Carlitos - Botanic Avenue - Belfast

I realise as I am writing this post that it is yet again about an Italian restaurant so, please bear with me and I promise next time it will be different!

Carlitos is a cute little place neither too loud nor crowded. The atmosphere is warm and relaxed and the decoration is a bit stylish.

We went there on a Sunday night, which has kind of become a habit for us. The menu was simple but inspiring. We had our eyes set on the scallops to share as a starter. Being born in Brittany, I had the chance to sample, since I was a kid, gorgeously fresh seafood of all sorts so I am always sceptical when I order some in a restaurant. This time, I was not disappointed. The waiter brought us three big juicy scallops pan-fried in butter, as it should be. They were perfectly moist inside and deliciously golden brown outside. The crispy stripes of bacon that came with them gave a nice balance to the seasoning. It is a classic that always work, the French equivalent would be smoked and finely sliced duck breasts.

As a main course, Damien chose a dish of pasta Carbonara. It tasted good but was not the best we ever tried; maybe a bit too rich with the spaghetti smothered in full cream and it lacked something (onions, egg yolk, mushrooms…), anything that would have made it a bit more interesting.

I had asked for the cherry tomato and asparagus risotto and since the kitchen had just ran out of asparagus, the chef offered me to add some chicken or mushrooms. I opted for the chicken and I must say the result was beautiful. The texture was exactly the way I love it, neither too gooey nor too liquid, infused with a deep powerful flavour of Parmesan. The quality of the ingredients and of the cooking took the dish to the next level. The chunks of chicken breasts were tender and slightly smoked, the tomatoes were ripe and full of flavours, and absolutely everything worked together to deliver a great dish.

Believe it or not but we were still hungry after all that and decided to have a look at the desserts menu. I instantly chose the sticky toffee pudding. It is often something I go for when there is nothing new or exciting and that I can’t find any chocolaty dessert. The cake in itself was lovely, really moist and fondant and topped with a scoop of ice cream that was very refreshing; but the sauce was terrible and I am honestly not being fussy! Instead of the thick fudgy caramel that I love so much was a very thin and poor looking sauce that tasted like it had been burnt. It was such a shame because it kind of spoilt the rest of the plate for me. 

Damien had ordered the “crème brulee”, his absolute favourite! He was not disappointed as the dessert was perfectly executed, right texture, good balance with real vanilla aroma and beautiful thin and crispy caramel layer on top. 

In the end, except for the dreadful caramel sauce, we had quite a nice experience. I would certainly recommend it and would probably come back for a last minute dinner out.

Ten Square Hotel - Donegall Square - Belfast

What I love about Ten Square Hotel is the fact that it is busy at all times. They have a cool bar area with comfortable and kind of intimate small tables and where you can order some nibbles while having a drink. We went to their restaurant, on a Sunday night, around 9. It was still buzzing but we could get in without a reservation and didn’t have to wait at all. The service was great, all the staff was very welcoming and efficient. The menu was simple but appealing, I would qualify it as good quality and slightly revisited “pub grub”.

Damien went for a "fish and chips", which came traditionally wrapped into a newspaper. I had never seen that before and was totally seduced by this authentic and unpretentious presentation. It was a bit like unwrapping a gift and savoring the small pleasure of discovering what was inside. The chips were beautiful golden chunks and the fish was shaped into thin battered fingers, perfectly cooked and deliciously crunchy. The chef added a nice touch to the dish with a side of mushed peas and a savoury tartare sauce, my favorite!

As for me, I had been fantasizing about a burger all week so I went for the Italian one and it was a great surprise. Nothing too exciting about the bun even if it was neither too dry nor over toasted; but the real surprise was the salty addition of the crispy Parma ham that gave a nice kick to the generous layer of melted mozzarella dripping all over a tender and tasty patty. On top of that, a fondue of spicy peppers brought a smart seasoning to the whole thing. The side of French fries was perfectly executed, hot, thin and crispy. I devoured everything!

If I had to make one very small complaint about that evening, it would be the prices of the food, which is maybe a bit too expensive for the standards. Nevertheless, we both had a lovely evening and even if we probably won’t go back anytime soon since the menu was not that extensive, the Ten Square still makes a perfectly suitable recommendation for a nice dinner out!