In the former Roscoff premises, this is the Belfast restaurant everybody is talking about – well known chef Jason More migrated here from No. 27 and, assisted by partner Yvonne and a smart international staff, is running a cool and keenly priced operation.
In Belfast’s ‘fine dining strip’ behind City Hall (and close to TenSquare Hotel) this stylish restaurant re-opened after just a brief closure so the refurb was fairly superficial – but enough, nevertheless, to funk it up a little and add a few witty touches, making it a slightly less formal space.
With two black iron tables and chairs and classy beige brollies attracting attention to the stylish frontage, it can’t be missed by passers-by, and a candle arrangement inside the door is a welcoming touch.
A glitter ball gives the bar area an after dark atmosphere but the dining room remains mainly classic, with same lovely wooden floor and black pillars, soft mushroom walls and leather chairs.
Additions include an ibex head mounted on the wall – an auction find (sporting a pink ski band) – and, most strikingly, a series of block-mounted poster images along the long wall of the dining space, two of them ostensibly cigarette ads but bearing legends that might raise a few eyebrows in Belfast. And no need to wonder where the heads are here - at the back, a lurid green sign says in bold lettering THIS IS THE TOILET.
All that aside, however, there is no questioning the seriousness of the cooking under chef Jason More, backed up by excellent, professional and friendly service from an international team.
Menus are concise, and prices are very reasonable for the standard offered – lunchtime starters such as cloudy spicy thai broth with tom yum mussels, or chorizo salad with red onion, tatzik sweet chilli butter beans and coriander, are mostly in the £5-6 region and, except for grilled ribeye, mains are all well under £20 – even pan fried whole sole is only around £18.50. (Some bar food is offered too.)
Even when the restaurant is not busy but there are no compromises - and, unusually, prices on the evening à carte are similar to the lunch time offering, which no doubt adds to the appeal.
Dishes meeting with special approval on a recent visit included an absolutely gorgeous chicken liver parfait served with warm toasted (individual) brioche and red onion marmalade - the perfect match; equally interesting is a starter of Serano ham with fig and grape chutney, pain d'épices, honey vinaigrette - garnished with lightly baked fig quarters, the star here is the warm pain d'épices, which perfectly complements the other ingredients.
Of the main courses, a dish of beautifully cooked roast cod, with potato gnocci, fine beans, asparagus, saffron crayfish & salsa rossa stands out - a handsome portion, with soft flakes under a slightly crisped skin – and, while chicken can seem a cop-out choice when dining out, Jason More’s roast chicken with caponata, red onion, grilled new potatoes, bell pepper & basil is a reminder of how good this popular ingredient can be.
Well garnished plates mean that sides may not be needed but, for the very hungry, a choice of mash, baby boiled or chips, sweet chilli wedges and vegetables are all very reasonably priced at around £2.75.
Delicious desserts may include crumble - apple and autumn berry perhaps - baked in an individual gratin dish and served with a boule of well-flavoured home made cinnamon ice cream and a scattering of lightly browned flaked almonds.
Excellent cooking, attractively relevant presentation, attentive and well-informed service and very customer-friendly pricing make this a restaurant to return to -
expectations will be high but, in the Guide’s experience, they will be more than met.
The wine list includes house wines at £17 and some interesting wines by the glass.
Seats 90 (outdoors, 10). L Mon-Fri 12-3; D Mon-Sat, 6-‘late’; ‘Lazy Sunday’ 12-4. Value L £8-9, 12-3pm. House wine £15-17. SC Disc; children welcome; wheelchair accessible (toilets & public areas); air conditioning. Closed 24-25 Dec, 1 Jan. Amex, MasterCard, Visa, Switch.
