Ulster Tatler – How fabulous to see the foodie scene in Belfast flourishing, with many restaurants extending their opening hours, and established favourites revamping their menus to champion summertime flavours and seasonal ingredients. We wanted to tell you about four great eateries we’ve recently revisited, and particularly enjoyed, in the city over the past few weeks
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River Bar Bistro & Lounge, Crowne Plaza, Belfast
We had become very familiar with the Crowne Plaza over the years, having attended conferences, awards ceremonies, weddings, and gala dinners, so we were keen to discover what dining options this South Belfast hotel has to offer.
On the ground floor, you’ll find the River Bar Bistro & Lounge, an all day dining experience serving sharing plates, deli sandwiches and panini, stone baked pizzas, burgers, and chef’s homemade classics.
The stylish bistro has been designed with nods to the roaring twenties, and we were seated at a beautiful table next to an art deco fireplace which was impressively marbled and mirrored-simply stunning! There’s also a range of booths and sofa areas, ideal for a catch up with a cocktail or two.
And speaking of which, we started our evening with a couple of cocktails ourselves: an Old Fashioned and a Watermelon Margarita Special, to accompany our starters of Sweet Potato Falafel Salad with lettuce, carrot, cherry tomato, red chilli, coriander, spiced cashew nuts, & cranberry, and a spicy Gambas Pil Pil with garlic, chilli, and toasted sourdough.
We ordered a delicious bottle of lighted-bodied Ropiteau Les Plants Noble Pinot Noir to enjoy with our “Taste of Spice Club” main courses. The Crowne Plaza is renowned for the quality and authenticity of its Asian dishes, and we were very impressed with both the Butter Chicken in a creamy spiced tomato sauce, with pilau rice & naan, and the Teriyaki Salmon with noodles, pak choi, and sugar snap peas, which was fragrant with sesame and soy.
And finally, the Chocolate Brownie with vanilla ice cream, and the Raspberry Frangipane Tart, were the perfect way to finish the meal.
Gnostic, Belfast.
In the heart of Sailortown, facing the Harbour Commissioner’s Office in Belfast, Gnostic Bar and Restaurant offers a cozy, intimate venue serving up terrific food and excellent cocktails.
We called in on a Sunday afternoon, and although all the tables were fully booked, we were invited to sit at the bar, which was perfectly suited to the “Small Plates” style of dining.
The Squid in spicy Gochujang with crumbled black pudding, carrots, lime crema, and sesame, was sweet, sticky and delicious, and the Tempura Broccoli Tacos had a ponzu glaze, with warming heat from the wasabi mayo.
The Fried Tofu Sliders were a great meat-free option, with barbecue sauce, red cabbage, crispy onions, and lime, and we also loved the melty Filo Feta Parcels dripping with truffle and oregano honey, and the chips with confit garlic mayo.
With the French doors flung open to make the most of the early summer sunshine, dining from a brilliant menu with fresh modern takes on pub favourites, and soaking up the informal, cosmopolitan vibe, Gnostic was the perfect spot to enjoy a lazy Sunday lunchtime treat.
The Morning Star, Belfast.
Originally a coaching stop for the Belfast to Dublin post, The Morning Star is a Belfast hospitality institution.
Run by the McAlister family since the eighties, The Morning Star is more than just a pub and restaurant. With its farm to fork ethos, and strong commitment to championing local farmers, growers, and producers, it prides itself on its reputation for quality food and drink.
We called in try the brand new restaurant menu and we were bowled over by the lengthy list of suppliers on the reverse; beef and lamb from their own family farms, fish from Ewings, pork from Buchanans, and eggs from Fruitvale Farm, to name but a few.
The Morning Star even has its own zero-waste organic kitchen garden for the herbs and veggies, and has become renowned for serving the best steaks in Belfast with many cuts available, from rump and ribeye, to T-bone and Tomahawk.
We started our lunch with a pescatarian dream; a superb Seafood Tower with Baked Oysters, Classic Moules Mariniere, Salt & Pepper Calamari, Deep Fried Whitebait, Lemon & Garlic Aioli, Seaweed Butter, and Guinness Wheaten Bread-perfect for sharing.
This was followed by an extremely tasty Chicken Parmigiana; a Panko crumbed Co Antrim Chicken Schnitzel, smothered in tomato marinara sauce, toasted nduja crumb, grated parmesan, and hand cut paprika chips.
And the Big Boy Bhaji Gourmet Burger, a vegetable and sesame bhaji burger with labneh, red onion chutney, coriander salsa, and pickled chilli, in a vegan brioche bun, was proof that The Morning Star has some amazing plant-based options too.
We finished with a dram of The Morning Star small batch Irish Whiskey, made in collaboration with Shortcross distillery, which is full of warmth, character and heritage-just like the pub itself.
Avoca, Arthur Street Café, Belfast.
The Arthur Street Café at Avoca Belfast is the ideal location for a spot of refreshment and relaxation after indulging in some city centre retail therapy.
And with a cool new rebrand, whilst still retaining that familiar, spacious vintage-inspired vibe, Avoca 1723, named after a little weaving mill and inspired by Avoca’s Wicklow heritage, uses quality Irish ingredients to create delicious dishes celebrating fresh local produce.
Many of the new menu items also feature in Avoca’s best-selling cookbook, featuring lots of tasty, freshly prepared plates.
From the “All Day Favourites” section, we chose a beautifully fresh and zingy Avoca Crab Salad with Lambay Island dressed white crab, on toasted brioche, with pickled fennel, pink grapefruit, apple, radish, and a mixed leaf salad, and a summery Baked Cod Criolla, with baby spinach, potato rösti, and salsa criolla, which is a vibrant, Latin American sauce made from finely sliced red onions, tomatoes, peppers, fresh herbs, and crispy capers.
The “Weave It Your Way” section also allows the diner to enjoy “bespoke foodie tailoring”, with an incredible variety of savoury and sweet combinations; we went for Avoca’s legendary buttermilk pancakes with mixed berry compote and vanilla mascarpone. There’s also a terrific choice of drinks, from coffees and sodas, to wines and cocktails.
