Holohan's Pantry — Restaurant in Belfast

So.I was with a band playing at The Limelight and didn't want Nandos or any of the other commercial s*ite on offer nearby. It was feakin' feezin' and I was not in a good mood, but I really wanted 'Good Food'. So I was walked and walked some more then check the blue dot and kept on walkin' Then and found it!

Only one table had diners, but they were local, so that boded well. A waiter popped up and didn't flinch at the request for a table for One (I could see this was his profession not a side hustle). I liked the look of the Sea Bass on the set menu, but the Soup of The Day would be the deal breaker. "Oh that's a cauliflower Soup with White Truffles" he said. He had me a Cauliflower. But truffles! I was in the right place. I needed to visit toilet to prepare and what a fabulous convenience. On the Mezzanine floor. Soap that smelled lovely and water that was hot. It was like being at your Aunties at Christmas or back at home when your Mum has 'Guests'.

TBH the soup wasn't as hot as it should have been, but for me, meant it hadn't been bubbling for hours and getting grainy, as soup can. It was unctuous and delicious so much so that I didn't want to be parted from it to have it heated ( and I'm a Gal with caribbean standards...). And then came the fish. The crispiest skin this side of Bridgetown, but with tender WELL seasoned flesh. I was so enamoured I'd forgotten the greens were Broccoli (my favourite!) and fondant potatoes, wow. The spuds ,tbh, could have done with more butter, but were still great. And I didn't need a pud. Wine was also very good.

I gave them a 10% tip (all a could afford) but it was taken with such joy, I feel acknowledgement of their service, (which it was) that I was sad I couldn't have given them more! On Googlibolla*ks the tag line is "Unfussy, family-owned eatery offering traditional & local Irish fare" and they lived up to that, in spades. I felt at Home, I felt like a local, is wasn't 'fussy' but I was fussed-over in the best way. Thank You Holohan's and long may...

We visited this location on a Tuesday night. We were seated quickly and the dinner started off wonderfully. There were 3 servers working. I didn't get their names... But a guy who was at the bar, a lady with red hair and one with brown. We originally had the brown hair waitress, but all 3 were working the upstairs and downstairs. The food was adequate. The service from the guy and the red hair was wonderful. However, the brown hair waitress seemed extremely distracted. The issue came at the end of dinner when we requested our check. We asked the brown hair waitress (as she passed by our table). Because she never checked on us at all after she brought our starter. She had been having a lengthy conversation with another table. Needless to say she never brought the check, 29 minutes later, after routinely signaling her and saying excuse me and being completely ignored. While she had a conversation with the 2 people at the table this whole time, and the red hair waitress was dashing everywhere and the guy was bringing drinks from the bar. We asked the red haired waitress as she bustled by with arms fukknif food for our check. We had the bar tender guy bring our check and apologize for the delay. I honestly got up and left as my husband paid, and still the brown haired waitress was talking to the table... We'll over 30 minutes, while the 2 other people were dealing with the whole restaurant. When we'd been seated, there was a table near us discussing how they hadn't been able to get their check and we could tell they were agitated about it. If only we knew it was a foreshadowing. This made our whole experience very unfavorable... And the only reason I'm giving service anything over a 1 rating... Is because the other staff were busting their a33 to cover the whole restaurant and they deserve a...

Quintessentially Irish home cooking with a gourmet flair and welcoming hospitality are attributes that all converge at Holohan’s Pantry to create one of the finest dining experiences I’ve had in Belfast. Nestled on a busy street across from Queen’s University, you’re pleasantly surprised to step through the portal and find the lively, but deceivingly cozy atmosphere in this well decorated, sprawling restaurant. If you’re lucky enough to show up on a Thursday evening like me, you’ll find the air is not only filled with the aromas of the delightful dishes awaiting your tastebuds but also with the sounds of amazing local musical talent playing traditional Irish tunes in an intimate setting. I’d heard a lot about the famous Holohan boxty and couldn’t wait to sample it, and boy did it not disappoint! I’ve since returned on several other occasions and have declared the seafood boxty my favorite! The rest of my party ordered a wide variety of the other dishes and, to a person, we were all thoroughly pleased with how well prepared each dish was (each of them were delicious!); the right level of speed they were served; and the gracious and accommodating staff who served us. Speaking of accommodating staff, a special shout out to Sam who went above and beyond in attending to me and my party— his recommendations and service were bar none! Thank you!

An all-star cast with fabulous food in a space that felt like all your own— who could possibly ask for more? In my case, I’ll just be asking for “more often”— this gem...