeseed oil. The tea bag in my mint tea was from Ahmad tea, who are not perfect but are a member of the Ethical Tea Partnership and are involved in some good charitable work. Umi also make fresh juices from ingredients such as carrot and apple. Interested in writing green star reviews? If so, contact me! (greenstarsproject)

Zara N.

Umi do the best falafel in Dublin, it's the best I've ever eaten outside the Middle East and would easily rival anything I've had there. Have only ever had the take-out but plan on having a sit-down Mezze there soon. Their Palestinian pitta with falafel, aubergine, pickle, hummus and marinated tomatoes is so so good, I haven'y been able to order anything else other than the falafel on their own (also amazing!). It's so fresh and wholesome yet hearty and filling at the same time- the perfect fast food basically!! Love, love, love it!! Plus for any vegetarians out there, the entire menu is meat-free too! It's also super easy on the pocket, so a perfect spot for lunch on the go on a budget.

Jen S.

Hands down best falafel in Dublin, maybe even in Ireland. Fresh, delicious falafel is prepared and packed into pita with hummus and it is just short of amazing. No other words to describe tho food here. With its easy location on dame street its not hard to find, expect a small line but it's worth it. Before 5pm you can get a lunch special with a falafel sandwich, wedge fries and a drink for 7,50 and its really filling. I opted for a fresh juice which was an excellent choice for an extra 2 Euro. They have to go, or table service so decide before you go in - they are super organized and have little patience for slow tourists. Understandably since they are usually busy. My server was very personable and efficient, overall I had a really excellent experience here. Will be back next time I'm in Dublin for sure. All the food I had in Dublin was mediocre but this place was exceptional. Must stop if in Dublin and you live for excellent falafel.

Georgian S.

Well I travelled along with my Vegetarian meetup group. We had been here in the past. I enjoyed my time. Food was exquisite. heheehe. The waiter knew his stuff and his dishes dietary. I was most impressed. He knew what was vegan and wasn't. Although the majority of the dishes on offer is Vegan, some are vegetarian. So I just wanted to make sure. Considering the place was bouncing, he was speculator. Ever since Delhi O' Delhi(Review here), closed down(RIP), I have been naming Umi Falafel as my FAV vegan/vegetarian restaurant. Umi is Arabic for "Mother". Following is what I had The Lebanese Falafel Batata Hara/Wedges Lentil Soup Basbousa The Lentil Soup, mmmmmmmm was heaven. Totally enjoyed it. Creamey(VEGAN) creamey soup. I had asked the waiter what was the soup of the day and he reploied Brocoli Soup of which was I wasn't the best of. SO I chose a nicer soup of which I was glad. hahahah The Lebanese Falafel was filled in a wrap style or as they call it a Falafel. Filled with styuffiny type, Tomato, Cucumber, pickles, parsely and tahini sauce. It was scrumptious. IT would be suitable as a lunch. It was heaven. mmmmm. I asked for a side order of Wedges or in Arabic BAtata Hara. They were a bit dry, spicyness was "Just Right". Not too hot, and not too bland(opposite of spicy), it was JUST RIGHT. I asked for a dessert menu. I quickly looked and chose Basbousa

Petra B.

I used to love going to the Cedar Tree with friends but since the friends moved away I somehow didn't find anyone else to go with and on your own it's no fun. So I'm very happy to see Lebanese food in a more easy going restaurant / takeaway style. Walking in I at first was confused where to ask for a table but the girl at the till easily realised my confusion and made me walk through to the tables where another girl gave me the menu and aksed me to sit down. It took a bit long before someone came to take my order but looking around it was very busy at the time and orders from other clients later where taken quickly enough so in my case it was just the circumstances. And the staff was very friendly. I was very hungry when I went here before a gig in the Olympia so at first I was afraid two small(ish) dishes wouldn't be enough but it actually was. I went for the Falafel Salad and sweet potato fries and loved both and was nicely filled. The fries come with a spicy tomato sauce which in a way suited the sweet potatoes but was too spicy for my taste buds. But the fries were perfectly fine on their own too. I decided to go for one of their juices and had the Jazar Surprise (carrot, apple and ginger) which worked very well with my food. So Umi is now definitely on my to-go-to places for very tasty and quick enough meals and fair prices.

Junko Y.

A lot of new places have been popping up recently and this has easily become one of my favourites! Their falafels are well-made albeit a little too crunchy on the outside the last time I ordered them. They were still very tasty though and do seem like something an umi or mother would make at home! Served in different quantities with a variety of dips--tahini, hummus, and something else--pickles, and khubz arabi (arabic bread, similar to pita), elegantly presented on a wooden board. I have wheat intolerance and the chef allowed me to have a small portion from the salad selection instead as a substitute. I had the six-piece falafel plate and thought it was substantial enough and very easy on the pocket as well. It's a little dark inside with limited natural light coming in but the minimalist interior, cushioned seats and traditional Lebanese music still make for a comfortable and satisfying dining experience. This used to be a kebab place which I had only gone into once for change and I'm glad it has been replaced by something much more inviting. I will definitely be back!