I'm very fond of having a sneaky peek of everybody else's meal to see if it appeals to me or not, and The Hubs is no different. But first, a cocktail to begin the evening. The cocktail special was a Raspberry Lemon Drop : Absolut Citron, Cointreau, Chambord and Lemon Juice served in a classic martini glass with a lemon twist. It contained many of my favourite things and reinvigorated me for a browse through the menu. We decided that I would choose the starter and The Hubs could have first pick for dessert. When I say we, I mean me and basically because I saw the Langoustines and had to have them.
But first, something to drink now that the Raspberry Lemon Drop had vanished with unseemly speed. Belfast Lager for the Hubs and a glass of Chilean Corinto Sauvignon Blanc for me. As I'm the only wine drinker, I tend to order by the glass or half bottle and this one was rather nice. The langoustines arrived, piled high on a platter with lemon wedges and mayonnaise for dipping. I promptly stole the biggest one of all and started cracking shells. They were perfectly cooked and didn't even need the mayonnaise.
Now, when you're in a fish restaurant, what do you order for your main course? Well, if you're The Hubs, it's steak. I was morto with the embarrassment when the menu was full of such gorgeous fish. However, it was a fine ribeye, perfectly cooked to medium rare with incredible chips. I may have stolen half of them over the course of my meal. I had the fish special which was Brill with a deliciously fresh assortment of vegetables and a butter sauce.
Dessert time. I was feeling pretty full at this stage and had initially decided to share one with The Hubs, but our platewatching resulted in one each. An Apple Crumble and a Pannacotta. These were the desserts of the decade. I have no idea who is the pastry chef in the kitchen, but they deserve accolades and recognition. Crumble is usually a pretty poor dessert in most restaurants but this was exceptional. The crumble topping was light and crunchy with a layer of poached apples beneath. We fought to the death over who got the last spoonful. It was the same story with the Pannacotta which came with a compote of winter fruits and a lovely light shortbread biscuit.
The bill came to £71 excluding service. Worth every last penny.
Mourne Seafood Bar, 34-36 Bank Street, Belfast BT1 1HL
Tel : +44 28 9024 8544
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