Monty's of Kathmandu, Temple Bar, Dublin

A little bit of Nepal appeared on a Dublin side street 18 years ago; and only surprisingly discovered by me on a random search for a staff night out. I have literally walked by this place on my way home from work a thousand times and never spotted it! It is an absolute gem in Temple bar, a place most Dubliners avoid at all costs.

I was tasked with taking some of my international colleagues for dinner in town. One of them is Muslim and so I wanted to ensure the restaurant was Halal; so I went to my trusty source tripadvisor for help. I came across Monty’s and wasn’t sure at first as I’d never heard of it; however the reviews were so outstanding that I thought we’d have to try it. It was listed #98 out of 1968 best restaurants in Dublin to visit on Tripadvisor, and has now risen to #90!

After a movie, we all wandered towards Temple bar, not quite sure what to expect or where to find it. The restaurant is well tucked into an edge Eustace Street, cornered near busy Dame Street. As we approached the doorway, I was pleasantly surprised by the many twinkling, fairy lights dancing in the window and as we stepped up into the doorway towards a red velvet curtain that cloaked the doorway, I knew we were in for something special.

We were seated right inside the door, a long table big enough for 8 was set with beautiful bronze side plates and heavy silverware, adorned with two of our colleagues already enjoying a beer.  We were seated and one of my colleagues, a bit of a wine buff, set about making a selection from lavish list.  Looking through the dinner menu was like strolling through food heaven, I adore Indian and Thai food so I never had any doubt that Nepalese cuisine would be right up my street. One of my colleagues sitting beside me was from Bangladesh and he was well acquainted with some of the dishes and he was giving me some tips, however most of his options included squid or lamb, since I eat neither I had to go it alone. I wanted to try something traditional so I opted for the Chicken Ledo Bedo, a Nepali curry served with plain rice. It was so tasty, the chicken was succulent and the curry was fragrant and light with a side of Garlic naan to mop up my plate (you can’t lick your plate in public!). There were plenty of poppadoms with chutney, mint yoghurt and chilli also while we waited on our mains. 

 

The night went down a treat with the gang and I would recommend a visit, either day or night. The atmosphere is warm, extremely friendly with excellent service and only the sound of content patrons echoing in the background; no noisy stereo pumping out crap music. It is a world away from Temple Bar.