12 Best Muslim-Friendly Restaurants In Dublin, Ireland

1. Kinara

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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Kinara is a must-visit restaurant for anyone who enjoys authentic Pakistani and Eastern cuisine. Located in the heart of the city, Kinara offers a refined blend of regional cooking traditions from South Asia, particularly Fusion Mughlai, that cater to all ages, tastes, and dietary requirements.

The restaurant’s menu is most certainly halal and carefully crafted to showcase diverse flavors and textures. From traditional biryanis and curries to succulent kebabs and grilled meats, there is something for everyone. The restaurant also offers an extensive selection of vegetarian and vegan options as well as desserts. Whether it’s a romantic dinner for two or a family gathering, Kinara promises to delight and satisfy all taste buds.

Kinara

Address: 318 Clontarf Road, Dublin 3, D03 R522

Website: Kinara

Opening hours: Wed: 4pm - 11pm; Thu - Sat: 12pm - 11pm; Sun: 12pm - 10pm (closed on Mon & Tue)

2. Damascus Gate Restaurant

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Damascus Gate Restaurant has two locations in Dublin. For first-timers, its spot in Camden Sreet is a great introduction to an immersive Middle Eastern dining experience. The restaurant’s authentic décor, delightful aromas, and traditional music all work together to create an unforgettable atmosphere that stimulates all the senses. For that, it’s easily one of the best places to eat in Dublin.

The restaurant’s, menu features a wide range of Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine that is all halal-certified. The experienced chefs at Damascus Gate only use the freshest herbs and spices to ensure that each dish is served full of flavor. This attention to detail is evident in every bite and is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Damascus Gate Restaurant

Address: 10 Camden Street Upper, Saint Kevin’s, Dublin 2

Website: Damascus Gate Restaurant

Opening hours: 12pm - 11pm (daily)

3. The Cedar Tree

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Cedar Tree is a restaurant on this side of Dublin known for Lebanese cuisine. It is popular for having two kinds of menus - lunch served from 11:30 am to 4 pm and dinner served from 4 pm to 11 pm. Both have vegetarian and halal options which are not surprising since cuisine in Lebanon is heavily influenced by the Middle East - one that puts emphasis on religion as the basis for meal plans. Cedar Tree takes pride in its mezze, a serving style that the restaurant has itself compared to the Mediterranean cuisine found in Italy, Romania and Spain.

Cedar Tree

Address: 11 St. Andrew Street, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Cedar Tree

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11:30am - 11pm; Sun: 1pm - 10pm

4. Shalimar

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

This restaurant offers a fusion of Indian and Pakistani cuisines. The latter obviously covers the halal part of the dishes served here. Having different versions of chicken tandoori catered to the audience that wanted to stay halal and still have varieties when it comes to poultry or meat-based dishes. The fusion comes out best when the tandoori chicken dishes are served with naan instead of rice, a variety that halal practitioners are welcome to try in case they don’t feel like having rice.

Shalimar

Address: 7410 Amador Valley Blvd, Dublin

Website: Shalimar

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11:30am - 12am; Sun: 11:30am - 11pm

5. Zaytoon

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

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A restaurant that has been dubbed as the Middle Persian Kitchen, they take pride in serving dishes that are, according to Zaytoon’s website, “grilled on a skewer over charcoal”. While some patrons have flocked to their branch on Parliament Street, other halal practitioners have discovered the branch by 44/45 Lower Camden Street. True to their Persian branding, they served chicken marinated in spices that included Iranian saffron and doner bread for their shawarma wrap sandwiches. Vegetarian options are available on the menu as well.

Zaytoon

Address: 14/15 Parliament Street, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Zaytoon

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm - 2pm, 5:30pm - 9pm; Sun: 5:30pm - 9pm

6. The Olive Tree Restaurant

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This is one restaurant you can easily find if you booked the weekend at the Plaza Hotel Tallaght, one of the best hotels in Dublin. But as of late, other halal practitioners have also dined here even if they have not stayed at the hotel. This becomes a convenient, fine-dining option for them right at Belgrad Road in Dublin. Starters go for as low as 6.50 EUR (7.35 USD) with the chicken satay (not recommended for diners with a peanut allergy).

Olive Tree

Address: Plaza Hotel Tallaght, Belgrad Road, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Olive Tree Restaurant

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11:30am - 2:30pm, 5pm - 9pm (closed on Sun)

7. Kebabish Tandoori

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

With a restaurant that displays the fusion between South Asian cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine, everyone that wanted to eat here and still be within the acceptable boundaries of halal is catered to.

The restaurant serves Muslim-friendly foods in Dublin and sums it up best with their Indo-Pak curries with poultry as the meat of the dish. Traditional Pakistani dishes like chicken taka tak are on the menu as well. Char-grilled slabs of meat served with doner bread make a full meal to enjoy either for lunch or for dinner.

Kebabish Tandoori

Address: 39 Lower Clanbrassil Street, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Kebabish Tandoori

Opening hours: 12pm - 12am (daily)

8. Keshk Cafe

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

This is one restaurant that doesn’t simply bill itself as a Middle Eastern restaurant. They take pride in being a halal restaurant that serves Egyptian cuisine. And their flagship dish is the keshk - a boat-shaped piece of filo pastry filled with chopped chicken fillet and mushroom tidbits covered in cream sauce. Other halal favorites include poultry-based dishes like the chili chicken and the shishtaouk. Some buffets go all-out halal complete with the doner bread and other pieces of pastry. Most patrons take advantage of the BYOW (bring your own wine bottle) aspect of dining at Keshk.

Keshk Cafe

Address: 71 Mespil Rd, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Keshk Cafe

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 12pm - 10pm (closed on Sun)

9. Madina Desi Curry

Editor’s note: Establishment is Permanently closed.

Madina Desi Curry is more like a street food joint, with its fusion of Middle Eastern flavors. It has not lost its way from the halal requirements that its faithful patrons have accustomed to even if they have migrated to Dublin. Any starter meal can easily be upgraded into a full meal by adding either naan roll or rice. If you ordered for chicken tikka kebab upgrade, just choose between naan roll and rice to make it a full meal.

Madina Desi Curry

Address: Moore Street, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Madina Desi Curry

Opening hours: 12:30pm - 11pm (daily)

10. Gourmet Burger Kitchen

The burger may not always come to mind when searching for the best halal food. But with options that contain chicken meat or vegetarian patty substitutes, food spots like Gourmet Burger Kitchen ends up catering to individuals with dietary food considerations. Serving Muslim-friendly burgers in Dublin, this local joint also serves vegetarian options that accommodate folks not only trying to stay within Halal limits but those who need nut-free meals to keep them full.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen

Address: 14 William Street South, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Gourmet Burger Kitchen

Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11am - 11pm; Sun: 11am - 10pm

11. Rotana Cafe

Editor's Note: Photo taken from the establishment's official social account

Known for quality Lebanese cuisine, Rotana Cafe was awarded as the Best of Dublin Restaurants in 2018 by the Dublin-based publication, Hot Press Guide Magazine. The well-known halal dishes are mainly chicken shawarma, shish taouk, fatat dajaj, and chicken mishwe. Several dishes known only to Lebanese folks are served here much to the delight of its faithful patrons.

Rotana Cafe

Address: 31 South Richmond Street, Portobello, Dublin

Website: Rotana Cafe

Opening hours: 11:30am - 11:30pm (daily)

12. Kopitiam

Kopitiam is a Malaysian word that means coffee shop. This means that this coffee shop while catering to mostly Malaysian expats based in Dublin, has attracted halal foodies as well. It helps a lot that spicy food falls within the halal specifications. With this in mind, everyone is curious to discover this part of Southeast Asian cuisine that serves chicken-based dishes like kepak ayam goreng and vegetarian favorites like kankong sambal belachan (featuring swamp cabbage) and okra sambal belachan (featuring lady’s fingers).

Kopitiam

Address: 53 Capel Street North City, Dublin, Ireland

Website: Kopitiam

Opening hours: Mon - Sun: 9am - 10pm (closed on Wed)

Enjoy your halal meal in Dublin

While Middle Eastern cuisine would normally include lamb and beef, highlighting the chicken and veggie-based dishes served in the restaurants above make it easier for the halal-compliant crowd to decide which food joint to try for the first time. With some restaurants going as specific as the home countries to serve the best that their hometowns could offer, there is so much to discover in Dublin when it comes to culinary varieties. Going the lawful way of eating comes easy when you are immediately informed of the ingredients used in a dish. Have fun taking a food trip around the best halal-certified restaurants and Muslim-friendly buffets in Dublin, Ireland.

There are also plenty of Japanese restaurants and Chinese restaurants in Dublin that offer amazing dining scenes.