Ulster Tatler Sept – Having recently participated in our annual Am Dram pilgrimage to the mother of all Summer Theatre venues, Portrush Town Hall, where the cast and crew spent a week staying in shared accommodation (think an 18-80 Big Brother!), entertaining appreciative audiences, and also sampling some fantastic food from a number of Portrush and Portstewart dining establishments. Serving up fresh, seasonal, and sustainable dishes, and with a focus on some of the amazing seafood available on the North Coast, here are four restaurants we visited last month, and thoroughly enjoyed.
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Shanty, Portrush.
Established in 2021, the brilliant Shanty is one of our North Coast favourites, with its terrific menu, delicious cocktails, and superb sea views. Situated in the old lifeboat shelter it’s an absolute must for any visitors to Portrush looking for an excellent foodie experience in stunning surroundings.
And so, as the cast and crew of our Summer Theatre show were in need of a great spot to enjoy a bite to eat and a few drinks on our first night in Portrush, Shanty was the obvious choice!
We started with a selection of sharing plates; some smoky, charred Padron Peppers, creamy Burrata, Lemon & Pepper Squid with saffron aioli, and deliciously crispy fried Whitebait.
The main courses were also top notch especially the seafood: that Fish & Chips! Enormous fillets of flaky fish, battered and fried to crunchy perfection and served with mushy peas, tartar sauce, and chunky chips-a seaside classic!
We also enjoyed beautifully crispy-skinned Seabass with juicy prawns, broccoli and baby potatoes, and chunky, golden Scampi. There were fantastic vegetarian options too, and of course, the Prime Irish Steaks, dry-aged & matured for 30 days, were cooked to order on Shanty’s bespoke grill.
This was another wonderfully memorable summer’s evening enjoying Shanty’s fine food, drink and craic.
The Salty Cow, Portrush.
On the road between Portrush and Portstewart, The Salty Cow is a brand new coastal kitchen championing Causeway-reared beef from a single family butcher, local seafood straight off the boats, and fresh, quality produce from local growers.
We called in for lunch and were seated at a window seat which made the most of those beautiful ocean views. To start, we sipped on a refreshing Rhubarb and Ginger Cocktail whilst enjoying a steaming bowl of mussels, fragrant with the scent of the sea, in a creamy Armagh cider sauce, with toasted wheaten to soak up the delicious broth.
Today’s catch was Lemon Sole on crushed potatoes with salty capers, peas, tomatoes, smoked bacon, and grilled romanesco: this was fish cookery at its very best. And the Seafood Linguine was packed with generous helpings of local fish and shellfish, in a garlic cream, with sun-kissed tomatoes, parmesan, and herb oil.
The Salty Cow is the perfect spot to enjoy an informal lunch during a day at the coast, or an evening meal savouring great food and drink with friends and family. As ‘Salty Sadie’ herself informed us, “Our restaurant is built around two things we love; properly aged beef, and seafood that was in the water this morning. The view, of course, is a bonus!” Wise bovine words, indeed!
Chipmongers, Portstewart.
We always make an effort to pop back every time we’re on the North Coast to this Portstewart institution, the multi-award winning Chipmongers, at The Diamond, and had a terrific chippy tea with our Summer Theatre team.
Chipmongers sources its ingredients from local suppliers and has an ethos of “stripping it all back to a traditional Irish chipper with a modern twist.”
As well as great takeaway food, the restaurant has a sit-in area with its own menu. You can even bring a bottle of wine or beer to enjoy with the freshly prepared seafood.
We tucked into Chipmongers’ terrific Fish Suppers with perfectly golden, crispy batter and hand peeled & cut chips, and a superb Seafood Sharing Platter which included fillet of cod, Korean prawns, and Scampi, and came with a choice of chips and dips: more than enough for two to share.
And one of our party also enjoyed the “Sweet and Smokey Robinson”, a Southern Fried Chicken Fillet Burger with smoked bacon, mixed leaves, maple syrup, and chipotle, in a toasted brioche bun.
We loved returning to Chipmongers, an establishment which continues to be a cut above the ubiquitous “chippy”.
Urban, Portrush
Urban in Portrush has become one of our go-to spots when we’re looking for a quick tasty bite and excellent, friendly service. It’s a stone’s throw away from the local beaches, amusements, and the Town Hall.
The menu features contemporary, crowd-pleasing dishes, and we had a few excellent small plates to share from the Starter Section; Pil-Pil prawns in a sizzling garlic, chilli & chorizo butter with baked focaccia, Indian Spiced Cauliflower Fritters with a baby leaf salad and a zingy chimichurri dip, Chinese Duck Spring Roll with an asian noodle salad and a plum dipping sauce, and Crispy Panko-Crumbed Brie with mixed leaf salad and a cranberry, port & orange gel.
We also enjoyed the Crunchy Crumbed Chicken with a dip and fries, Pan-Fried Seabass with sautéed tenderstem broccoli, chorizo, king prawns, and lemon & parsley crushed potatoes, and the phenomenally good Chilli & Sour Cream Potatoes on the side.
Urban also has two sister restaurants in Portrush; The Tides on the Ballyreagh Road on the way to Portstewart, and “1” at Causeway Street which offers two distinct dining experiences under one roof-a downstairs café with coffee and light bites, and above, a restaurant with sea views over the Arcadia and the East Strand.
