In an airy corner shop of a Dublin-area strip mall, Maison Skalli offers plenty to savor—whether you’re in the mood for a leisurely brunch with friends or a solo afternoon treat. Opened in April 2024, the family-run business—Esskalli is their last name—weaves the owners’ Moroccan heritage into a French-leaning café menu, with a robust selection of breakfast and brunch items, hot and cold beverages, and from-scratch pastries offered in a counter-service setting.
On a Thursday afternoon, the café was pleasantly lively, with a steady stream of dine-in customers as well as those grabbing treats to-go. Although the savory menu features familiar brunch dishes like quiche and avocado toast, more interesting is the handful of decidedly Moroccan options, like the Maison Skalli Breakfast ($17.50). Served with fresh orange juice and a piping-hot kettle of mint tea, the individual egg tagine cooked with khlii (a flavorful beef confit) is accompanied by an earthy, housemade whole wheat bread: a winning pairing.
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Don’t sleep on the seemingly simple khubz o thon (tuna sandwich; $11.99): The punchy harissa cuts through the tuna’s richness wonderfully, and a lightly toasted ciabatta roll is all the unadorned sandwich needs.
Maison Skalli’s impressive breadth of sweets includes a dozen-plus cakes, an array of flavored croissants and Moroccan cookies that are sold by the box. The Mango Opera ($9) is stacked in appealing layers—with mango mousse and caramel cream sandwiched between chocolate-almond sponge cake.
A modern take on the Italian classic, the bombe-shaped tiramisu ($7.50) consists of cocoa-dusted mascarpone cream enrobing a center of coffee-soaked lady fingers. It’s visually striking and a fresh interpretation of iconic flavors, but the slight graininess of the cream may not be everyone’s cup of tea.
One can’t-miss item, however, is the best-selling knafeh croissant ($10). The exquisite white chocolate and pistachio filling is folded with shredded phyllo dough, resulting in an irresistible, candy bar-like crunch in every bite, with a dark chocolate glaze and smattering of pistachios.
Service is friendly and helpful, with employees kindly answering any questions. The relaxed ambiance, comfortable seating and wide assortment of menu items (plus Wi-Fi) make the morning-to-night café a place you want to linger. A second Maison Skalli location is in the works; in the meantime, the original is a great place to visit for brunch, coffee and pastries.
This story appeared in the June 2025 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Find Sweets to Savor and More at Maison Skalli
Reporting by Joy Cho / Columbus Monthly
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