Garden centres are quite the culinary destination these days. After, or indeed, before you’ve stocked up on bedding plants and bare root hedges, you can pop into the Gardener’s Rest café for a quick coffee or a full roast beef dinner.
They also do soups, sandwiches, pies and quiches. The homemade pavlova or lemon meringue are hard to say no to, never mind the giant scones!
They’ve recently extended so there is room for 200 seats. Enjoy the panoramic views over the Castlereagh Hills. There’s a gorgeous covered balcony, free Wi-Fi and a private function room for 50 guests.
They’re so child-friendly, they have a healthy lunchbox with drinks, sandwiches, vegetables, cheese and fruit as well as colouring pencils and paper.
Open Mon-Sat 9am-5pm Sun 12pm-4.30pm
Late Night Opening Thurs & Fri to 7:30pm
The trendiest restaurant to open recently is Hadskis, named after Stewart Hadski who started a business making pots and pans in the same building way back in 1760. Today’s pots and pans are filled with such delights as Bacon, egg and chips or Salt Baked Bream with lemon and capers. They create dishes you don’t see on menus every day, or every month for that matter. This is adventurous cooking with local seasonal ingredients taking centre stage.
Take a seat at the bar which gives you front row experience watching the chefs working their magic in the dramatic open kitchen.
The cocktails here are worth the trip alone and they are made to suit the seasons. Experience the fantastic bar tending skills and work your way through the list . If you have no room for dessert, that Crème Brulee Martini is just the ticket.
Check out their Wine Mondays which have a series of wine and food pairings. These change every week and are a great way to effortlessly spend an evening with great food and drinks.
There was a buzz about Coppi since before it even opened its doors in late 2012, in the heart of Belfast’s cultural hub, St Anne’s Square. Venetian tapas (‘cichetti’) have arrived in Belfast courtesy of Coppi and its sister restaurant Il Pirata – and it’s a style we can’t get enough of.
Coppi has a large dining space as well as a cosy cichetti bar for bites over a glass of Prosecco or two. The bicycle handlebar coat hooks (Fausto Coppi was a renowned cyclist in the 40s and 50s) and exposed concrete walls add to its quirky, urban, industrial vibe.
Foodwise, there are little plates of perfection, from feta fritters with truffled honey and darling pork and fennel sausages, made from local meats. All pasta at Coppi is made fresh daily and the pasta dishes are worthy of a special mention especially their signature dish Porcini ravioli with a deep rich duck ragu, truffle oil and topped with per coring and crispy duck skin.
A meal at this St Anne’s Square venue is as affordable as a single cappuccino in Venice’s St Mark’s Square – closer to home and much more satisfying! Make like the great Coppi and get there fast.
The paint splashed logo is a bit of a clue. Husband and wife team Simon and Victoria Maccabe opened this gorgeous cafe/art gallery on East Belfast’s fashionable Belmont Road nearly six years ago.
They like to think it’s more than a coffee shop – it’s an experience and we wholeheartedly agree. It’s not everywhere you can appreciate Simon’s grandmother Gladys’ original paintings while enjoying superb food and drink.
Locals love the bodacious breakfasts and gourmet lunches freshly prepared with the best local ingredients. They bake all their own breads, tray bakes, cakes, and famous scones. Their soups, sandwiches and daily specials are filling, delicious and great value.
Open Monday -Saturday 8.30-5.30 with a BYO Piano Bistro Evening menu every Thursday night and are now open Sundays 9.00-4.00 for their live Piano Brunch with all day Breakfast, which is proving very popular and has a great atmosphere.
Sandwiches to make your tastebuds tingle, and good, good coffee for the good, good people. That’s what they do so well at this East Belfast café. It’s pretty much always buzzing here. Regulars know they’re onto a winner.
The sweet potato falafels are a particular favourite but then so too are the milkshakes. And don’t you just love that they call one of their sandwiches “Honey I’m Home”? Unlike some places, they really do fill their sambos here. The BLT Twister is another winner.
Everyone comments on how friendly the staff is. It’s always busy but the wait for a table is never too long. They serve hot food too, like traditional Irish stew and no prizes for guessing what Steak Out is. The soups are freshly made every day. Every portion is a great big hug in a bowl. The salad selection is none too shabby either.
Super-duper traybakes and all this nosh is for very little dosh. A real neighbourhood gem and well worth the trip out from the city centre.
Okay, we have four words for you. Raspberry-ripple baked Alaska. Now, don’t you just want a big plate of that right now? You know what they say about life being short? Eat dessert first. You may be tempted to do that at this place, but then you’d be missing out on other good stuff.
We’re talking chicken wings doused in a luscious bourbon whiskey, soy, honey and ginger sauce. Bourbon at Queens Head Chef is classically- trained, so his Beef Bourguinon is the real deal.
They get their bread from Francophiles too. Well, French Village bakery around the corner. O’Dea’s are their butcher of choice and mais oui, Walter Ewing for the fish.
Relax and enjoy the ambience within stylish surroundings; unwind with drinks and cocktails in the Bourbon at Queens Bar. There’s a dash of New Orleans inspiration from the team’s regular trips to the Big Easy.”
Move upstairs and dine in the restaurant, which offers the finest European style cuisine. Finish your experience in the chilled out vibe of the French Quarter on the third floor, where you can complete your experience with after dinner drinks and music.
