I had already spotted this restaurant on the guide, but the days before I was always coming back in Belfast late and no will to go out again for eating.
That day was dedicated to visiting the centre of Belfast and the Titanic Quarter, then on the way to the Titanic Quarter I stopped there.
OX, 1 Oxfort St. rate 10+/10...just too much in love of it! :)
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| OX restaurant, Belfast 2015 (photo taken with a compact camera)
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I think that this was the best restaurant of all my stay in Ireland. Included the service, which was fantastic!
The hall is small, not too many places (I went for a late lunch - 2 pm - and I was one person, in case of dinner and more persons, I would suggest to book). High ceilings, a wall of bricks and wooden furniture. The kitchen is an open one, where you can see the chefs working on the different plates.
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| The hall of the OX restaurant, Belfast 2015 (photo taken with a compact camera) |
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| The open kitchen at the OX restaurant, Belfast 2015 (photo taken with a compact camera) |
The restaurant serves typical Irish dishes reviewed for adding some particulars that make each dish unique, mainly of French derivation. Irish beef, fish and shellfish, as well as vegetables and fruits of the season, are the main actors of the menu.
All begins with the always-present bread and butter, but here presented in a very characteristic way (see first photo).
As I am more a meat person than a fish one, I have then chosen "Daube of beef, shallot, horseradish, aubergine"....the name was very interesting, especially for the aubergine....but I had some problems with the horseradish since I did not know what it was and I wanted to avoid eating something that had to do with horses (the animal, I mean..)...
This was the moment when the waitress showed all her kindness....:)...as I was not understanding what it was and my mobile was low of battery (to check the translation) she came with her mobile and the photo of the horseradish on the screen...I found this outstanding! :)..
Ok, just to make it clear also for Italian readers, what I was going to eat was "Stufato di manzo, scalogno, rafano, melanzane"....that is the one below! :)
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| "Daube of beef, shallot, horseradish, aubergine" - OX restaurant, Belfast 2015 (photo taken with a compact camera) |
The dish was simply perfect...I could have not please my taste in a better way....soft meat and a perfect combination of vegetables and sauce.
As dessert I could not choose other than "Marinated strawberries, white chocolate, rosemary"...again, I was not 100% sure about the marinated and the rosemary, but the waitress explained how the dessert was made...
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| "Marinated strawberries, white chocolate, rosemary"- OX restaurant, Belfast 2015 (photo taken with a compact camera) |
Last but not least, the coffee came with two macarons with unusual flavours and very good!
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| "Coffee and macarons"- OX restaurant, Belfast 2015 (photo taken with a compact camera) |
So, the food is perfect...I think it is not only the best restaurant in Ireland where I have eaten, but also one of the place where I have eaten one of the best meat dish.
The environment is beautiful and relaxing.
And the service is exceptional....in particular the girl at my table (and I am really sorry of having forgotten her name..:(...I have problems in remembering names) was helpful, kind, she even asked me if I wanted her to take a picture of me...and at the end I left her a tip (highlighting that that was for her)...and she even said that it was not needed as the tips are included in the bills...of course, I left her the tip anyway :)...and what surprised me is that I doubt of a similar behaviour in other countries (Italy, as an example!)..
So, the OX is highly recommended!!!!! :) :)
Monday 27 July 2015
On the first day in Belfast it was raining...I arrived to the hotel..and then I went out for a walk...
I have to admit that cities change completely with the sun...the first impression of Belfast was not good at all...on a dark Monday, few people around...a rainy, windy and cold city...(but you know that my impression changed completely after the sun, the murals, and - it will come - the Titanic area)...
So, after having unsuccessfully looked for a restaurant suggested by Lonely Planet (I always refer to them...I really found nice places thanks to them! :))....I ended up in this one,
Let's begin to say that I would not go back...
Very big, it has two floors, it can be noisy....you choose your table, go in the bar to order and pay, and you will get the food at the table when ready.
Wi-Fi works perfectly.
About the food...the menu is really attractive,...I loved the idea of courses under 500 calories, which "obviously" I skipped, for choosing instead a "freshly battered large fish and chips" and adding 402 calories of bread and butter...(for a total of 1644 calories..ok please not comment! ;))..
I was disappointed by the dish: the fried part of the fish was almost more than the fish itself and too much oily and fried....well, I left it over ..(ok, so the calories where less than 1644 ;))....the same for the chips...and the peas were very few, flavourless and too much mashed...and I am pretty sure that I had not asked for having them mashed..:(
The environment is beautiful and relaxing.
And the service is exceptional....in particular the girl at my table (and I am really sorry of having forgotten her name..:(...I have problems in remembering names) was helpful, kind, she even asked me if I wanted her to take a picture of me...and at the end I left her a tip (highlighting that that was for her)...and she even said that it was not needed as the tips are included in the bills...of course, I left her the tip anyway :)...and what surprised me is that I doubt of a similar behaviour in other countries (Italy, as an example!)..
So, the OX is highly recommended!!!!! :) :)
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| The entrance of the OX, Belfast 2015 |
Monday 27 July 2015
On the first day in Belfast it was raining...I arrived to the hotel..and then I went out for a walk...
I have to admit that cities change completely with the sun...the first impression of Belfast was not good at all...on a dark Monday, few people around...a rainy, windy and cold city...(but you know that my impression changed completely after the sun, the murals, and - it will come - the Titanic area)...
So, after having unsuccessfully looked for a restaurant suggested by Lonely Planet (I always refer to them...I really found nice places thanks to them! :))....I ended up in this one,
The Bridge House, 35 Bedford St rate 5/10 :(
Let's begin to say that I would not go back...
Very big, it has two floors, it can be noisy....you choose your table, go in the bar to order and pay, and you will get the food at the table when ready.
Wi-Fi works perfectly.
About the food...the menu is really attractive,...I loved the idea of courses under 500 calories, which "obviously" I skipped, for choosing instead a "freshly battered large fish and chips" and adding 402 calories of bread and butter...(for a total of 1644 calories..ok please not comment! ;))..
I was disappointed by the dish: the fried part of the fish was almost more than the fish itself and too much oily and fried....well, I left it over ..(ok, so the calories where less than 1644 ;))....the same for the chips...and the peas were very few, flavourless and too much mashed...and I am pretty sure that I had not asked for having them mashed..:(
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| The Bridge House, Belfast 2015 (photos taken with a compact camera) |
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