Richard Nelson opened this smart modern daytime deli, coffee house and informal restaurant at a small shopping centre near Hillsborough in 2007, and it’s proved a real winner.
It could take a bit of finding for first time visitors - who may not realise that Harry’s Road is not in the village, but on the other side of the main Belfast road – but, once you’ve taken this on board, it definitely has its advantages as you’ll have none of the problems of limited park or accessibility that tourist hotspots like pretty Hillsborough village can be prone to, and it’s well worth visiting.
The setting is definitely retail and the exterior may not be encouraging but locals clearly know what lies behind the low key entrance - once inside, you’ll be faced with not just a tempting array of well-chosen deli goods in the front area, but also the happy buzz of people eating and drinking with enjoyment in the smartly set up restaurant beyond.
So popular has Prima Gusto become that what started as a contemporary coffee house and deli just a couple of years ago has already become a fully licensed bistro, and there are plans to extend the restaurant and add a wine bar and waiting area – and also to extend the deli area, so that more local produce can be stocked.
What’s more, the regulars who had got used to popping in during the daytime, for anything from breakfast or lunch to a quick snack at ‘between times’, got a very pleasant surprise when plans to open for dinner at weekends in 2010 were brought forward with an evening menu being offered every Friday, Saturday (to 9.30) and Sunday night (last orders 8 o’clock).
Introducing change ahead of schedule is at remarkable any time but, given the current economic climate, this is pretty impressive. And, of course, evening opening allows diners a better opportunity to sample their other speciality – wines by Harry’s Road Fine Wine, a consortium that includes Nick and Kathy Pirce of Nick’s Warehouse.
Italian-inspired menus change throughout the day but they have key elements in common – a commitment to using locally sourced foods, especially meats and fish, for example, and also a nice combination of simplicity and imagination; there are no flowery descriptions, but there’s a wholesome appeal to the dishes which follows through on the plate.
Following the great Ulster baking tradition, breads are baked in-house (and going retail soon), so a simple breakfast dish like scrambled eggs on toasted country loaf is something a bit different, and the same goes for the Belfast baps - and homemade potato bread, which features on the weekend breakfast menu (an extension of the weekday version), offering treats like a Champagne Breakfast for two.
The main daytime bistro menu offers the wide range that shoppers and anyone else just out and about needs - including good sandwiches, nibbles like bread and olives, light dishes/starters such as a very good classic chicken liver paté with toast; a Tasting Plate of cured meats, cheeses and fruuits; and hot dishes such as a seasonal fish pie (nice to know it varies with supplies), or – one of the house specialities - hearty braised ox tail with red wine jus and root vegetables.
There’s a little children’s menu too, and – not listed, except maybe on the blackboard, but well displayed and impossible to ignore – a great selection of homebaked desserts and goodies to have with something from the excellent coffee menu, or the unusually imaginative soft drinks menu.
There is a terrific vibrancy to this operation and, not only is the food really fresh tasting and delicious, but prices are very fair, and the staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful too. A real find.
Seats 80 (outdoors, 14). Open 9-4 daily; L 11.45-4 (Sun 11-3.30). D Fri-Sun only, last orders 9pm (8pm Sun). Children welcome (high chair, childrens menu, baby changing facilities); wheelchair accessible (toilets & public areas); air conditioning; free broadband wi/fi. Amex, Diners, MasterCard, Visa, Laser, Switch. Closed 24 Dec-12 Jan
