Yamamori Noodles

Food: 4 Points

The food at Yamamori is really good. There is a great choice of Sashimi and Nigiri and also Maki is being offered for a good price. The Maki unfortunately cannot be mixed, so you can only get 8 pieces of one kind as a dish. If you are going with more people this is okay, though, as you can share some more plates. Our favorite are the starters. Yamamori offeres a good selection and you can choose between different veg, seafood and meat dishes that are all delicious. Being called Yamamori Noodles of course the restaurant also offers a lot of noodle dishes like Ramen or fried noodles. These all taste good but not extraordinary.

Service: 2 Points

The service at Yamamori is comparatively bad. The waiters are pretty slow, many also don't know what their food actually tastes like or contains. One time I ordered Tempura Sauce with my Tempura. Firstly I was surprised it didn't come with the dish and was charged for as an extra. Secondly I am still waiting for it to arrive. I ate my dish VERY slowly, but after finishing it, the sauce was still not there. Sad. During two of our visits we were asked to change table in the middle of our main course, which shows quite a lack of planning ability at Yamamori restaurant and I didn't like it one bit. Beside that most of the staff is at least friendly and some of them at least attemp to offer good service.
What we liked: The Sashimi =)

Cleanness: 3.5 Points

There is nothing in particular to mention here. the restrooms are small and not great but decently clean - especially compared to other restaurants in Dublin. The restaurant itself looks clean and the tables are always ok, too.
What we didn't like: Being asked to move tables twice already!

Atmosphere: 3.5 Points

The tables at Yamamori are very close together and there is not much privacy when you dine. Very disturbing to me is the art that is displayed in the restaurant. It is way too colorful and weird. On the other hand, some of the painting at least show Japanese scenes. The furniture in the restaurant is a dark wood, it is not perfectly comfortable but if you manage to get a seat in one of the booths its really nice and the benches there are okay to sit on for hours while enjoying hot Sake and good Sushi.

Value for money: 2.5 Points

The value for money is really okay. To eat good Sushi Yamamori is definitely the place to go in Dublin. The Fish is always fresh and tasty and the selection is really good. With all orders you get complimentary Green Tea which is hot and good. The main dishes are quite pricy here and quite ordinary in taste. I would recommed Yamamori rather for Sushi and Starters.

Total: 3.5 Points

71-72 South Great Georges Street
Dublin 2
Phone:+353 (1) 475 5001
Reservations should be made for the weekend.

PIZZA STOP

The Pizza Stop, as the name implies, is a little pizza place tucked away in a little alley off of Grafton Street. Its open kitchen and tightly packed tables lend to its cozy atmosphere. While the setting is perfect for that pre-movie pizza, don't plan on making it a romantic evening. The Pizza Stop has gotten rave reviews from other sources, but we are offering a review of our recent experience here.

1. Food: 2 points

The food is not quite what one might expect from a good Italian pizzeria. Although the menu offered a wide selection, including some decent vegetarian options, overall, the dishes we ordered were disappointing. To be fair, we did not order pizza, but instead, opted for some of the classic Italian dishes -- chicken parmesean and pasta carbonara. Both were sub-par.

All in all, if you want some quick Italian food off of Grafton and a nice friendly atmosphere, you can give this place a shot, but you might be better off heading for Bewley's Cafe right down the street.

2. Service: 3 points

The staff was friendly and for the most part Italian. We were quickly seated and even offered a preference for where wished to dine. They promptly took our drink and dinner orders, and the chefs in the open area kitchen cooked up our dishes, which were served piping hot in a timely manner.

3. Cleanliness: 2 points

The restaurant was decently clean, but the bathrooms resembled those found in dingy Irish pubs -- small, unclean, and unflushed. Because they were dirty enough to make one lose his or her appetite (luckily I visited to toilet after dinner), we give the overall cleanliness a 2.

4. Atmosphere: 3 points

The Pizza Stop offers a cozy, casual dining experience. The restaurant tables are situated quite close together, so don't expect too much privacy, but for some occasions, this seating arrangement works well with the lively atmosphere it creates.

5. Value for money: 2.5 points

Most dishes, including pizza, are priced around 10-15 Euros. It's not the cheapest place, but definitely affordable and what you might expect from any pizzeria in the city center. We give it 2.5 points because the food was below average, considering what we had paid.

6. Overall: 2.5 points

What we liked - Friendly service, casual and comfortable atmosphere.

What we didn't like - Cluttered seating, lack of privacy, small and dirty bathrooms, high prices, average quality food.

PIZZA STOP
6/10 Chatham House
Chatham Lane (off Grafton Street)
Dublin 2
01 6796712

Ocean Bar and Restaurant

Ocean Bar and Restaurant in Dublin 4 offers a one-two punch. First of all, it offers a delicious menu with the freshest ingredients. One of the more popular items is the Ocean burger. This burger is unlike anything I've ever had before. I have to hand it to the chefs at Ocean for thinking of topping high-quality Irish ground beef with homemade marinara sauce and melted Swiss cheese, all combined to perfection.

The lamb kabobs (only available for dinner) is also a great option. Smokey grilled chunks of lamb with fresh vegetables and a wonderful cucumber yogurt sauce, slapped in between warm pita bread, make this dish a winner. Be prepared to get your hands dirty though, because you make these yourself.

The chips (or French fries) at Ocean are the best in Dublin by far. They're not the traditional thick steak-cut fries. Instead, you get the shoe-string thin fries that we Americans are accustomed to (think McDonalds fries, that are fresh and fried to perfection). Be sure to ask for the garlic aioli for a side dip.

Other favorites include goat's cheese salad, tuna steak, fresh oysters on the half shell, and the hot wings. I do *not* recommend the enchilada.

The other half of the one-two punch is the fact that Ocean is situated right on Charlottes Quay Dock. This waterfront bar has the perfect atmosphere for a dinner party or a pub-night gathering with it's dimmed lights, comfortable living room style seating, and convenient coffee tables. The dimmed lights work well with the large windows to produce a brilliant view of the water.

Information
The Millennium Tower,
Charlottes Quay Dock,
Ringsend,
Dublin 4,
Ireland
Phone: +353 (0)1 668 8862
Website: http://www.oceanbar.ie/

Reservations recommended for large parties. Ocean also offers private party rooms.