The Hudson - Castle Court - Belfast

This little jewel is well hidden in the heart of the city centre. Hard to spot from the street as it is nested at the back of a small courtyard which seems very promising for summer times. It has a unique style, all quirky and cosy with a vintage look about it. It is just the perfect little neighbourhood bar to meet your friends on a dull and rainy day off.

That is exactly what we did last week end. We went there in the middle of the afternoon to grab a late lunch bite and have a couple of drinks. The atmosphere was lovely: busy and very lively but leaving you with that cool feeling that not everybody knows about this place…

The four of us were ravenous as we perused the simple and hearty menu; and we all picked something different.

The boys opted for burgers: one of them was a classic burger, which looked good and apparently also tasted good; but the one that really surprised me was the special. It was a Cajun chicken burger and looked amazing. The chicken breast was tender and perfectly cooked, still moist inside without being too pink. The spices were lovely and created a really original dish, a nice change from the classic beef burger.

Beef Burger

Cajun Chicken Burger

My friend chose a steak sandwich that she really enjoyed. The meat looked fondant and was cooked in a way that the bread didn’t end up soaked in blood and the side of pepper sauce was apparently amazing.

As for me, I had picked the club sandwich, which is a classic that I love, all the more because that is not something you can find in France. I only had a couple of them before but this one was from far the best of them all. The bread was well toasted but not dry, the bacon was cooked through and nicely crispy, the chicken was hot, tender and creatively seasoned with a delicious curry sauce. It was fantastic; I devoured it and didn’t leave a crumb on the plate.

The four dishes were served with golden and crispy chunky chips, hot and beautifully crunchy, a real delish once dipped into the aioli or mayo dips.

All in all, it was great value for money and the best recipe to cheer up on a cold and rainy afternoon. I highly recommend it and will certainly be back there soon!!

21 Social - 1 Hill Street - Belfast

Two weeks ago, we were looking for a new culinary venture within our neighbourhood. Having never been to 21 Social, we decided to give it a try and managed to get a booking for the evening. It is quite a nice stylish restaurant and also has its own bar, which is great to keep you busy while waiting for your table.

The menu was appealing and offered a good diversity of choices. We decided to share the squid as a starter and had a lovely experience. It was a nice change from the way this dish is usually served, more creative and refined. The thin and crispy stripes of squid were tender and full of flavours. I particularly enjoyed the Schezuan pepper seasoning that gave a real punch to the plate.

For our main courses we both indulged ourselves with the very promising 8 Oz Social Burger that we topped with cheddar and bacon. It looked great and tasted even better. The cheese was dripping all over the burger, the bacon was crispy and the patty was tender and really tasty. I loved the addition of a gherkin. It brought a nice fresh touch to it but the real surprise was the triple cooked chips. They were chunky, beautifully golden and perfectly cooked, it was absolutely delicious. They also came with two different homemade dips: a tomato relish and a garlic aioli. I am usually more into creamy white and mayonnaise style sauces when it comes to dip my chips but this time the tomato relish was a revelation. It was truly amazing, full of strong flavours, lovely thick texture; we both couldn’t have enough of it.

To top this already very successful evening we ordered a beautiful wine from California that also happened to beat our expectations!

We will definitely come back!

James South Street - 21 James South Street - Belfast

It took me three weeks to manage to get a booking in James Street South Bar. After several failed attempts we decided to plan ahead and to jump of the offer of a table at 9.15 on a Saturday night.

As we walked in, we were instantly greeted by the manager and guided to our table. The whole place was buzzing: couples, friends and large parties.

After ordering our wine, we started perusing the menu which first struck me as unpretentious, surprisingly short and straightforward in its way to describe the food. We were both intrigued. It was hard to know if the cuisine would be very simple or if the menu was purposely elusive.

After a while, we decided to share the duck rillettes and a side of truffle fries for starters. There are no words to describe the heavenly association of flavours and textures. The rillettes literally melted on the tongue. They came with a side of whipped goat cheese and honey providing a beautiful balance to the dish. Each mouthful was magical. Goat cheese and honey always work nicely together but it was a great surprise to discover how they perfectly completed and enhanced the duck.

As for the truffle fries, what can I say: I am a sucker for truffle. It is such a precious ingredient; even the slightest touch of it can metamorphose a simple dish. The fries were hand cut, thin and crispy. Every bite brought a wave of truffle and finished on a beautiful taste of aged Parmesan. I had never eaten anything like that before and I think this is a signature dish that has to be sampled if you decide to go to James South.

Then, for the main courses, Damien picked the macaroni with roast chicken. Once again, the very basic description didn’t quite describe the quality of the food. The homemade pasta were fondant, served in a light creamy sage infused sauce with crispy pancetta. The delicacy and the creativity of this dish were absolutely unbelievable.

My own main course was in every way as delicious. I had ordered a wild mushroom risotto. I have a passion for risottos and I am quite hard to satisfy when it comes to that particular dish but this one was from far the best I had ever had: creamy texture but without being too rich, exploding with strong mushroom flavours and finished with a touch of tasty pecorino cheese. I was amazed.

I don’t know how we were still hungry after that but we did indulge ourselves with desserts.

Damien had the vanilla crème brulee that was as creamy as expected, with a sweet hint of vanilla and a nice crunchy golden brown caramel layer. A classic brilliantly mastered by the chefs.

I had opted myself, for the apple pie and custard. The pastry was deliciously buttery and the apple filling had a nice kick of cinnamon to it. The warm pie contrasted surprisingly well with the cold custard. I particularly enjoyed it.

All in all the whole evening was perfect; the food couldn’t have been better or more creative. The atmosphere was great and the surroundings stylish and trendy. The service was efficient and very professional in a relaxed modern way. I just can’t wait to go back there!!

Harlem Cafe - Bedford Street - Belfast

Last Saturday, against all odds, we managed to squeeze in a booking for two in the very busy list of the Harlem Café. I had wanted to go there for a while. I usually look at the menu first when I try to find our next spot for a nice dinner out; but I must admit that it is the style and the decoration that really attracted me this one time.

When you step in the Harlem Café, there is a lot to take in. Every single detail, every piece of furniture has been carefully selected: it is a whirlwind of black and white photographs, oil paintings, antique frames, tables and armchairs, imposing vases, all brilliantly orchestrated in order to create a unique and enchanting atmosphere.

The place was packed and buzzing with excitement, which didn’t stop the service from being fast and efficient. While waiting for our table to be ready, we ordered a crisp and dry Chardonnay from Chile that was presented in an impressive and elegant silver bucket.

The menu was quite simple but really appealing. We decided to share as a starter the “Harlem’s tiddly bits surprise” described as the chef’s choice of mouth watering treats! We didn’t regret our choice when the waitress brought to our table a wooden board offering a creative selection of curry popcorn, green and purple marinated olives, garlic, chilli and curry infused oils with warm toasted sourdough bread to dip in as well as a scrumptious sundried tomatoes tapenade and some crispy fried puff pastry slices. It was a real delight and we devoured everything. I had never tried something like curry popcorn before and loved the experience. The mix of texture and flavours was astonishing.

As for our main course, we couldn’t resist the temptation of the Harlem’s Big Smoke Steak Burger. Believe me, it was massive and we definitely over-indulged but it tasted so good!! The patty was full of fresh herbs and seasoned to the perfection. It was smothered in Applewood cheese, which gave a nice smoky kick to the whole burger. A crispy and lightly battered onion ring brought a lovely touch to the dish. The Posh Burger from the Alley Cat definitely got itself some competition and I haven’t even mentioned yet the side of chunky chips. I wondered if those were the famous triple cooked chips I heard so much about. I am more of a French fries kind of person usually but these chips were unreal, thick but crispy, beautifully golden, they couldn’t have tasted better.

The only criticism I have about this lovely evening concerns the temperature in the café. The way the Harlem is designed results in a lot of people being gathered in a rather small space and that creates some serious heat! Despite the front door being open and the cold weather outside, we were rapidly roasting and it is just not a good feeling when you are eating. It certainly put us off our food a bit and we renounced ordering a dessert which was a shame knowing that the Café is famous for its delicious cakes.

Except from that, we had a great time and I would recommend it without a second thought!