We struck off to Dublin nice & early, all went smoothly & after a quick turnabout at the hotel, we were ready for action!
We had booked into Saba, on Clarendon Street, not too far from Grafton Street.
http://www.sabadublin.com
It is a large restaurant & cocktail bar, that specialises in Thai & Vietnamese food, and most importantly... Cocktails :)
There was a lively atmosphere & a great buzz about the place when we arrived. The staff were friendly & efficient from the get-go, and we did not want for anything for the duration!
The 5 of us were seated in a booth, which was comfy with plenty room, and it was nice to have a bit of privacy.
We started off with a round of cocktails to whet our appetites... Grapefruit Cosmos & Daiquiri's set us up nicely.
For a starter, I had Sweet Potato & Corn Fritters with a sweet chilli & peanut dip. It was delicious - really light & just enough of it. The others had Hoisin Duck Rolls with leek & cucumber & a hoisin sauce, and Chicken Wings with a soya, honey and sesame glaze & a tamarind dip. Everyone was very happy after that nibble & the mood was jovial to put it mildly.
Wine was next... (having cocktails with dinner would really have been pushing it)
Saba has a great & extensive wine list. We settled on a carafe of Pinot Grigio & a carafe of Malbec. Thumbs up all round again.
Our main courses arrived soon after our starters were cleared, probably a tad too soon. We would have liked just another few minutes, but I am being a little fussy here.
Our main courses were as delicious as our starters. I had a gorgeous veggie stir fry, with cashew nuts, red chilli & sweet basil. 2 of the girls also had this, one with prawns & the other with beef. And the non-spicy lovers of the group had a mild Massaman Chicken Curry with potato, onions, shallots & peanuts. All main courses were served with steamed rice. Everyone, without exception, really enjoyed the meal... but unfortunately, nobody had room for dessert!
Overall, our experience in Saba was fantastic. The food is very reasonable, as were the cocktails. We did think the wine was a bit pricey - €21.50 for a carafe. It was delicious though to be fair ;) and had we chosen a house wine, it would have been about €16.50.
I'd highly recommend it & we'll definately be heading back!
After our long & boozy lunch, we headed for Croke Park in a horse and cart...don't ask :)
And the night continued on with the excessive laughter & mighty craic that had begun in Saba.
And I'm sure you will be thrilled to hear that Westlife were even more amazing than the lunch... Hurray!
