Carlito's Italian American Grill

Piccola Parma

➤ 377 Woodstock Rd, Belfast, United Kingdom

Piatti • Cafe • Irish • Italian • Breakfast

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"I needed somewhere to sit down really badly. I went in here explaining all I needed was a cup of coffee until I recovered and was collected. I had two, the coffee was that great. I can not eat when I am out as the reaction is more trouble than it is worth but I look forward to having a sit in here again and leaving with something nice for home. I really think it is a pity that lovely little spots like this are bring edged out by excess bills and bureaucratic difficulties, to replaced by the bland plastic chicken merchants. But perhaps that is the plan."

Bistro Este

➤ 221 Upper Newtownards Road, BT4 3, Belfast, United Kingdom

Piatti • Soup • Fish • Meat • Bistro

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"Been going here since it opened and always felt it well priced, imaginative food and good ingredients. Last night it could only claim to be one of the three. The flavour of the scallops in my starter was killed stone dead by the spicyness of...the XO sauce which was good in itself, but the scallops belonged nowhere near it. My main of fish cakes and prawns was a disaster due to the poor quality of the ingredients. My hake a grey colour and mushy, not the firm white glistening piece of fish I would expect for a dish. The prawns also soft and mushy, clearly not fresh. The fish cakes were in fact potato croquettes fish in these was nonexistent. My dining partners dish of lamb was dry and as a slo cooked piece of meat one would expect the opposite. I suspect not freshly made for it to eventually dry out like that. His gnocchi hard from being re heated and fried, the element of mint was there but fading. Service was average as our table piled up with empty glasses and an empty water bottle I had to pile them to the side to make it obvious. White and rose wines are chilled to death. Its a rather annoying trait that they swirl ice in each glass to make it cold then pour refrigerated wine into it. A Viognier I ordered was barely recognisable. The rose I suspect oxidised by living a long lonely life in the fridge. It was drinkable though. Trip advisor need to update prices here. Starters are and mains start at for chicken and for veggie option but most with fish and chips Gone is the early bird menu."

The Lamppost

➤ 19 Upper Newtownards Road, BT4 3, Belfast, United Kingdom

Piatti • Cafe • Irish • British • European

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"This pretty CS Lewis inspired café in east Belfast is a treasure trove of vintage crockery, quirky Narnia-themed artwork and with its perfectly pitched playlist, is a delightfully cosy family run affair offering fabulous food, coffee, tea and delicious tray-bakes all using local produce and suppliers. The Lamppost is now open on Friday and Saturday evenings with a brand new menu featuring a great selection of large and small dishes with suggested wine pairing, and some great vegetarian and vegan options, so we were delighted to have been invited down to be one of the first to try out the new menu. We began with a gorgeous Mackerel Rillette with watercress, cucumber pickle, and toasted sourdough, a Tempura Oyster Mushroom with maple glaze, kimchi bean sprouts, and an incredible gochujang mayo, and Grilled Asparagus with harissa yogurt, dill and toasted almonds, all of which were perfect sharing starters. To follow, the Mussels with Orzo, leeks, peas and saffron cream were fresh and bursting with flavour, and the Lentil Dahl with miso tofu and crispy onions with triangles of pitta bread for dipping was one of the tastiest vegan dishes we’d had in quite a while, accompanied by some steamed Asian Greens in sesame and ginger. To finish we had a light yet luscious Lemon Roulade with fresh fruit and vanilla cream, and some vegan cheese, a plant based, spirulina blue-veined wedge of Cashew Blue from Nourish Good Food, with crackers and Irish Black Butter. All washed down with an excellent bottle of Porta 6, and some great cocktails, this is a terrific new menu. Many thanks to the team at the Lamppost for a wonderful evening of fantastic food, service and warm hospitality."

The Hoose Bistro Belfast East

➤ 52 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT43EL, BT4 3EL, United Kingdom

Piatti • Steak • Irish • British • European

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"Very glad we followed the reviews for The Hoose Bistro. My wife is a coeliac and they could not do enough to cater for her gluten-free needs. I highly recommend the Goat's Cheese Mousse starter. The food was absolutely delicious with an amazing array of choices. We usually share a starter but this time we had to choose two starters. Service was excellent with the staff very friendly and genuinely interested in our travels. I would easily come back to The Hoose Bistro. Dietary restrictions: Awesome gluten-free alternatives, too many to mention. Service: Dine in Meal type: Lunch Price per person: £90–100 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Sea Bass Root Vegetables, Squid"

Tale Of Spice

➤ Omni Park Old Dundonald Road, BT5 7SE, Castlereagh, United Kingdom

Piatti • Pizza • Cafés • Seafood • European

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"A fantastic experience on Father's Day! My family and I dined at this restaurant and the food was absolutely delicious, some of the best Indian cuisine I have ever had. Surprisingly, the kids ate for free and we were pleasantly surprised to find that their meals were of high quality with generous portions, not the typical frozen nuggets you might expect. The starter platter was excellent with tasty dips served with poppadoms. My wife enjoyed the korma and I had the tandoori mixed platter, both cooked to perfection with no faults to be found. The chips were crispy, the rice fluffy, and the meat tender and flavorful. The service was friendly and accommodating towards families with young children. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience, we will definitely be returning in the future."