Younger sister to Cristina and Stevie Higginson’s deservedly popular Square Bistro in Lisburn (see entry), this much-anticipated restaurant hit the ground running when it finally opened in 2021 after several pandemic-related delays.
Replacing the excellent but short-lived Bull & Ram, which closed in 2018, it takes its name from the original owners of the former butchers shop - the name Coulter is proudly displayed above big arched windows on the impressive frontage of this listed Edwardian building. Inside, it has been imaginatively restored with the traditional black and white floor, green and cream wall tiling, a sturdy hanging frame for butchers hooks, herringbone pattern wooden ceiling and many other details retained.
Within a smart contemporary scheme, it now makes an atmospheric setting for unpretentious dining at simply laid bare topped tables with mismatched chairs of a certain age. At the back, in a modern extension, the main focus is an open kitchen where you can watch the team at work preparing the flavour-packed and fairly priced dishes that - together with excellent service and initiatives such as live music night and ‘kids eat free’ times - keep this neighbourhood gem a-buzz.
Menus offer a nice balance of bistro favourites and international flavours, with dishes such as black pudding & parmesan croquettes with bacon jam or crispy Korean prawn cocktail with peanuts, iceberg lettuce and coriander going down a blinder among the ‘small plates’, and a Sugar pit bacon chop with BBQ hispi cabbage, béarnaise and champ proving a main course winner. Perfectly cooked fish is sure to be a highlight too, and anything cooked on their Big Green Egg comes with that irresistible smoky barbecue flavour - ever-popular steak, with pepper sauce and de rigeur onion rings, for example.
The drinks menu also has a local tone, with favourite craft products offered alongside well-chosen wines. The Higginsons' long experience of running a successful neighbourhood restaurant shows in many details at Coulter - and visitors to the area will be delighted to find it too.
