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!

Scalini - Botanic Avenue - Belfast

On Friday night, with the rain pouring down on us, we suddenly lost all sense of adventure. Heading towards the Botanic garden, where we would be sure to find a restaurant that would take us in with no booking seemed to be the sensible choice. On the down side though, we were confronted to a serious lack of options as nearly every menu was of Italian influence. Before getting drenched we stepped into Scalini, which won us over with its hearty menu and the promise of some comfort food to cheer us up.

I immediately felt warmed up by the buzzing atmosphere, the old fashioned furniture and the tantalizing smell of cheese, tomato and garlic. Instants later we were perusing the menu while sipping away a chilled and crisp glass of Cava Rose.

The cold and the humidity had both starved us and we decided to share two different starters: the deep-fried mushrooms and the spicy calamari. The mushrooms were a revelation. The first bite gave a great texture with a beautiful golden crispy batter but then you tasted the mushrooms, smooth and fondant coated in melted cheese and spiced up with mixed peppers: a real tease for the palate. The calamari was nowhere as intriguing. Despite a clever contrast between two types of squids, the seasoning was a bit bland and the absence of any kind of sauce let down the performance on the rest of the dish.

Never mind, our plates were empty in no time and replaced by two generous portions of pasta. Damien’s were penne with chicken, quite a classic but enhanced by flavored courgettes and toasted pine nuts. The sauce had a perfect creamy touch without having that heaviness that sometimes put you off the food. 

As for mine, a very traditional and simple choice, spaghetti carbonara, they were exactly what I was waiting for: smothered in rich and creamy egg yolk, garnished with smoky pieces of crispy bacon and superbly finished with aged Parmesan. Yum!!! I couldn’t stop myself and ended up cleaning the plate with my fingers: that’s real comfort food and I haven’t told you about the desserts yet.

You probably wonder how we could possibly have any space left for more after what we had just devoured but then again, we both have particularly hearty appetites and nothing would stop me from a getting a good chocolate cake. That is exactly what I got, the house specialty, the “to die for” chocolate fudge cake. It was as perfect as I expected: amazing fondant texture or should I say “fudgy” because nothing actually describes it better; two layers of chocolate ganache neither too bitter nor too sweet; and finally, an incredibly thick and glossy fudge chocolate sauce layered with melted milk chocolate. It was a masterpiece!

Damien had opted for a favorite from our childhood: the caramel fudge sundae. It came, as we love it, in a long stemmed glass. Two to three scoops of vanilla ice cream covered with heaps of caramel fudge sauce and home made, firm and vanilla flavored whipped cream: no disappointment there.

These desserts added a triumphant ending to an already fantastic evening. I would recommend Scalini with no hesitation if not for the pasta at least for the cakes!

Home - Wellington Place - Belfast

As we walked into the restaurant, I silently rewarded myself for my choice. On our left, the bar offering an impressive sight with its beautiful display of home baked scones and fresh muffins, on our right, all the tables, organised into two separate islands. Just in front of us, the kitchen pass, behind which the chefs rapidly produced amazing looking dishes! All of a sudden, I was starving.

A waiter instantly guided us to our table, at the back of the restaurant from where I could survey the food coming out of the kitchen and also enjoy the satisfying view of a wall entirely covered in wine shelves…all sorts of wines from many different origins. Such a tantalizing prospect!

The menu was reflecting the whole atmosphere of the restaurant: creative, original, a great variety of options including a separate vegetarian menu.

My partner opted for the spiced fish cakes while I chose the crispy chilli squids that I had caught a glimpse of at our neighbours’ table. The fish cakes were deliciously golden and crispy and got a nice kick from the harissa mayo that was on the side. They were not too big or heavy and came with a refreshing giant couscous salad: clever and savory.

My crispy squids definitely exceeded my expectations. It was a ten out of ten: aesthetics, incredible taste and texture and unique touch with the addition of an “Asian slaw” which offered all the crunch and punch of coleslaw without the heaviness of the mayonnaise. I have officially a new favourite squid dish!

Moving on to the main courses now! We both picked the same: the very appealing scallops, butternut squash and bacon risotto. After such magnificent starters, we both had very high hopes regarding the rest of the meal but the risotto was actually a tad disappointing. Even if I was happily surprised by the novelty of the flavours, bursting with fresh herbs, the dish definitely lacked some texture. It was very soupy, too liquid and not cheesy enough. We could barely taste the shy and scarce Parmesan shavings and didn’t get any of that lovely creamy and comforting sensation usually associated to risottos.

That won’t stop me from coming back. The chefs proved their genius by serving us delightful starters and now that I saw the sweet corn and jalapeno cheeseburger leave the kitchen counter, I have to sample it! They also had a very promising desserts menu with a choice of revisited classics that seemed to be worth trying. All in all, Home certainly gets a spot on my “must eat out” recommendation list.