LegenDerry Food Guide
LegenDerry Food Guide
This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland
Foreword LegenDerry Food Guide
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Derry~Londonderry is a must visit LegenDerry Food Destination. Whether you are after locally caught seafood straight from our sparkling waters, or locally farmed meats with a contemporary twist, we have some of the finest food on offer in Britain and Ireland. Our buzzing restaurants and bistros are sure to delight and the choice on offer is truly remarkable. Whatever you choose it’s sure to be served up with a welcome that is second to none. We hope you enjoy your own LegenDerry food experience in the town we love so well. Cllr Martin Reilly Mayor of Derry City Council
Welcome to the LegenDerry Food Guide Northern Ireland’s food reputation is growing fast. We produce world-class dairy, beef, pork, lamb and chicken. We also have award-winning Taste of Ulster chefs who use local food in their menus. Serious foodies are recognising that something special is happening in Northern Ireland’s food story with over 198 Gold Stars awarded to producers in 2012 and three Product of Geographic Indication awards. Superb local produce, allied with the culinary skills of our gifted chefs, is creating a fabulous new chapter in our food story. In Derry~Londonderry we want to grow our visitor’s food experience, let them know what we’ve got to share and bring them back for more! Today Derry boasts one of the finest eating scenes in Ireland. Well, after all, it’s only natural. Just think of the achingly beautiful landscape that surrounds us. These rich pasture lands and meadows feed the world’s luckiest dairy cattle and some of its finest beef herds.
But that is just the start of the story. Our loughs, rivers and coastal waters teem with an abundance of wonderful fish and seafood, such as our Atlantic salmon, among the largest in Western Europe. Lough Foyle nurtures a bounty of slow growing wild mussels and oysters, for local tables and the discerning restaurants of France and further afield. The sea lough, flushed twice a day by the Atlantic, and receiving torrents of fresh water from the mountains of Donegal and the wild Sperrin hills, produces some of the world’s best fish. This wonderful array of fish and seafood is brought ashore at charming fishing villages just a hop and skip away.
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Several major campaigns have helped promote great Northern Irish food recently from ‘grown here, not flown here’, to ‘picked here, not shipped here’, while at Derry’s own Foyle Seafood Festival, we promoted ‘caught here, not brought here’. With such an abundance of worldclass material, our award-winning chefs are making Derry~Londonderry a culinary capital. Indeed local chef Ian Orr beat off stiff competition to win the Irish Chef of the Year 2013 title in the Georgina Campbell Restaurant Awards, and recently appeared in BBC’s Great British Menu. Bringing global influences to bear, restaurants use the finest local produce to create simply wonderful food. From sublime modern Irish cuisine to inviting Italian, spicy Indian and mouth-watering Lebanese, your palate can taste a world of food in Derry. You can add to that the best of café society at bustling cosmopolitan cafés and welcoming traditional coffee shops, as well as fantastic gastro fare. And all this is served up with a very Derry welcome!
Come and taste the difference in Derry – A LegenDerry food destination!
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restaurants
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Price Guide Up to £15
£
£15 to £25
££
Over £25
£££
These price bands are based on the average cost for one person of a three-course meal excluding beverage. Chris Moran, Custom House Restaurant City Food Guide 2013 7
restaurants
“Our award winning restaurant focuses on serving local, seasonal produce classically cooked with a modern twist.” 68 Clooney Road Derry~Londonderry BT48 3PA t: 028 7186 0606 e: sales@whitehorsehotel.biz www.whitehorsehotel.biz Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
68 Clooney - White Horse Hotel Known for its intimate atmosphere and warm welcome, the White Horse Hotel serves fine food throughout the day. Its award-winning restaurant 68 Clooney focuses on serving local, seasonal produce classically cooked with a modern twist. Headed by award winning chef Noel Ward, this highly qualified team have developed an imaginative and exciting menu which showcases the finest local produce and delivers on the ‘real local food’ experience. From hearty breakfasts, through their lunchtime carvery to their comprehensive evening menus, the White Horse has a reputation for fresh, flavoursome food that is also great value for money. You can choose a Chateaubriand flambé for a little culinary theatre at your table but the main theme is simplicity, so as not to take away from the quality of the local ingredients, yet ensuring that each dish is packed with flavour. Awards: NI Hotel Federation Best Hotel Restaurant Award
Signature Dish Fillet of Greencastle Cod served on a bed of wilted spinach & garlic spiced potatoes, crispy Portavogie prawns with spinach & leek sauce. 8 LegenDerry Food Guide
Ardmore at Beech Hill Country House Hotel The luxurious Ardmore restaurant at the Georgian Beech Hill Country House Hotel has built an enviable reputation for fine dining. Celebrated head chef Barry O’Brien and his talented young team create an array of dishes of great quality and artistic inventiveness. Fresh, locally sourced food is at the heart of the restaurant’s ethos. Its delicious scallops, mussels, cod and wild salmon are fresh out of the Atlantic waves that break a short distance off, while their trout is from the river just a country stroll away. Neighbouring farms supply beef, pork, lamb and vegetables. Herbs are grown in their own walled garden, while bread is baked in the ovens of a country cottage down the road. Price Range
£££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
“By keeping to regular local suppliers we know we are buying the very highest quality,” owner Patsy O’Kane says, “guests know that they are being offered the finest food, cooked to perfection by our award-winning chefs.” “By keeping to regular local Awards: John & Sally McKenna’s suppliers we know we are Bridgestone 100 Best Places to Stay buying the very highest in Ireland 2013. quality” Georgina Campbell’s Good Food Guide. Signature Dish Irish Restaurant Association Best Pave of Aged O’Kane’s Sirloin of Beef, Hotel Restaurant in County Derry. braised cheek, garlic béarnaise, crispy NITB – Highly Commended Hotel of potato served with a red wine jus. the Year 2012.
32 Ardmore Road Derry~Londonderry BT47 3QP t: 028 7134 9279 e: info@beech-hill.com www.beech-hill.com
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restaurants
“friendly, knowledgeable staff, quality produce, ambience and atmosphere and a home from home feel” 171 Glenshane Road Londonderry BT48 6AR t: 028 7130 1480 e: thebelfray@btconnect.com www.thebelfraycountryinn.co.uk
Belfray Country Inn With the charm of the countryside, yet within easy reach of Derry’s bustling city centre, the Belfray Country Inn is one of the most popular eating houses in the Derry area. The Bistro offers quality dining throughout the day, using only Northern Irish produce and meats that can be traced to their source. All their vegetables are grown locally; in fact their potatoes are grown in the fields surrounding the hotel! The Bistro’s relaxed ambience perfectly suits the more casual dining at lunchtimes, evolving to a full table setting in the evenings with atmospheric lighting and fine service. Their extensive wine list ranges from quality budget to some of the finest wines from around the world. The Bistro aims to deliver on the hotel’s ‘Belfray Experience’ – friendly, knowledgeable staff, quality produce, ambience and atmosphere and a home from home feel. Several menu types are available throughout the day and evening.
Signature Dish Herb Crusted Fillet of Salmon served on a bed creamed cabbage & smoked pancetta.
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Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
The Bentley Restaurant Traditional, yet timeless, you can enjoy the Bentley’s locally sourced menu in their elegant restaurant all day, seven days a week. Booking is highly recommended! Influenced by contemporary styles while retaining a traditional feel in its atmosphere and welcome, there’s entertainment throughout the week at the Bentley.
“A light modern restaurant influenced by traditional and comtemapory style while also retaining a traditional feel in its atmosphere and welcome.” 1-7 Market Street, Derry BT48 6EF t: 028 7137 1665 e: info@thebentleybar.com www.thebentleybar.com
The Bentley’s menu covers everything from classic cooking to more adventurous dishes. They source the best ingredients from farm assured suppliers and everything, including their home baked breads, meats, fish and desserts, are prepared fresh each day. All their meats dishes are made using the best cuts of meat supplied by local butchers. All their meat is cured in their specially built hanging room to develop the ultimate in tenderness and flavour. The Bentley is also famous for its large and exciting range of cocktails.
Signature Dish Everyone raves about our freshly cooked locally sourced seafood from Greencastle, spiced Thai coconut broth finished off with bok choi and fresh coriander served with fragrant rice. Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
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restaurants
Browns Restaurant & Champagne Lounge Acclaimed as one of Ireland’s finest restaurants by food critics, head chef Ian Orr is renowned for his dedication to fresh seasonal produce from local suppliers. Situated on the eastern bank of Lough Foyle, the restaurant showcases the distinct foods that come from the farmlands, wildlands and shores of the North West. Their ever-changing and evolving menus are dictated by the seasons. Favourite dishes include classics like Brown’s fish stew with tomato and fennel broth and textbook perfect risotto – butternut squash, for example, with parmesan, spinach and sautéed mushrooms.
Signature Dish Great local food with an unusual twist, the best of Irish produce served with a little exotic magic, such as seasoning Atlantic pan fried scallops with braised pork cheeks from local butchers, star anise and delicious apple puree. For main course why not treat yourself to locally sourced fresh lamb baked in hay served with smoked champ. Awards: Winner Irish Chef of the Year 2013 in the Georgina Campbell All Ireland Awards; Taste of Ulster; Chef on 2013 BBC Great British Menu Programme; Bridgestone Award- Top 100 2013; Newcomer of the Year – Licensing and Catering 2012; Restaurant Association of Ireland – Best Restaurant and Best Chef Co Derry 2011 – 2013. 12 LegenDerry Food Guide
1 Bonds Hill, Derry Co.Londonderry BT47 6DW t: 028 7134 5180 e: eat@brownsrestaurant.com www.brownsrestaurant.com Price Range
£££
Serving Hours
Evenings
“From early birds to a la carte signature dishes, the range on offer is compelling, with a focus on local supply and produce of exceptional quality.”
Strand Road Derry BT48 8JB t: 028 7136 2889 e: eat@brownsrestaurant.com www.brownsrestaurant.com
Browns In Town Sister restaurant to its big brother Brown’s on Bonds Hill, serving contemporary fine dining in fashionable city centre surroundings. Situated on the bustling Strand Road. Ian Orr and team have developed creative combinations to suit all palates. From early birds to a la carte signature dishes, the range on offer is compelling, with a focus on local supply and produce of exceptional quality.
Signature Dish Lunch time: Chicken and Chorizo Sausage Roll ‘Brown’s style’. Evening: Pan seared scallops, prawn tortellini, pork and bacon ragout. Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
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restaurants
29 The Craft Village, Shipquay Street Derry BT48 6AR, t: 028 7136 6877 www.cafedelmondo.org Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
“This contemporary little gem lights up the Craft Village which nestles within Derry’s historic Walls.”
Café Del Mondo A staple of the atmospheric Craft Village, this buzzing multi-cultural bistro offers everything from delicious dishes from around the world to stunning artisan breads, baked on the premises, as well as a variety of great lunch choices, Fair Trade coffees and delicious cakes. Then as dusk falls, Café Del Mondo undergoes a magical transformation! As soothing jazz plays, the busy bistro becomes an elegant restaurant. With emphasis on only sourcing the best local meat, fish and organic fruit and vegetables. The menu is shaped by talented young head chef Stephen Forbes, who is as comfortable brewing a wild consommé with truffle foam as cooking fish just hours out of the cold Atlantic with a simple clarified butter. Fish and seafood are sourced from nearby Greencastle and vegetables are also locally sourced, while the 28 day aged steaks are from Castlerock. Their fine wines are from the award-winning McAlindon’s wine merchants in Belfast.
Signature Dish Fresh Greencastle pan fried turbot with Parisenne beetroot & potato and beetroot aioli.
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Cedar... A Taste Of Lebanon Walking through the door of Cedar is like being transported to the Middle East. Born and brought up in Lebanon, head chef Simon Matta opened Cedar in 2011, the culmination of a lifelong dream. Having worked in top Italian, French and Lebanese restaurants in the USA, Simon has bought the finest Lebanese cuisine to Derry at this popular Carlisle Road restaurant.
“Plain and simple good food, good service and total attention to our customers”
The restaurant serves traditional Lebanese fare, which combines Mediterranean ingredients with exotic spices such as cinnamon and cumin. At the heart of Lebanese cuisine is the Mezza, lots of little dishes of hot and cold food, traditionally eaten with lots of thin flat Lebanese pita bread. As in most Lebanese restaurants, main courses are often simply grilled meats or fish and there’s a great choice for vegetarians too. Delicious home made desserts include the Cedar’s selection of Lebanese tray bakes such as baklavas, tiny filo pastries stuffed with nuts and syrup.
Signature Dish 32 Carlisle Road, Derry t: 028 7137 3868 e: cedarlebanesefood@gmail.com Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Evenings
Cedar’s Lebanese baked Kibbeh… Meatloaf layered with diced beef, onion and pine nuts oozing with spices and pomegranate baked in a stone oven and served with a minted cucumber salad.
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restaurants
City Hotel, Thompsons Restaurant Fabulous views over the River Foyle and towards the Guildhall, a relaxing, friendly atmosphere and stylish décor make Thompson’s Restaurant at the City Hotel a popular destination for visitors and locals alike. Executive Chef Paul Starkey’s skilled team utilise quality local produce to prepare an extensive menu offering lots of choice. Occupying the site of the old Thompson’s Mill at Queen’s Quay, the restaurant is known for its award-winning service. With a modern twist on traditional Irish cuisine, dishes on the wide-ranging à la carte menus include favourites like supreme of chicken stuffed with goats cheese or a sirloin steak cooked to your preference. Thompson’s also offers an excellent wine list. Check for special deals. Free car parking is available at the hotel on a first come, first served basis.
Signature Dish Crispy Grilled Fillet of Donegal Hake served on a bed of creamy champ with a tomato and ratatouille sauce. Queens Quay, Derry BT48 7AS t: 028 7127 8230 / 028 7136 5800 e: events@cityhotelderry.com www.cityhotelderry.com Price Range Serving Hours
“With a wealth of fresh produce on our doorstep, we carefully select delicious local ingredients to create an array of dishes which prove very popular with our local and international audiences.”
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££
Custom House Restaurant The perfect place to unwind, relax and be indulged by Chris Moran and his team, this luxurious restaurant and wine bar can be found in the 19th century Custom House, at Queen’s Quay near the Guildhall. Customers can enjoy wonderful views of the River Foyle and the iconic new Peace Bridge, with their beautifully presented food. Lunch and dinner menus offer everything from beer battered haddock to tender 28 day hung sirloin steaks. All meats are locally sourced, while fish comes from Greencastle in County Donegal. There’s a good range of imaginative vegetarian dishes (most of the vegetables come from their own White Oak’s Farm). Where possible organic food is sourced.
“ Each dish is beautifully presented with elegant style and passion” Queens Quay, Derry BT48 7AS t: 028 7137 3366 e: info@customhouserestaurant.com www.customhouserestaurant.com
The Custom House Restaurant and Wine Bar also has a delicious Sunday set menu, including roast free-range chicken and sirloin steak and two and four course set menus for the rest of the week. There’s a special kid’s menu and a great value early evening menu too. Price Range
££-£££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
Signature Dish Salt and Chilli Squid served with pak choi, peppers and dips consisting of sweet chilli, wasabi mayonnaise soy and ginger. Custom House has garnered recognition from: Georgina Campbells Guide 2011 and 2012; Taste of Ulster; 2012 Fodors Choice Award. City Food Guide 17
restaurants
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Barry O’Brien The Ardmore at the Beech Hill
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restaurants
“Wine connoisseurs will be impressed by the modern glass sided wine room, from which customers can order anything from house wines to a wide selection of the finest wines” 15 Culmore Road Derry BT48 8JB t: 028 7127 9111 e: natasha@davincishotel.com www.davincishotel.com
Ramada Da Vinci’s Grill Room The contemporary style Grill Room at the popular Ramada Da Vinci hotel, just a five-minute drive from the city centre, is a favourite with tourists and locals alike, attracting everyone from large groups and families to couples on a romantic evening out. Head chef Declan Hutton changes the comprehensive menu seasonally, sourcing the finest local ingredients for the best in modern Irish cuisine. Favourite dishes include the locally sourced 28-day aged steaks. Children and vegetarians also have a great choice. Wine connoisseurs will be impressed by the modern glass sided wine room, from which customers can order anything from house wines to a wide selection of the finest wines. The hotel team are entirely World Host trained and accredited, in fact they are so focused on customer service they even have their own in-house World Host trainer!
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Price Range
£-££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
The Delacroix A long established favourite, located on the Buncrana Road, Derry’s gateway to Donegal, the welcoming Delacroix is named after the French painter Eugene Delacroix. Its 65-seat restaurant boasts a fresh modern style and a dynamic, locally sourced, home cooked menu. Its fine modern Irish cuisine features a wide range of dishes, including its popular steaks (such as their mouthwatering fillet steak Lyonaisse topped with Cashel Blue cheese). Known for its excellent value, the restaurant also has extensive parking.
18 Buncrana Road Derry BT48 8AB t: 028 7126 2990
“The Delacroix restaurant, despite being one of the most established in the city, boasts a fresh modern style and a dynamic, locally sourced, home cooked menu”
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
You can also relax by a roaring open fire in their traditional Irish bar, with a French twist, while enjoying their home cooked pub lunch menu with a pint of Guinness. For warmer days and evenings they have an interior courtyard and a spacious front patio.
Signature Dish The Delacroix restaurant and bar menu is impressive with a large selection of locally sourced meats and cooked fresh dishes daily. Treat yourself to their mouth watering, cooked to perfection, Fillet Steak Lyonaisse topped with Irish Cashel Blue cheese.
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restaurants
Encore Brasserie Located in the lobby of Derry’s stateof-the-art Millennium Forum, the largest purpose-built theatre in Ireland, the stylish Encore Brasserie is a class act for local foodies and theatregoers alike. At the heart of the walled city, the Millennium Forum, with its stunning entrance and marble-floored Italian-style piazza, hosts a wide range of entertainment from musical concerts to children’s plays.
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
“Head chef John McGee believes in using only locally sourced ingredients.”
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Millennium Forum Newmarket Street Derry~Londonderry BT48 6EB t: 028 7137 2492 e: encorebrasserie@hotmail.co.uk www.millenniumforum.co.uk
The Encore is ideal for leisurely lunches, high teas and evening meals, serving superb food that has already garnered the restaurant a host of awards. Head chef John McGee believes in using only locally sourced ingredients. Encore Brasserie also caters for conferences, weddings and banquets.
Signature Dish Our Dexter Beef Burger at lunch and our famous home cut chips are ‘simply delicious and a must’ Crispy Pork on the bone served with sauté savoy & roasting jus is a favourite with the locals at night. Lonely Planet review for Encore Brasserie: ‘Set in the lobby of the city’s main cultural venue, the Encore is a stylish little place with friendly, efficient service and a crowd-pleasing menu of perennial favourites from home-made lasagne to slow-braised lamb shanks served with honey-glazed carrots’. Awards: Taste of Ulster Georgina Campbell Awards 2009-2012
“We endeavour to use fresh local fish and seafood, sourced responsibly and sustainably.” Prehen Rd, Derry BT47 2NH t: 028 7132 1066 e: reception@egh.hastingshotels.com www.hastingshotels.com Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
Everglades, The Grill Overlooking the River Foyle and the hills of Donegal, the Everglades Hotel is just five minutes from the city centre. The Grill Restaurant represents bistro dining at its best and includes traditional dishes with a twist, local favourites and sumptuous international dishes. Executive Head Chef, Colman O’Driscoll, has created inspiring culinary delights based on the finest local produce. With dishes such as corn fed free-range chicken Caesar salad, signature soups, juicy rib-eye steaks and the freshest of seafood, it’s hard to resist sitting back, relaxing and enjoying a delicious meal in the warm and friendly Everglades Hotel. You can ‘Sizzle and Sip’ between 5pm and 7.30pm for just £35 per couple – including a bottle of wine.
Signature Dish Our signature Guinness Battered Scampi is made from deliciously fresh and succulent langoustines which are landed in Kilkeel Harbour, County Down and prepared by hand on-site. We are confident you will taste the difference! Awards: Good Food Ireland; Georgina Campbell; Taste of Ulster
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restaurants
“As a city ‘favourite’, regulars and visitors rave about the consistency of good food, delicious wines, the high level of customer service, their informality and vibrant atmosphere.” Exchange House, Queen’s Quay Derry BT48 7AY t: 028 7127 3990 e: exchangerestaurant@yahoo.co.uk www.exchangerestaurant.com Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
The Exchange Restaurant This local favourite is situated on Queen’s Quay, next to the Guildhall and a short walk from Derry’s iconic Peace Bridge. It’s known for informal lunchtime and evening dining, a buzzing atmosphere, friendly service and a menu of delicious, locally sourced food, as well as an excellent selection of wines and cocktails. They pride themselves on their popular, locally sourced crispy duckling, a combination of crispy, caramelised skin with a tender meat, accompanied by a caramelised orange sauce. Their grilled salmon, wild when in season or locally sourced from Fanad Fisheries, and fresh cod in crispy beer batter and homemade chips are also popular. The Exchange operates a no booking policy, so they recommend coming a little early and sharing a platter with a cocktail or glass of wine while your table is being prepared.
Signature Dish Everything on their menu is freshly prepared on the premises and cooked by professional chefs to order every day from their delicious selected sauces, gourmet sandwiches, delightful fish dishes, seafood bakes to the healthy chargrilled escalope on a bed of creamy champ, with a mushroom sauce. Awards: Restaurant Association of Ireland Best Casual Dining Award 2013-2014
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35 Strand Road Derry BT48 7BN t: 028 7126 6400 e: info@duddygroup.com
“Relaxed and casual, it’s also known for great service with customer satisfaction a priority.”
Flamin’ Jacks Located on the busy Strand Road in Derry, Flamin’ Jacks has been a family run staple of Derry’s eating scene for ten years. It’s ethos is based on quality local ingredients and value for money. Relaxed and casual, it’s also known for great service with customer satisfaction a priority. Head chef Miguel Hernandez has brought Basque influences to the fantastic produce of the North West to create unique and tasty dishes such as the warm chorizo salad and the whole roast sea bass. Flamin’ Jacks is open for dinner from 4.30pm Monday to Friday and for lunch and dinner from 12.30pm on Friday and Saturdays. The cosy, adjoining bar is a great spot for an after dinner cocktail.
Signature Dish Fresh Greencastle pan-fried filet of Seabass with a mussel risotto and chorizo chilli salsa. Awards: Restaurant Association of Ireland Best Casual Dining Award 20122013
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings City Food Guide 25
restaurants
“Everything is freshly prepared and regulars say you won’t get a friendlier welcome anywhere.”
Fitzroy’s Situated just outside the city’s historic walls, Fitzroy’s has been a local institution for over 15 years. Handily placed for shoppers (the Foyleside Shopping centre is just opposite) and culture lovers (the Millennium Forum is also nearby), this friendly restaurant offers delicious modern European cuisine and great value. Open from 12 Noon to late, seven days a week, everything is freshly prepared and the team source as many fresh ingredients as possible. Customer favourites include the Cajun Chicken with goats cheese and vegetable stirfry, Chilli and Ginger Chicken and the Herb Crusted Pork Fillet with Clonakilty black pudding and vanilla/ parsnip puree. They also have a delicious and very reasonable light lunch selection, including a Mediterranean vegetable and goat’s cheese ciabatta. You can also enjoy a selection of fine wines, spirits and beers from their bar. 2-4 Bridge St Derry BT48 6JZ t: 028 7126 6211 e: info@fitzroysrestaurant.com www.fitzroysrestaurant.com
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Signature Dish Customers love the Cajun Chicken with goats cheese & vegetable stirfry and the Herb Crusted Pork Fillet with Clonakilty black pudding & vanilla parsnip puree. Awards: Georgina Campbell and Taste of Ulster Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
14-20 Dungiven Rd Londonderry BT47 6BW t: 028 7134 3698 e: jason@icon-restaurant.com www.icon-restaurant.com
“Our Head Chef’s speciality is locally sourced baked cod resting on a bed of Potato & Chorizo Ragout. A great favourite with our customers.”
Icon Restaurant This 190-seat family owned restaurant and wine bar is getting a great reputation for value. Located in the heart of the Waterside, it’s stylish, modern décor and attentive service has made it very popular with locals and visitors alike. The head chef has prepared a varied menu, based on locally sourced products, which caters for all tastes. Sundays are family days at the Icon, with an award-winning three-course carvery, where the staff hold regular fun days for kids, including cartoon characters and face painting. The elegant wine bar hosts music three nights a week.
Signature Dish Head chef’s speciality is locally sourced baked cod resting on a bed of Potato & Chorizo Ragout. A great favourite with customers.
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
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restaurants
“The restaurant is intimate, cosy and unrushed with a typically warm and friendly Italian ambience” 45a Carlisle Rd, Derry BT48 6JJ t: 028 7137 4817 www.lasostarestaurant.co.uk
La Sosta Ristorante Established in 1995, La Sosta Restaurant is an atmospheric Italian family restaurant, run and owned by Claudio and Maureen Antonucci. Reached through a quiet gateway off Carlisle Road and within walking distance of Derry’s main hotels, theatres and shopping areas, it is one of the city’s most popular restaurants. La Sosta offers an authentic taste of the Italian kitchen, providing light, modern cuisine using the best of local, seasonal ingredients with the emphasis on quality and detail. In summer, Claudio and Maureen grow and pick seasonal vegetables and salads from the restaurant’s private garden. The restaurant is intimate, cosy and unrushed with a typically warm and friendly Italian ambience. Diners can also enjoy wonderful views over the city and the river from its conservatory.
Signature Dish Fillet steak with porcini mushrooms, truffle and Grand Marnier sauce.
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Price Range
££-£££
Serving Hours
Evenings
Mama Masala Derry’s only authentic Indian Tandoori Restaurant and Italian Pizzeria! Situated on the waterfront overlooking the beautiful River Foyle, not far from the Peace Bridge, this unique restaurant offers two menus reflecting the best of Indian and Italian cuisines. In some dishes they have even merged the two, with several Indian-style pizzas to choose from. Their award-winning chefs prepare a wide range of Indian starters, curries, breads and Tandoori specialities as well as classic Indian dishes and chef’s favourites. Their Italian menu includes pasta, chicken and beef dishes, as well as their extensive range of pizzas, hand rolled while you wait. If you fancy mixing cuisines, you can order from both menus! Customers are welcome to bring their own wines and beers. The restaurant operates a takeaway service too. Check for their special deals. Awards: Winner RTE Challenge the Takeaway – beating Michelin-starred chef, Derry Clarke!
24A Queens Quay Derry BT48 7AS t: 028 7126 6646 e: info@mamamasala.net www. mamamasala.net
Signature Dish Jatt Chilli Keema Homemade finely minced leg of lamb cooked in a spicy homemade sauce with red kidney beans, garlic, ginger, green chillies, onions, tomatoes, herbs and spices (an old favourite of Jatt Hill chiefs of Punjab State). Available in medium/spicy/hot and very hot.
“Indian and Italian cuisine, combined together in the one restaurant for the first time in Derry.”
Price Range
£-££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings City Food Guide 29
restaurants
Queens Quay Derry City BT48 7AW t: 028 7137 3656 e: sukinagra@hotmail.co.uk www.mandarinkarma.com
Queen’s Quay, Derry BT48 7AN t: 028 7126 2818 www.mandarinkarma.com
“We pride ourselves on sourcing local fresh produce and incorporating these products with our Asian style sauces and aromatic spices”
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
Michelin Guide Listing Bridgestone Award. Trip Advisor Top 10 Award
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Mandarin Palace and Karma Restaurant This welcoming waterfront restaurant offers many different styles of cooking from throughout Asia, including Szechuan, Canton and Malaysian. Sourcing fresh, local produce and incorporating it with their Asian style sauces and aromatic spices, they serve an extensive range of delicious Asian food as well as excellent fish, seafood and chicken dishes and steaks. You can enjoy panoramic views of the Foyle, while absorbing the restaurant’s cutting edge Asian décor. They also serve a fusion of tapas from Asia and Europe and offer a great value buffet lunch and express menu.
Signature Dish Mongolian Hotpot – Cubes of locally sourced Irish topside, marinated in Hoi Sin and Yellow Bean Sauce, slow roasted till tender, wok fried with fresh ginger, garlic, Chinese mushrooms, broccoli, onions and red bean curd which gives it a unique rich smooth fresh taste that everyone who tries it loves.
Martha’s Vineyard An award-winning licensed restaurant, located in the Brunswick Moviebowl cinema and entertainment complex, Martha’s Vineyard is a great place to enjoy a delicious meal before enjoying the latest blockbuster or competing in tenpin bowling. It’s stylish décor, lavish furnishings, flavoursome, great value food and friendly service have won this busy restaurant a loyal following over the last 20 years. The many excellent deals include their two-course weekday carvery lunch, Banquet ‘n’ Bowl and Movie Meal Deals. Martha’s Vineyard also has an excellent wine menu, with a selection of fine wines from around the world at prices that won’t break the budget. Their food is locally sourced.
Signature Dish Tobacco Fillet Steak, a grilled 10oz centre cut of prime Irish fillet of beef, served on a bed of roasted shallot mash topped with a stack of crispy tobacco onions finished with a Chianti & balsamic dressing.
“Stylish décor, lavish furnishings, flavoursome, great value food and friendly service”
Brunswick Moviebowl, Brunswick Lane, Pennyburn, Derry BT48 0LU t: 028 7137 1999 e: info@brunswickmoviebowl.com www.brunswickmoviebowl.com Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings City Food Guide 31
restaurants
Ian Orr and team at Brown’s Restaurant 32 LegenDerry Food Guide
Legen Food City Food Guide 33
restaurants
12 Alder Road, Culmore, Derry BT48 8DB t: 028 7135 8811 e: mehawljack_1@hotmail.com www.pitchersrestaurant.com
“Offering modern Irish fusion cuisine, this family friendly venue has a great choice of reasonably priced food for all tastes.”
34 LegenDerry Food Guide
Pitchers Wine Bar & Restaurant A great place to unwind for golf lovers, Pitchers Wine Bar & Restaurant overlooks Foyle International Golf Centre’s championship par 71 course. Situated on the outskirts of Derry in beautiful countryside with panoramic views of the Donegal Hills, Pitchers is just minutes from the Foyle Bridge and Donegal border. Offering modern Irish fusion cuisine, this family friendly venue has a great choice of reasonably priced food for all tastes. Perfect for functions, it has a selection of menus for every need. Pitchers have weekly specials available. These include Thursday evening’s ‘Meal for Two night’ – two four course meals for only £22.95, while Saturday evening’s ‘Dine & Dance Menu’ is a firm favourite – two courses for two people and a bottle of wine for only £22.95 with music in the Wine Bar afterwards. The sixth green overlooks the Amelia Earhart Centre, which commemorates the first lady to fly the Atlantic solo, whose plane landed here in 1932.
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
8 Boating Club Lane Derry BT48 7QB t: 028 7137 0977 e: quay-west@btconnect.com
QuayWest Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2013, this funky spot on the fast developing Queen’s Quay, overlooking the River Foyle, serves excellent modern European food at very reasonable prices. Sourcing fine local produce is key to their ethos. Their beef is from Northern Irish cattle, their pork is from the Glenties area of Donegal and even their delicious ice cream is from Ballymoney. A talented team of chefs utilise this natural advantage to great effect. Most popular dishes include the roast pork belly served with Dauphinoise potatoes. Opening hours are 12 noon to late, seven days a week.
Signature Dish Roast Pork Belly served with dauphinoise potatoes, Clonakilty black pudding & a red wine jus. Alternatively try the 50/50 which is sirloin steak & chicken served with peppered sauce & tobacco onions. Awards: Taste of Ulster
“QuayWest is all about the experience – our unique atmosphere is ideal for lunches or evenings out with family or friends.” City Food Guide 35
restaurants
122 Northland Road, Derry t: 028 7126 6080 e: info@raftersni.com www.raftersni.com Price Range
£-££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
Rafters Restaurant Rafters is a cosy 100-seat family run restaurant with a friendly ambience that can make you feel you haven’t left home. With over 20 years experience in restaurants and hotels, newly appointed head chef Mark O’Hare has adapted Rafters menu to showcase the best of Northern Irish produce. Highlights include superb fillet steaks, fresh fish and a delicious carvery from 12.30pm on Sundays. Rafters, which has a blazing fire for those colder nights, is open for dinner from 4.30pm, Monday to Sunday. The cosy adjoining bar is a great spot for an after-dinner drink and has live music and DJs throughout the week.
“Rafters is a cosy 100-seat family run restaurant with a friendly ambience that can make you feel you haven’t left home.” 36 LegenDerry Food Guide
“Authenticity is a key part of the ethos at Saffron, blending natural ingredients and spices in traditional family recipes to produce highly flavoured dishes” Derry~Londonderry BT48 7ES t: 028 7126 0532 e: sukinagra@hotmail.co.uk www.indiahouserestaurant.co.uk
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Evenings
Saffron Restaurant
This popular restaurant takes diners on a culinary journey through the best of Indian food, based on the finest authentic ingredients and their unique Punjabi cuisine. Authenticity is a key part of the ethos at Saffron, blending natural ingredients and spices in traditional family recipes to produce highly flavoured dishes. Rich, luxuriant sauces, tender slow cooked meats and aromatic spices are expertly combined with mouth-watering results. The longest running city restaurant, formerly India House, is still owned by the same family, indeed the original House of India opened in 1984. Using the freshest, locally sourced produce, the restaurant offers great value food, with European and special light choice dishes (less than 3% fat) available. There is plenty of choice for those who don’t like their food too spicy. The restaurant is relocating in June 2013 to new premises near the vibrant waterfront and a short walk from the Peace Bridge and city centre.
Signature Dish Makhan Tikka – Chef’s speciality – Chicken Tikka in pureed tomatoes tantalisingly flavoured with Punjabi spices, crushed fenugreek leaves and black pepper in creamy butter sauce – a favourite with regulars. City Food Guide 37
restaurants
“A great restaurant – fantastic food, great service and friendly staff, a definite winning combination. Very good value for money too.”
160 -164 Spencer Road Waterside, Derry BT47 6AH t: 028 7134 6040 e: sharrigan1@me.com
The Sooty Olive One of Derry’s brightest new eateries, the Sooty Olive serves delicious food at great prices in the heart of the Waterside. Relaxed and friendly, the restaurant’s eclectic menu features locally sourced food that will suit every taste. The restaurant is equally suited for couples on a romantic night out as for families (they have an excellent children’s menu). Favourite dishes from owner chef Sean Harrigan and his team, include starters like their flavoursome Asian squid - squid topped with salt and chilli Asian stir fry and served with a chilli and peanut dip. Main dishes such as their pan seared local duck breast, served with braised red cabbage, carrot puree and spiced jus are sure to impress. Large parties are able to book their own section of the restaurant, which also caters for any special dietary requirements.
Signature Dish The Asian Squid has proven extremely popular with regulars as well as with first time diners. Generous portion of squid lightly coated, topped with Salt & Chilli Asian stir fry and served with a chilli and peanut dip.
38 LegenDerry Food Guide
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
Timberquay Restaurant Located on an idyllic site where timber was once imported to the Derry Quays (hence the name), Timber Quay is Derry’s only truly waterfront restaurant, situated on the newly developed quayside walkway. A casual dining, restaurant and wine bar experience, its relaxed and tranquil atmosphere is enhanced by a contemporary décor mixed with vibrant colours and artwork. From a very reasonably priced lunch menu to their extensive dinner menu, they offer a wide choice, including several vegetarian dishes. Owner chef Harry Harrigan works hard to ensure that all their food is locally sourced. You can also enjoy a light lunch or just a coffee while relaxing in their outside seating area, taking in lovely views of the River Foyle. Their stylish bar has an extensive range of wines to choose from plus a large selection of bottled and draught beers and an array of liquors.
Signature Dish Our Thai fishcakes with Asian coleslaw are very popular with our diners….. The TQ Burger has become renowned in Derry as a big favourite!
“All our food is sourced locally and delivered daily for maximum freshness!” 100 Strand Road, Derry BT48 7NR t: 028 7137 0020 e: timberquay@hotmail.com www.timberquay.com Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings City Food Guide 39
restaurants
“The imaginative lunch and dinner menu is a fusion of local and International influences and this award winning combination has become a very popular choice amongst the local Derry community and international visitors.” Price Range
£-££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
17-19 Butcher Street Derry~Londonderry BT48 6HL t: 028 7137 1000 e: reservations@thd.ie www.towerhotelderry.com
Tower Hotel, The Walls Restaurant You can take in great views of Derry’s historic walls while enjoying delicious food at The Walls Restaurant in the Tower Hotel, the only hotel located within the walled city. There’s a local connection from the moment you walk through the doors from the photographs celebrating Derry’s rich musical heritage adorning the walls to locally sourced bottled water served at the bars and restaurant. The imaginative lunch and dinner menus, a fusion of local and international influences, have an ethos of sophisticated simplicity. Much of the produce is locally sourced, such as the seafood harvested from the rugged Atlantic shores and landed in Greencastle, only a short distance from the hotel. Carnivores will love their mouth-watering steaks, sourced from Gavin’s farm in Castlerock.
Signature Dish Many people rave about The Walls Restaurant’s much-lauded Saddleback Pork Belly Crackling served with creamy Dauphaniose Potatoes, on a pool of Cider Jus.
40 LegenDerry Food Guide
“Three dining levels, all over looking the beautiful centre piece bar, and open plan kitchen, providing intimate space amongst the pristine surroundings.”
Caw Roundabout Derry BT47 6TB t: 028 7134 5500 e: info@waterfoothotel.com www.waterfoothotel.com
Waterfoot Restaurant This spacious, contemporary wine bar is spilt over three dining levels, all overlooking the beautiful centrepiece bar and open plan kitchen at the Waterfoot Hotel, just five-minutes from the city centre. Head chef Paul McElhinney takes great pride in selecting and serving the best local produce and delivering exquisite food to suit every palate. The menu offers a broad range of popular dishes, including Irish lamb shank and pan-fried fillet of seabass with leeks, pancetta and hollandaise sauce. Wine lovers will enjoy the large walk-in wine room with its huge selection of excellent wines, where customers can taste any of the wines on the list before buying. Cocktails are also available, served at the table with instructions and tips for making them at home. You can also enjoy a menu featuring home-baked bread, traditional soups and stews and locally caught seafood by a turf fire in their Snug Bar.
Signature Dish There is a broad selection on the menu from freshly baked bread, traditional Irish Lamb shank, and not to forget one of the most popular dishes, Pan Fried Fillet of Seabass with Leeks, Pancetta & Hollandaise sauce-delicious!
Price Range
££
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings City Food Guide 41
cafés & bistros
cafés & bistros
Derry 42
LegenDerry Food Guide
Austin Café Mezzo Located in Austin’s, the world’s oldest independent department store, an imposing five-storey Edwardian building at the heart of the Diamond area, Café Mezzo serves an impressive range of delicious homemade modern dishes. These include its famous pancake stack – fluffy homemade buttermilk pancakes with bacon and sausage, finished with maple syrup. Café Mezzo is also known for its range of breakfast favourites such as Eggs Benedict and smoked salmon. Its popular lunch fare features hearty homemade soups and home-baked breads, tarts, baguettes (like their taco chicken baguette), paninis, delicious sandwiches and much more.
Signature Dish The Diamond Derry BT47 6TB t: 028 7134 5500 e: info@austinsstores.com www.austinsstore.com
The Café boasts an impressive range of contemporary, delicious foods and is most reputed for its Pancake Stack including home made, fluffy pancakes, bacon & sausage with Maple Syrup. Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Badger’s Restaurant This comfortable award-winning eaterie in the heart of the city, close to the city walls and Millennium Forum, is a great place to enjoy a hearty, satisfying dinner before the theatre or a film. With stained glass and wood panelling, the two levels have a delightful Victorian feel but were designed with a modern appreciation of light and openness. It’s a popular meeting spot for locals who come for the great food, friendly service and the warm welcoming atmosphere.
Signature Dish Chicken/Beef Stack. These dishes are a hearty helping of either escalope of chicken or sirloin steak, sitting atop a portion of garlic ciabatta bread topped with sauté onions and mushrooms and creamy peppercorn sauce. Price includes side order and choice of garnish. 16-18 Orchard Street Derry BT48 6EG t: 028 7136 3306 / 71 36 0763 e: badgersbar@gmail.com
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime City Food Guide 43
cafés & bistros
Bloom’s Café Uniquely situated on the historic walls of Derry, the Verbal Arts Centre’s Bloom’s Café is ideal for a relaxing stop after a tour of the walls or a local shopping break. Spacious and relaxed, Bloom’s serves a range of great value, wholesome and delicious food. Favourites include French Toast with vanilla and syrup, outstanding soups and omelettes, gourmet sandwiches, homemade scones and stews. All the ingredients are locally sourced. Visitors can also take advantage of the Tower Museum package - tickets for the museum and tea or coffee with scones, jam and cream in Blooms Café.
Signature Dish
Verbal Arts Centre, Stable Lane Bishops Street BT48 6PU t: 028 7127 2517 e: tourismatblooms@yahoo.co.uk www.bloomscafe.co.uk
The Café itself prepares its own home made scones, soups and stews. The emphasis is on wholesome, healthy food, using a range of trusted local suppliers for the fresh produce.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Café Failte If you fancy mixing your Irish language skills with some fine Irish fare then the relaxing surroundings of Cáife Fáilte in Cultúrlann Ui Chánin (House of Culture) will fit the bill nicely. As well as regular live Irish music (anything from McFlannery to Four Men and a Dog), you’ll be able to enjoy traditional Irish stew and broths, heart-warming soups and delicious sandwiches. All the food is home cooked and locally sourced, with the bread coming from McDaid’s Home Bakery, which once occupied this site, all meats are sourced from from a local family butcher.
Signature Dish Traditional Irish Stew with home baked breads.
37 Mórshráid Shéamais Doire BT48 7DF t: 028 7126 4132 e: eolas@culturlann-doire.ie www.culturlann-doire.ie 44 LegenDerry Food Guide
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Café Nervosa Located by the historic city walls on Magazine Street, the atmospheric Café Nervosa is the in-house cafe of Derry’s cutting edge arts venue, the Nerve Centre. Café Nervosa serves homemade soups, sandwiches, rolls and a good range of reasonably priced hot dishes, including curries, pepper chicken and beef lasagne. They also serve a full breakfast. Speciality coffees (including Irish Coffee) and teas are also available and their chef bakes gluten free cakes, scones and pies. Look out for signed posters of visiting stars like Snow Patrol, David Kitt, Michael McIntyre and Pete Doherty.
Signature Dish Family run cafe serving homemade food. Full gluten free menu available made fresh by our coeliac chef. 7/8 Magazine Street Derry~Londonderry BT47 6JY t: 028 7126 0562 e: thecafenervosa@gmail.com
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Café in the Park Located in the 18th century St Columb’s Park House, a centre for reconciliation, the newly opened Café in the Park is at the heart of St Columb’s Park, near the Peace Bridge and the exciting Ebrington redevelopment. Next door to a popular adventure playground it’s ideal for families. The menu, freshly cooked to order and reasonably priced, includes an all-day breakfast, sandwiches, paninis, burgers and curries. Visitors can also take advantage of free parking and Wi-Fi. Opening hours are 9am – 4pm Mon – Sat, and 9am – 1pm Sun (winter) and 9am – 7pm seven days (summer).
4 Limavady Road, Waterside Derry BT47 6JY t: 028 7134 3080
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
City Food Guide 45
cafés & bistros
Café Soul In Shipquay Street, at the heart of Derry’s historic walled city, the intimate Café Soul offers a welcoming environment where you can chill with delicious homemade breakfasts, lunches and evening choices while enjoying its views of Guildhall Square. All dishes are created from locally sourced ingredients, from the freshly baked bread to the enticing range of specialties that change on a daily basis. The café is renowned for its home baked scones, served with fresh cream and delicious homemade jam! There’s also an outside dining area, while the café hosts regular entertainment evenings featuring top local talent.
Signature Dish Gluten free Battered Cod with chips and salad. 2-4 Shipquay Place Derry BT48 6DH t: 07708 303 403 e: info@cafe-soul.com www.cafe-soul.com
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Café Zest Located on the historic Spencer Road in the Waterside, the popular Café Zest offers a comprehensive range of breakfast choices and lunches, ranging from homemade soups (like their popular lentil and bacon soup) to delicious made-to-order sandwiches, paninis, baguettes and baked potatoes. The café is also known for its range of speciality coffees and freshly made smoothies. Their popular house specials change daily. All ingredients are sourced locally and they also provide outside catering. Just five minutes from the city centre, Café Zest is within a short walking distance of Ebrington Square and the Peace Bridge.
Signature Dish Fountain House, 61 Spencer Road Derry~Londonderry BT47 6AA t: 028 7131 8800 e: info@cafezest.net www.cafezest.net 46 LegenDerry Food Guide
Chicken/Beef Stack. These dishes are a hearty helping of either escalope of chicken or sirloin steak, topped with sauté onions and mushrooms and creamy peppercorn sauce. Price includes side order and choice of garnish. Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Claudes Café A welcoming internet café just off the Diamond, Claudes offers outstanding home cooking and speciality coffees, and has seven internet stations. Run by charismatic local man Declan Moore, there’s always a great atmosphere at this cosmopolitan café. Favourite dishes include traditional Irish stew, home baked scone breads, lasagne and salads. All dishes are cooked on the premises and sourced from local suppliers. You can also take advantage of their walking tour packages, which include tea or coffee to warm you up after the tour finishes. There’s also an al fresco area for warmer days and evenings.
Signature Dish
4 Shipquay Street Derry BT48 6DN t: 028 7127 9379 e: claudes@hotmail.com
It’s a fantastic place to enjoy some outstanding home cooking and if it’s some traditional Irish food you want then make sure you try the Traditional Irish Stew.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Lunchtime & Evenings
The Coffee House This relaxing café on the Foyle River Walk, at Atlantic Quay, offers the chance to enjoy delicious food and invigorating hot drinks while chilling out with great views of the River Foyle. The Coffee Shop serves wholesome fresh food, including salads, sandwiches, paninis, bagels and wraps, as well as sweet and savoury scones and soups, all of which are freshly made each day. The menu is seasonal and changes regularly. They also serve an excellent range of homemade traybakes, cakes and buns. Favourites include moist lemon drizzle cake, fifteens, gorgeous carrot cake and Karen’s monster caramel squares and rocky roads.
Signature Dish Unit 1a Atlantic Quay 100-114 Strand Road Derry BT48 7NR t: 028 7137 0302 e: hello@coffeehousederry.com www.coffeehousederry.com
The freshly baked scones are the signature dish for The Coffee House. These come in a whole range of flavours, which is always expanding, due to Karen’s fantastic imagination and culinary skills. Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime & Evenings City Food Guide 47
cafĂŠs & bistros
48 LegenDerry Food Guide
Mark from Donegal Prime Fish and James Gallen Custom House Derry City Food Guide 49
cafés & bistros
Fiorentinis One of Derry’s great food institutions, Fiorentini’s is a lively family run café and Italian ice-cream parlour, which celebrates its centenary in 2013. Fiorentini’s offers a range of paninis, all-day breakfast’s, soups, burgers, hotdogs, omelettes, toasted sandwiches and rolls, though the delicious fish and chips has long been the popular choice. Described as the ‘Emperors of Ice Cream’, Fiorentini’s is renowned for its homemade ice cream, which uses the family’s secret recipe. There are over 30 delicious sundaes and milkshakes to choose from. The bustling café, which can seat 80 people, is a mecca for locals.
Signature Dish Fiorentini’s signature dish is its fish and chips. The fresh fish is sourced locally and is served with delicious hand-cut chips. 67 Strand Road, Derry BT48 7BW t: 028 7126 0653 e: fiorentinimichael@gmail.com
Fiorentini’s is also famed for its home-made Italian ice-cream. The ice-cream is still made on the premises, using the family’s secret recipe. Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Guild Café An iconic building as unique as the Guildhall requires something a bit different to complement it. Guild Café on the ground floor offers a relaxing space within a beautifully designed setting to enjoy a freshly roasted coffee or the perfect cup of tea. The cafe is operated by Claire McGowan, who also runs the award winning Beech House in Buncrana. Generously served, everything is hand-crafted with extreme care using the finest local ingredients. Mouth-watering treats include a selection of delicious cakes and biscuits and gourmet sandwiches served on artisan breads, as well as homemade soups. Guild Café also offers the opportunity to enjoy a coffee al fresco overlooking the Peace Bridge. A trip to our city is not complete without visiting the Guildhall and stopping to take some time out at Guild Café. Guildhall St Londonderry BT48 6DQ t: 028 7136 5151 e: info@guildcafe.co.uk www.guildcafe.co.uk 50 LegenDerry Food Guide
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Java Coffee and Juice Bar A family run coffee shop and café, serving a wide range of fresh hot lunches, soups, sandwiches, paninis, home-baked scones, cakes and treats, Java offers the kind of homemade food customers will travel far for. They also offer a full range of fresh fruit juices for those who want a healthier option, as well as organic Fairtrade coffee. A hidden gem, where you can escape from the bustle of the street to bask in the warm, homely and welcoming atmosphere, it’s a great place for a cheerful lunch within the city walls.
Signature Dish In Java you have to try their home made scones with cream and homemade plum or rhubarb jam. 33 Ferryquay Street Derry BT48 6JB t: 028 7136 2100 e: catherinesproule@hotmail.com
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Lakeview Café Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or the late afternoon bistro menu, you can be sure of a great value meal at the Lakeview Café in Creggan Country Park. Stroll around the beautiful country park to work up an appetite, before having a freshly cooked meal at the Lakeview. Not only does the café offer value for money – a family of four can eat for less than £20 – but all the food is prepared to order, using only fresh ingredients. Their pasta menu is also very popular. The four-course Lakeview Sunday lunch offers delicious freshly cooked roasts.
Signature Dish Creggan Country Park, Westway Derry BT48 9NU t: 028 7136 3133 e: info@creggancountrypark.com www.creggancountrypark.com
The Lakeview Sunday Lunch is the signature for the venue. The 4-course meal, offers delicious freshly cooked roasts. Due to its popularity, it is advisable to book in advance.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime City Food Guide 51
cafés & bistros
Legenderry Warehouse No. 1 Situated by the Guildhall in the city centre, the Legenderry Warehouse No 1 is at the centre of a local food movement in the North West. With a bohemian/warehouse décor, using recycled materials from local factories, this welcoming eaterie offers a great menu – ranging from hearty breakfasts and sourdough sandwiches to heart-warming soups and salads, with all vegetables and salads grown in their own walled garden in Co Donegal. The food showcases many small producers for a true flavour of the region. It also has outside seating on Guildhall Square, free Wi-Fi and a range of gifts.
Signature Dish Greencastle Seafood and Crab Salad with walled garden leaves, served with Guinness brown bread. 1 Guildhall Street Derry BT48 6BB t: 028 7126 4798 e: info@legenderrywarehouseno1.com www.legenderrywarehouseno1.com
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Leprechaun Good Foods Leprechaun Good Foods, or ‘The Lep’, as it’s known to locals, has won a loyal following for its range of soups, sandwiches, paninis, toasties, sausage rolls and light breakfasts. It also has a wide range of homemade scones, tray bakes and Danish pastries, all supplied from its own bakery. The sandwiches are made using their own signature loaf. You can see pictures of the original bakery decorating the new Clooney Terrace café. Breads and pastries are available to take away and are often sent to homesick locals around the world.
Signature Dish
41 Clooney Terrace Londonderry BT47 6AP t: 028 7134 5141 e: ferryhector@aol.com
52 LegenDerry Food Guide
The café’s most popular bread is the “Leprechaun Batch”, which is available in a sandwich, or as a loaf to take away. The Danish pastries are just as popular with the customers.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Molly’s A traditional Derry café, the atmospheric Molly’s is situated in the Craft Village, a recreation of a historic Derry street and square. Named after the granny of owner Gerard, the ambience is enhanced by a display of heirlooms from her kitchen. The food, like their delicious stews, is home cooked and prepared using the freshest ingredients. The menu changes regularly to suit the season. Gerard’s home baking is a key attraction, with many different kinds of cakes, as well as pies and scones, on offer. Free tea and coffee refills are also available.
Signature Dish
13 -15 The Craft Village Derry BT48 6AR t: 028 7136 9128 e: info@mollysofderry.com www.mollysofderry.com
Customers come to Molly’s to sample the home-cooked stew, followed by a slice of fresh fruit pie topped with cream, all washed down with delicious hot chocolate.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Pauline’s Patch This quaint family run coffee shop is situated at the back of Pauline’s Patch gift shop in Derry’s Shipquay Street. Within the historic walls and near the city’s main attractions, the café serves wholesome food and offers a welcoming place for those who enjoy good home cooking. The menu includes breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps, toasties, paninis, soups and a range of healthy options, including a gluten free choice. All produce is sourced locally where possible and everything is baked in store, including a range of tray bakes and desserts. Pauline’s Patch offers evening entertainment throughout Spring and Summer.
Signature Dish 32 Shipquay Street Derry BT48 6JB t: 028 7127 9794
The signature dish of the coffee shop is its traditional chunky vegetable soup and freshly made wheaten bread. The mint chocolate chip cheesecake is also delicious.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime City Food Guide 53
cafés & bistros
Primrose Café This delightful vintage coffee shop on Carlisle Road offers delicious homemade dishes, cakes and bakes cooked freshly on the premises each day. Its popular breakfast and lunch menus feature great soups, stews, homebaked breads, hearty pies of the day and lots more. It is renowned for its attentive and friendly service too. An ideal spot for afternoon tea, Primrose also serves wonderful freshly baked scones with homemade jams and fresh cream. The café has a lovely 60-seat outdoor area and hosts entertainment on some evenings.
Signature Dish For breakfast we have Eggs Benedict. It is very popular with visitors. For lunch we have an ever changing menu including soups and pies. 15 Carlisle Road Derry BT48 6JJ t: 028 7126 4622 e: primrosecafe@hotmail.com
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
Pyke ‘N’ Pommes Street Food The gobal trend for upmarket street food has come to Derry in the form of Kevin Pyke’s hugely popular mobile catering van. The concept is simple - fresh local produce provided by a very driven chef. It’s not just attracting locals either, revealing to the thousands of visitors to the UK City of Culture that Derry is right up with the latest in food fashions. A different dining experience, taking inspiration from throughout the world with a crucial Irish twist, this is restaurant standard food at street food prices. Great tasting and great value the bistro style food could include anything from slow cooked shoulder of pork to the famous ‘codfather’.
Signature Dish Location: Queens Quay, Derry t: 07594 307 561
54 LegenDerry Food Guide
The notorious P.I.G wrap, slow cooked shoulder of pork, with homemade crispy slaw and smoked BBQ sauce, all wrapped in a Lebanese flat bread.
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
The Ritz Bistro A popular family run business, the Ritz Bistro has wonderful views over the Foyle from its elevated position on the historic Spencer Road. Owners Liam and Marie Donnelly and their team ensure a welcoming environment in which to enjoy their range of home cooked lunchtime dishes, ranging from locally sourced steaks to chorizo chicken, and their popular traditional Sunday roasts. They also have daily specials. There’s an Irish turf fire for winter days and an outside deck with great views for warmer times. Live entertainment is available every weekend.
Signature Dish Great lunches, the food is well cooked with generous portions. 74 Spencer Road Derry BT47 6AF t: 028 7134 2421 e: theritzbar@live.co.uk
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime
The Sandwich Co One of Derry’s longest established cafés, the Sandwich Company offers the city’s largest range of sandwich combinations at its six outlets, as well as salads, stews, soups and baked potatoes. The sandwich range includes favourites like chicken, bacon and coleslaw and new additions like their innovative combinations of tuna, pomegranate, pear, celery, wasabi and sesame seeds. All staff are fully trained barista’s, while their huge selection of suki teas are also supplied. They offer healthy breakfasts, tray bakes and cakes too. All food is prepared at their central kitchen and distributed to each of the branches.
Signature Dish Strand Road The Diamond Spencer Road Lisnagelvin Shopping Centre Ebrington Square t: 028 7137 0751 www.thesandwichco.com
Trying to narrow it to one sandwich is nearly impossible. The Club Sandwich is Legenderry!!
Price Range
£
Serving Hours
Daytime City Food Guide 55
cafĂŠs & bistros
food producers
Julie Hickey, Tamnagh Foods 56 LegenDerry Food Guide
Chef’s Mate
Feast or Famine Project
Chef’s Mate Ltd is a family run business which operates seven days a week delivering fresh local fruit & veg to shops, restaurants and hotels. We aim to provide outstanding high quality produce and customer service. t: 028 7181 1861 www.chefsmateltd.com e: info@chefsmateltd.com
Derry~Londonderry was built because of its proximity to food sources, in particular the River Foyle and the rich agricultural land surrounding the city. Food historian Emmet McCourt has launched a new Food Heritage programme with a food trail and book which highlights many interesting aspects of the city’s food history and changes in food over the centuries. From Plantation to the Great Siege to the Whiskey trail, the story of Butcher’s Gate and the Golden Teapot, this is a food tour not to be missed. Booking by prior arrangement. www.feastorfamine.ie
Tamnagh Foods Tamnagh Foods, nestled in the Sperrins Mountains in Derry, uses the freshest natural ingredients to handcraft a range of quality food products – cheese, granola, cakes, relishes and chutneys - we know you will love them all. A great taste guaranteed. t: 07886 772 854 / 07779 580 542 www.tamnaghfoods.com e: info@tamnaghfoods.com
Seasons Harvest Fruit & Veg A family run business which has been running for 30 years, based in Claudy, primarily a fruit and veg wholesaler, selling fruit and vegetables to the retail and catering sectors and local customers. We also sell eggs, milk, and a wide range of foodservice products. We work closely with other companies such as Mash Direct, Willowbrook Farm, Delifresh, Wilson’s Country and Dunola. t: 028 7133 8478 / 07788 267 414 www.seasonsharvest.com e: sales@seasonharvest.co.uk
Donegal Prime Fish We process our own award winning Irish Silver Salmon brand. In business for more than 20 years we supply fresh seafood all sourced locally from Greencastle to the local restaurants and hotels in Northern Ireland. We have a wealth of experience and knowledge, all of our staff are highly trained and we are holders of the Sea Fish Industry Authority Quality award and the Great Taste Award. t: 028 7135 0059 www.donegalprimefish.net e: donegalprimefish@hotmail.com
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All information is correct at the time of print and is subject to change. Derry City Council is not liable for any changes arising. Please check with individual restaurants, cafés and producers for current menus and offers. If you are interested in further food tourism opportunities please contact The Tourism Development Officer, Derry City Council, 98 Strand Road, Derry BT48 7NN Online at: www.derrycity.gov.uk/legenderryfood City Food Guide 57
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58 LegenDerry Food Guide
City Food Guide 59
This project is part funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the European Regional Development Fund under the Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland 60 LegenDerry Food Guide
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