JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI BRINGS MICHELIN STARS CHRISTMAS TO AC HOTEL BY MARRIOTT

BY GARY CAMPION

I was delighted to be invited to an exclusive evening at the AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast to experience the exquisite flavours of their upcoming new seasonal menu last night. My guest and I were greeted warmly by the team with 2 festively tasting cocktail options glittering gold and festive red in colour both from their new menu, they were super tasty and packed a punch….thankfully we weren’t driving home!

The atmospheric ambience was provided by acoustic guitar player and singer Phil Doulton, it was great to see some familiar faces in the form of Q Radios Jordan Arnold and her chef Husband Ben Arnold, UTV’s Pamela Ballantine and our very own tandem riding, handlebar-moustached Gourmet Boys!

It was time to sample the festive offerings from local Executive Head Chef Adam Jones and his team, whom I was told Jean Christophe Novelli had taken under his wing to develop him into the executive head chef that he is now. I do love a good local boy done good story and the fact that Adam appears to have worked his way up within the AC Hotel makes that story all the more fascinating and inspiring.

Some of the tasting samples we got to try were:

Starters:

• Jawbox Gin Cured Salmon with Cucumber, parsley and dill emulsion

• Goat’s Cheese fig and onion Tart with Parmesan pastry and seed dressing

Mains:

• Roast Turkey Breast stuffed with pork and herb roulade, crispy hamp croquette, Ballymakenny Potatoes, and Armagh Honey roasted Root Vegetables.

• Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Deserts:

• Spices Apple and Plum Crumble with Creme Anglaise

• Festive mince pies

Everything we tasted had that Michelin look with exquisite local twists and flavouring that just melted in our mouths and tantalised our tastebuds, dont suppose you are free to come cook Christmas Dinner at my house on Christmas Day Chef Jones?? One can dream lol!

AC Marriotts Festive Lunch and Dinners at Novelli’s run from Friday 24th November to Sunday 23rd December. 3 Course Lunch is available for £39 per person Monday to Saturday 12noon - 3 pm and Dinner is available for £49 per person Monday to Saturday 5 pm to 10 pm. There is even Live entertainment every Friday and Saturday in December.

If the standard festive Lunch or Dinner doesn’t take your fancy there 2 more exclusive offerings in

the shape of:

Christmas Eve Brunch £25 per adult

• Offering an escape from the city to bring family and friends together for a relaxing brunch to toast the holidays in style with Live entertainment and a kids’ craft table included. If you are like my dad and leave your gift shopping to the last minute you can also avail of their complimentary gift wrapping station too!

New Year’s Eve Dinner £60 per person

• End the year in style with a specially curated New Year’s Eve menu and a glass of prosecco to toast the start of 2024 on the banks of the atmospheric Lagan.

If none of this personally takes your fancy or that of your loved ones, they offer Gift Vouchers which can be redeemed against overnight stays, food and beverages after the festive period. The perfect gift for the hard to buy for in my opinion, because let’s cut to the chase nothing says I love / value you more than a gift voucher for a stylish and welcoming hotel with Michelin Star dining, it certainly beats a high street voucher or a lynx gift set anyway!

Novelli at City Quays AC Hotel Belfast, City Quays, 90 Donegal Quay, Belfast. BT1 3FE

Tel: +44 (0) 2895 313180

Email:events@achotelbelfast.com www.novelliresturants.co.uk/belfast