A first restaurant for chef Killian Durkin (formerly of several well known Dublin establishments, including Chapter One) and Jess D'Arcy (front of house at the much-loved Etto, among others), Mamo caused quite a stir when it opened on the Howth harbour front in autumn 2019.
Although the picturesque north county Dublin fishing port is generously endowed with good restaurants - including Dublin's longest established fish restaurant, The King Sitric, nearby - the arrival of this talented pair brought a frisson of excitement to the village. With its smart awning and pavement tables for outdoor dining, it's an enticing spot and the genuinely warm welcome from Jess and her team has diners in the palm of their hands from the get-go.
Purposefully set up with neat bare-topped tables sporting handsome glassware and linen napkins, plus about half a dozen sturdy stools at the bar, not an inch of space is wasted in the compact white-walled room. The kitchen, where you can watch Killian and his small team working quietly away, is hardly more than a sliver taken off the back - yet, while Killian's menus may not be long, the range and quality of dishes that cross the pass would be remarkable in any setting.
Chefs sometimes say there isn't room on the menu to credit suppliers - no danger of that here, where the message is unequivocal: all produce is sourced from North County Dublin where possible, and proudly named suppliers include the wonderful McNally Farm (organic veg), while fish and seafood come from Kish Fish, Lambay Crab & Lobster and local lobsterman Steven Farren, and meats from Higgins Family Butchers, who have a superb shop nearby at Sutton.
So these are the main starting points for the beautiful and exceptionally tasty dishes that come out of this small kitchen - some, like the humorously conceived 'cod chip', quickly became favourites with regular customers and are unlikely to be leaving the menu any time soon, while others are so intensely seasonal that they change frequently and keep the menu fresh.
With fishing boats in sight in front of the restaurant it will be no surprise that seafood is a key focus, and not just prime fish - there may be a zesty mackerel tartare with coriander and orange, perhaps, to start, or an underrated fish like black pollock could feature in a colourful main course with charred courgette, mussels and romesco sauce. Meats might include a magnificent cote de boeuf (€70 for two) and, in season, the game choices are a joy - possibly including a treat like roast Wicklow partridge as well as venison and pheasant, if you're lucky.
No big deal is made about vegetarian dishes but, with the McNally farm repertoire to choose from, they will be worth a journey; white beetroot, apple and roast macadamia make a shimmering dream of a starter, for example, while 'Crown Prince Pumpkin' could be the inspiration for a magnificently autumnal main - and, as for the sides, there's a choice of three and all too good to miss, so why not try them all.
And on the last leg Howth honey comes into its own - a blueberry parfait, for example, comes with Howth honeycomb and citrus yoghurt and there might be a more-ish Howth honey and almond 'floating island' and almond praline. Or you could just settle for a single cheese of the day - Durrus Og, perhaps - with poached pear and Guinness bread. How delicious is that...
Drinks are equally well considered, with a couple of less usual sherries and 'bubbles' to start and a fair choice of wines around €35-40 and some treats in there too; the list is arranged by style, which offsets the lack of tasting notes to some extent, and there are specials listed on a blackboard.
With well paced service and a warm and relaxed ambience to match the excellent cooking, Mamo quickly captured the hearts of local diners with an eye for quality - and, for everyone else, it's yet another good reason to head out to Howth. While not inexpensive in the evening (and offering no early bird dinner menu), Mamo is a class act - and lunch is a snip.
