Cafe Essence — Restaurant in Northern Ireland

The food is excellent and the service friendly and efficient. There are two problems that prevent me giving it more stars: Hard seats - I always get cramp in my knees Supplements - the menu states '£29 for two courses' but virtually every item on it attracts a supplement (up to an eye-watering £25 for surf and turf). It's actually a lot dearer to eat here than in many other places that sell alcohol! Nevertheless, it's good enough to visit every so often for a treat, just not as your once a month/week restaurant. And all that said, it's worth coming here for the blackened monkfish on a bed of prawn risotto, it's out...

Had the chowder starter and pork medallion main. Was surprised that the chowder wasn't made with cream or milk and was more of a broth consistency. Surprising but not unpleasant. The pork medallions were fine but nothing beyond what could be made at home in one's own kitchen. My partner's steak was excellent in every regard, the nicest had in a long while but with the surcharge on top of the set price along with the relative simple meals I wouldn't be rushing back. Best saved as a treat rather than a...

We went to Cafe Essence for my son's birthday. I was a bit put off by the steps as I have an issue with the muscles in my left leg but I managed. We were a party of 6 and were seated around the corner. The service was perfect with friendly, helpful staff. The food was excellent - clean plates all round. The menu is not extensive but there was enough variety for all of us to have a choice. This includes my son who is vegetarian. I would highly recommend Cafe Essence to anyone and will...