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This restaurat was brave enough to blaze a trail opening their fi ne-dining eaterie in this East Belfast suburb. The gamble has paid off handsomely and the restaurant is always crowded with politicians from the nearby Stormont government buildings, as well as locals, media and civil servants in the most civilised of mixes. Chef Cath Gradwell’s signature dishes are game and seafood and she uses seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. Aldens has earned many awards for its fi ne food, served by courteous uniformed staff and a very interesting wine list complements the food choices.
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Beatrice Kennedy’s is on the next block from Queen’s University and has a real homely ambience. The small dining room prides itself on its home-made bread, desserts and icecreams—some larger establishments could learn from their example. The menu features fresh local produce, served in an established favourite with a town-gown mix of clientele.
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Celebrity chefs the Rankins have pushed their cool urban bistro into pole position for funky food, with the possibility of sharing a bowl of noodles with a bottle of oriental beer in the bar area, or lingering over an interesting menu, with an oriental fusion-feel in the à la carte restaurant. Paul’s fi sh dishes with a twist sit well alongside more meaty and game favourites. Vegetarians are less well accommodated, but Jeanne’s puddings are worth leaving space for and the wine-list is superb. Staff are discreet and friendly. There is also space for private dining in one of Ulster’s best-loved and award-winning fi ne food eateries. Still very much holding its rating on the style scale for the in-crowd.
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One of the city centre’s newest restaurants, James Street’s bright dining room with a few pieces of contemporary art has proved a popular addition to the city’s fi ne dining scene. It serves a theatre menu as well as its standard menu. Both incorporate a new take on traditional baked and roast selections of fi sh and meat. The vegetarian option is normally a pasta/salad choice. Here a media crowd mixes with local celebrities and fashionable young professionals on a night out.
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A trend-setter in this part of the city when they moved into the old 19th-century Bushmills whiskey warehouse in 1989. At that point, the building was inhabited only by pigeons and noone had heard of the Cathedral Quarter, which is what the area is now dubbed. Belfast’s fi rst real wine bar opened on the ground fl oor and a proper dining room with Ulster linen tablecloths and napkins was established on the fi rst fl oor. The same attention was paid to the menu and its locally sourced ingredients to make Nick’s a fi rm favourite, not only with its business clientele during the day, but also for more relaxed leisurely dining in the evenings and at weekends. A new large extension ensures that one never has to wait long for a table in this busy culinary establishment.
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