Irish Independent Weekend - Paolo Tullio

The menu is surprisingly long, running to three-and-a-half pages. The starters were very good. I'm a sucker for simple foods that are well-prepared and flavoured. Catherine's sardines were a perfect example: done on a griddle, simply served and seasoned with skill, they were a delight. My roasted peppers were equally good. It's a natural reaction - when you get a good starter you instantly relax, confident that you're in the hands of a competent kitchen.

The main courses were just as tasty. Catherine's regal cous cous and my tagine were plentiful and flavoursome. I liked this food; good, honest genuine cooking. It's many good things, like friendly and comfortable.

The Irish Times Magazine - Chris Heaney

"a full-blown Moroccan dining experience..."

We visited El Bahia on a balmy summer's night and as we ascended the stairs the first thing that struck us was the sound of Moroccan music from above. The restaurant is decorated with Moroccan mirrors, metalwork, wall hangings and cushions. The rooms are lit by ornate lamps, the windows are all curtained - which further enhances the intimate atmosphere - and the overall effect, particularly when the smell of mint wafts out from the kitchen, is of transporting you to a different place - if not quite Marrakesh, at least somewhere other than central Dublin. In marketing-speak terms, a meal here is a complete package.

Business Post

...all the training in the world won't train someone to go the extra mile. But that is what we got at El Bahia."

If you're trying to book a table at El Bahia, you'll have to be a party of four or more as twosomes have to rely on the will of Allah. If you're not there before 7pm, all the tables are gone; luckily, I was blessed and made it in time to nab one.

I was with a foodie friend who's happy to experiment, making him the perfect guest for a Moroccan restaurant. We ordered a couple of gin-and-tonics with delightful 1:l proportions. Hardly exotic you may say, but they were invented in India by the British as the quinine helped prevent malaria. "Not that we have to worry about that in Ireland," remarked my companion, "you're easily the most poisonous thing here and there's still no cure for you."

Who Magazine

El Bahia goes to great lengths to be authentic: you can sip not-at-all-bad Moroccan wine while a belly dancer gyrates inches away. The place is small so it's worth booking on busier nights.

Real Moroccan food, including delicious mezze, tagines and pasteries, not to mention some good Moroccan wines, are served at prices that won't break the bank"

A taste of North Africa has come to Dublin's Clarendon Street. At El Bahia real Moroccan food, including delicious mezze, tagines and pastries, not to mention some good Moroccan wines, are served at prices that won't break the bank. With sushi stop Aya and Russian restaurant Tsar Ivan just a few doors down, Clarendon Street is becoming quite a culinary haven.