As we were scoping out Umi’s new location on Rathmines Road Lower, just minutes before it opened its doors for the very first time, a small crowd was already gathering outside.
Having been in business for the last three years on Dame Street, the falafel makers have opened this new location to meet the growing demand for their fresh Middle Eastern cuisine.
Just like in the original Umi, here you’ll find a variety of vegetarian sandwiches (like Palestian and Lebanese falafel), mezze (like stuffed vine leaves, breaded haloumi cheese sticks, and spinach filo rolls), salads and freshly squeezed juices.
Umi takes its name from the Arabic word for ‘mother’, because they want you to feel that your meal will be made with care and a smile.
This wholesome, natural feeling is conveyed through the restaurant’s design, with artwork adorning the walls providing nutritional facts about their dishes.
The decor also celebrates Middle Eastern culture, with a beautifully drawn Arabic quote from Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish written large above the counter meaning, ‘we have on this Earth what makes life worth living’.
There’s also a large portrait of famed Arab singer and actress Umm Kulthum that catches your eye the second you walk into the joint (which is there because her name sounds an awful lot like Umi, we were told).
The restaurant is open every day this week from 12pm until 6pm, but from Monday, August 15 its opening hours extend from 12pm until 10pm.
You can find the new Umi at 180 Rathmines Road Lower.
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