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Discover Northern Ireland

Discover Northern Ireland – An Exciting Place to Go

There’s never been a better time to Northern Ireland. From incredible food and drink experiences to exhibits and attractions for those interested in culture and heritage.

From coastal adventures to historical tours and discovering the famous Game of Thrones sets, an exciting itinerary is just waiting for you. With bustling cities and some of the best golfing in Ireland, you will find everything you need for your ideal trip.

For more information and inspiration for your trip to Northern Ireland visit www.discovernorthernireland.com.

BELFAST FOOD GUIDE
24 Hours in Belfast – The Best Places to Eat, Drink and Sleep

Travel

There’s so much to see in Belfast, from the iconic Titanic Exhibition to the thought-provoking murals and the city’s impressive shopping district. With Michelin starred restaurants and an enviable nightlife, you’ll be spoiled for choice when you visit the historic city, which was recently named Lonely Planet’s number one region to visit in 2018. With this in mind, we’ve compiled…

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TOP CHEF INTERVIEWS
Danni Barry EIPIC Restaurant
Danni Barry on Changing Kitchen Culture and What’s Next for Ireland’s Best Female Chef

Interviews

It’s 11am and chef Danni Barry is already two hours into her 14 hours shift at EIPIC restaurant, at Deanes in Belfast. “It’s supposed to be a split shift, but it hardly ever works out that way,” she says, without a hint of hardship in her voice. Just over a year since she achieved a Michelin star, joining an elite…

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FEATURED ESCAPES
Affordable Luxury You Won’t Want to Leave – The Merchant Hotel Belfast Review

Restaurant Reviews

What a moment the NI food scene is enjoying at present. When we visited a couple of weeks ago for the BBC GoodFood Show we could not get over the air of positivity and buzz about the place. Thousands of foodies travelled far and wide to catch a glimpse of celebrity chefs such as Paul Rankin, The Hairy Bikers and…

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NI Feature
Northern Stars – Luxury Escapes to Discover in Northern Ireland

– Fill Your Heart With Ireland

When you think of your next weekend away, it’s easy to fall back on the favourites you already know and love. But if you haven’t been to Northern Ireland, there has never been a better time explore uncharted territory and some of the finest hotels and resorts on this fine Isle. Whether it’s a culinary escape, pampering break or golfing…

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Lough Erne Resort
McMeel’s Midas Touch – Lough Erne Resort Review

Restaurant Reviews

Fermanagh may not be the first county that springs to mind when you think of a night or two away, especially with the sterling/euro differentials at the moment. However, we discovered somewhere that will more than make it worth your while. Less than two hours outside Dublin, we couldn’t help but think on the drive up that Lough Erne Resort…

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A Heavenly Palace in the Hills – Culloden Estate & Spa

Restaurant Reviews

Northern Ireland is having a bit of a moment at present, some would say a long overdue moment. Tourism NI have made concerted efforts both at home and abroad to showcase the best food and drink producers and experiences that are waiting to be discovered and with the arrival of Brexit and Sterling being almost pound for pound with the…

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AFTERNOON TEA REVIEWS
High Tea Fit for a Queen – The Merchant Afternoon Tea Review

Afternoon Tea

At one time or another we have all fantasised about being royalty, right? Some of us take this too far with a tiara collection but for others making an occasion out of a meal can create that regal feeling, even if just for a few hours. Nothing says pampering quite like an afternoon of lingering over a tower of indulgence…

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Lakeside Afternoon Tea Delights at Lough Erne Resort

Afternoon Tea

Once you drive through the entrance gates of Lough Erne Resort, you know that you have arrived somewhere really special. Opened in 2007, the luxury 5 star resort played host to a G8 Summit of world leaders in 2013, seen as one of the most successful events of its kind, and in 2017 the Irish Open will be played on…

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FEATURED REVIEWS
Hearty Fare Served in Elegant Surroundings at Wine & Brine

Restaurant Reviews

Wine & Brine located on the Main Street in Moira, County Armagh celebrates its first birthday on 5 December but despite its infancy it was recently awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand and the title of Best Local Restaurant in the UK according to the Waitrose Good Food Guide for 2017. The restaurant was opened by Head Chef Chris McGowan and…

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A Bar of Many Layers: The Dirty Onion, Belfast - Bar Review [December Edition]
A Bar of Many Layers: The Dirty Onion, Belfast – Bar Review

Bars & Venues

Tradition and modernity are often presented like opposites. A bar is either all bout the good old fashioned -pun intended- craic and trad sessions, or it is this edgy, neon-lit coolness hub with unpronounceable beers and DJ-like bartenders. At The Dirty Onion, however, it’s not all black or white, and I don’t mean that only because gray and neutral colours dominate the place’s…

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NYC Italian with Northern Charm – Coppi Belfast Review

Restaurant Reviews

I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Italian restaurants. I’ve always been a saltimboca over spaghetti kind of girl and sometimes I feel like the only person in the world who isn’t partial to pizza. Having eaten my way around Northern Italy, I know that there is an edge to the cuisine – the simplicity, primacy of…

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Eipic - Deanes - James Nicholson Wines
A Bite of Belfast – Dine Around Deanes Review

Restaurant Reviews

I’m always willing to travel for good food, in fact most of the time that is the deciding factor in my destination choice for a jaunt. Pair this road-trip relishing with a soft spot for a certain Northern city and there was no chance I was passing up the opportunity to hop on the Dine Around Deanes tour bus for…

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shu belfast
Belfast’s Shu-In – Shu Restaurant Review

Restaurant Reviews

Mondays can be tough. I’m all for easing the transition into a new week with a tasty treat, but the fact that many of the finest restaurants pencil Monday in as their weekly rest day can sometimes make this tricky. Luckily for us, a Monday trip to Belfast with this aim in mind was not to be thwarted and we…

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Hello, Sailor! The Spaniard Bar, Belfast - Bar Review
Hello, Sailor! The Spaniard Bar, Belfast – Bar Review

Bars & Venues

I can only describe the style of The Spaniard Bar as intentional random: photos of white-sanded beaches an ocean away, a gold fish named Ken swimming around a kitschly decorated plastic (I hope) skull, sombreros sprinkled here and there and posters of bands so diverse that I find hard to believe they were all chosen by the same person. As I arrived early, only…

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All Ship-Shape and in Good Order at The Boat House

Restaurant Reviews

Appearances can be deceptive and at first glance, the small stone building perched on the edge of a packed car park in the bustling seaside town of Bangor in County Down looks like the least likely place to find the first restaurant in Northern Ireland to be named in The Sunday Times Top 100 Restaurants List for the UK. This…

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Dine in Derry – Browns Restaurant and Champagne Lounge Review

Restaurant Reviews

2016 promises to be an exciting year for the food, hospitality and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland as it has been designated as Northern Ireland’s Year of Food & Drink. Each month will have a specific theme and with the support of Tourism NI, a wide range of events is scheduled to take place during the year. With a thriving…

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A Culinary Beacon in Belfast – James Street South Restaurant Review

Restaurant Reviews

Belfast has come a long way in the hospitality stakes, anyone who has visited the city recently would find it unrecognizable from 15 years ago. Now Belfast is home to a buzzing, vibrant cultural scene. Restaurants in particular are popping up all around the city to feed the appetite for unique dining experiences. Belfast has also been a breeding ground…

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OX Restaurant Belfast
Graceful as a Gazelle, Strong as an Ox – OX Restaurant Review

Restaurant Reviews

Seasonality is a term so heavily abused in the food industry it has almost lost its meaning, and, often, at restaurants the essence of raw ingredients is lost in a melange of complex techniques, and overbearing flavours. OX restaurant in Belfast on the other hand has earned its stripes, and a glowing Michelin star in 2013, by its sincere approach to…

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Life’s a Beach at Harry’s Shack

Restaurant Reviews

I’m often asked how I decide which restaurants to review. The truth is that there is no real science behind it other than an honest desire to eat in the particular places that I choose. I hear about restaurants from a variety of sources – from newspapers and magazines, online and by word-of-mouth. I fervently believe that great food can…

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The Old Schoolhouse Restaurant Review

Restaurant Reviews

There are some very exciting things happening on the Northern Ireland restaurant scene these days. As such, it’s a shame that in 2014 the Michelin Food Guide did not see fit to award any of its coveted stars to restaurants in the North because there is some seriously classy cooking going on there at the moment; inventive cooking by chefs…

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Stix & Stones Restaurant Belfast Review

Restaurant Reviews

A couple of weeks ago we headed up to Belfast to the Ulster final of the Irish Restaurant Awards, a region which has seen a huge explosion of new eateries in the past eighteen months. Belfast in particular has firmly placed itself on the map of top end dining experiences with the likes OX, Deanes or James St South. Michael…

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DECEMBER – CHRISTMAS & PREMIUM FOODS
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PRODUCER STORIES
peter-hannan
A Cut Above the Rest – Peter Hannan of Hannan Meats Interview

Interviews

In recent years, Northern Ireland has undergone a food revolution, becoming recognised on the world stage for its exciting dining scene, superb local ingredients, and as a food tourism destination. Though, speaking to chef Danni Barry from EIPIC, one of two Michelin starred restaurants in Belfast, the person who she credits as one of the biggest influences for this shift…

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Becky and Charlie Cole Broughgammon. Credit Trish Deseine Home
Not Kidding Around – Forward Thinking Farming at Broughgammon

Features

Becky and Charlie Cole’s story reads like a modern-day fairy tale. Girl, a fashion blogger and stylist, meets boy, an innovative and ambitious farmer, swaps her heels for wellies, and they live happily ever after on a sustainable farm on the rugged North Antrim coastline. “Becky and I met in Dublin,” explains Charlie, “she managed to lure me away from…

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DRINKS STORIES
The Irish Man Behind The Best Bar in The World - Seán Muldoon of The Dead Rabbit NYC
The Irish Man Behind The Best Bar in The World – Seán Muldoon of The Dead Rabbit NYC

Bars & Venues

To be crowned ‘The Best Bar in the World’ once is outstanding, but to receive the title a second time is nothing short of remarkable. The Dead Rabbit in New York City must be doing something right. I was very pleased to have the opportunity of speaking with Seán Muldoon, the co-founder and operating partner of The Dead Rabbit, to find…

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Ten Amazing Bars In Belfast that Show the City's Eclectic Bar Scene
Ten Amazing Bars In Belfast that Show the City’s Eclectic Bar Scene

Bars & Venues

Northern Ireland’s Capital offers an eclectic range of alternatives for a night out. Whether you’re looking for an authentic and traditional experience, a glamorous high-end soirée, a cool place to watch sports and taste craft beers or a quirky spot with an unusual character, Belfast has a bar for you. We compiled a list of our ten favourite bars in Belfast -a…

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NI COOKBOOK REVIEWS
Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavours by Diana Henry – Cookbook Review

Cookbook Reviews

Simple: Effortless Food, Big Flavours is Diana Henry’s tenth book and in it she revisits many of the themes that were first set out in an earlier book – Cook Simple, which she wrote as a harried new mother with little spare time to cook the elaborate meals she had favoured before her baby son was born. Despite the demands…

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The Cultured Club Cookbook Review

Cookbook Reviews

Nurturing milk kefir, burping jars of saurkraut and using the sniff test to suss out whether an accident has occurred – being a cultured club member is quite motherly work indeed, I can confirm having spent the past month turning my kitchen into a low key laboratory. Dearbhla Reynolds, author of The Cultured Club Cookbook, inspired many the kitchen experiment…

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FEATURED RECIPES
Pear and Elderflower Custard Tart Recipe by Chef Danni Barry
Pear and Elderflower Custard Tart Recipe by Chef Danni Barry

Baking & Desserts

Elderflower is abundant in the summer in the Irish countryside. At EIPIC, we pick lots of it in season and then dry or pickle it for the autumn months. You could also make your own cordial which is great for adding to sparkling water or even Prosecco. It’s almost tropical floral flavour works really well with late summer and autumn…

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Sukí Red Berry Tea Cake with Rhubarb Sorbet and Iced Sorrel Recipe by Chef Danni Barry
Sukí Red Berry Tea Cake with Rhubarb Sorbet and Iced Sorrel Recipe by Chef Danni Barry

Baking & Desserts

Using a locally produced Sukí Tea, this Sukí red berry tea cake recipe was created by Michelin starred chef Danni Barry of Deanes EIPIC, Belfast. Danni serves this tea time delight with the contrasting flavours and cooling textures of a rhubarb sorbet and iced sorrel. Ingredients: Tea cake – 200g plain flour – 14g baking powder – 1g salt – 30g caster sugar – 2 lemon…

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Lobster and Sea Bream Recipe by Noel McMeel with Wine Pairing

Fish & Seafood

This is one dish that I love. Of course it has to have lobster in it! Most chefs that think they are snobs will love this dish. Serves 4 Ingredients: Sea Bream – 4 fillets sea bream, skin on (scaled) – 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + extra to finish – juice of 1/2 lemon – sea salt and…

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Scorched Cod Recipe by Chef Danni Barry of Deanes EIPIC

Fish & Seafood

My Scorched Cod, Roasted and Pickled Cauliflower with Bone Sauce dish includes coastal greens. Myself and the team forage sea herbs from local Murlough Bay for the restaurant, if the coast isn’t available to you some samphire makes an excellent alternative or even some baby spinach. Sea purslane and Sea beets as seen in the image are available most of…

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Cider Apple Tart Tatin Recipe by Noel McMeel

Baking & Desserts

This is one of my favourite desserts, an Apple Tart Tatin. Armagh apples poached in a local cider (Mc Ivors Cider) with a great ice-cream flavoured with cinnamon. I love white chocolate mixed with Malto Dextrin and to top it off with Pistachios, mmm! Tart Tatin Ingredients: – 1 pt cider – 1 pt water – 1 vanilla pod –…

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