Every once and a while it’s nice to have a splurge and armed with some vouchers gifted by very sweet former coworkers the Muddlers club was the chosen venue.
The restaurant has a Michelin star and is hidden in a quiet side in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, and is named after a secret society of United Irishmen dedicated to overthrowing British rule who used to meet on the site 200 years ago.
As expected the Muddlers club is not cheap. When trying to book for lunch the only option we could choose was for the tasting menu at £95 per head (which I thought was quite cheeky) plus an additional £70 if you wanted to par wines with each course. We decided against this, but the cheapest bottle of wine is still over £50, lunch can turn into quite an expensive affair.
The food and service however were both excellent.
Like most tasting menus portions are tiny but extremely rich and unfortunately I didn’t take photos of each of the 6 courss. The trio of amuse bouches were probably the best I’ve ever tasted and nothing disappointed.
Usually when it comes to food I believe you don’t have to slave away for hours to make something that tastes amazing.
However, occasionally you have to push the boat out and treat yourself to something that is really extraordinary.
An OX Martini to kick things off
The food scene in Belfast has changed massively in the last 10-15 years, and the city now has three Michelin star restaurants. As a special treat I visited one of them, OX. Located in Oxford Street in the city centre and overlooking the river Lagan, and the art installation known locally as “Nuala with the hula”
The interior is paired back Scandi chic, with lots is white washed walls and dark wood, making it minimal but also warm. The staff are knowledgeable, and have the gift of leaving you alone when you’re in the middle of a conversation and appearing as if by magic before you knew you needed something. They were also very accomodating when we asked for a rest between courses. I take this as a sign of a good Chef in control his kitchen. A couple of years I was in another pretty fancy restaurant in London (which was half full) and asked for brief break between courses, a shame faced server came back to apologise and say that the Chef was busy and would basically be sending the food out as it came!
First half of the taster menu
We had been waiting patiently since the start of lockdown to go to OX, and decided to go for the six course taster menu (there is the option of an additional cheese course, and wine pairing with each course).
Canapés of delicate little tartlets with eel and horseradish and gougere (think warm savoury cheese profiteroles)
OX prides itself on using the best local and seasonal ingredients. Some of the herbs used are grown the Chef’s own garden.
Velvety smooth artichoke veloute, with salty crispy chicken crackling
The restaurant has long been a hit with visiting foodies (I met a German couple last year who when visiting Ireland, made a special trip to Belfast just to eat in OX because they had heard such good things from other foodies).
Broad beans, soft cheese with truffle and sour dough crisp
It will take time before foreign visitors come back to Belfast in any great numbers due to travel restrictions. However, it was heartening to see that the place was fully booked with locals on a Friday lunchtime.
Lobster with courgettePart 2 of the taster menu
A lot of fine dining restaurants can be intimidating for people who don’t eat in them regularly. Like the best of these types of restaurants, OX has found the perfect balance of making you feel that you’re eating somewhere special without being stuffy or pretentious.
Cote de BeoufSheep milk yoghurt with apricots Blackberry and white chocolate sable
Seaneen's Sunnyside Kitchen 