The Ava Winebar — Restaurant in Northern Ireland

I was excited to try The Ava Bistro when it opened as I had really enjoyed Corin and the recent renovations to The Ava winebar as well. I booked a table for me and my partner during the week, but when we arrived I realised I needn't have bothered as there was only a handful of other people there.

When we walked in I found we stood waiting for a few moments as the waiters walked past us and didn't seem to acknowledge us at all. Finally a waitress came over to greet us and show us to our table. We were provided with food menus and the drinks menu.

For a starter we shared the garlic soda bread. It was a good sized portion and very tasty. It was perfect for sharing but would also do for one person depending on how hungry you are. I would have loved to order the scallops for a starter however I felt that £12 seemed very expensive at twice the price of other starters (and even more expensive than some main courses).

For the main I ordered the confit of duck and my partner ordered the steak burger. I found the service quite slow, considering there was only a few tables occupied so our main courses took a while to arrive.

When they did arrive they were beautifully presented. Unfortunately the duck was completely over cooked, tough and chewy. I was so disappointed as I love duck and tend to order it in most restaurants that offer it. The lentils were nice and added an interesting twist to the dish and the crispy potatoes were nice but were basically just crisps. The menu said it was served with pancetta but on the whole plate I maybe only saw about 4 tiny pieces. My partner enjoyed the burger, it was tasty but quite greasy. The burger was a good texture and flavour. The parmesan and truffle oil chips side were very disappointing. There was barely any parmesan on them and so much truffle oil that it overpowered any other flavour. The pepper sauce was very thin and watery and not particularly flavourful.

For dessert, I ordered the gin and tonic cheesecake. It was a nice portion size, not too big. I personally thought it tasted more of lime than anything else which was a shame but it was still tasty. It was also a bit rubbery whereas personally I would prefer a creamier cheesecake.

Overall, I was disappointed with the Ava Bistro. I had great expectations for it following Corin but I found the whole experience underwhelming. The service was average and quite slow at times. The food had potential but was just poorly executed. Perhaps there are a few teething problems as it's just opened and perhaps they need more time to settle in. I would maybe return in the future to try other dishes and see if things have improved but I don't think I'll be...

NOTE: the five star ratings on this listing are from a year ago, Ava Bistro isn't a year old so I am guessing they are residuals from Corin.

I was excited for this restaurant to open. I have been disappointed with the Ava Winebar in recent months but I thought the newly opened Bistro could redeem them.

Firstly, we arrived and the place was almost completely empty. Not always a bad thing but not quite the buzzing atmosphere I was hopeful for.

The service started quite slow but towards the end it started getting a bit better and the staff were becoming more open and friendly.

The food itself was okay. The starter I got (cheesy garlic soda bread) was quite nice but not worth the money at £6.

I got the burger for the main with the truffle oil and parmesan chips. The burger itself was nice, it was cooked well and was obviously seasoned. It was also served on nice bread.

The chips however were disappointing. The chips themselves were cooked well but the truffle oil was so overwhelming (think of tasting the smell of petrol).

I got the pepper sauce with it too which was runny and did not have much flavour.

My partner got the duck confit and I tried some of it. The duck was honestly the worst duck confit I have ever had in my life, it was so tough and chewy. For the price that is appalling.

For dessert my partner got the Gin and Tonic Cheesecake which was again, underwhelming. There was a strong taste of what seemed to be lime and that completely overwhelmed any other potential flavours. I have had gin and tonic cheesecake before and it was light and refreshing to eat.

The cheesecake was also very rubbery seeming like it was loaded with gelatine and was not fluffy or soft like other cheesecakes I have had.

Overall, I am disappointed with the Ava Bistro. I will be back to try other menu items and to see if it is just because it was newly opened .

Corin said Bangor wasn't ready for fine dining, but it seems the Ava Bistro isn't even...

September 2025. Clearly it's our fav eating place in Bangor. Do book in advance!!! Service last night was first class. Just the right amount of attentive. They've changed their menu so it took me a while to decide which dish I wanted as there were a few I was able to choose from. I thoroughly enjoyed the Waldorf salad. Hubby had the roast beef. Definitely recommend The Ava when you're in town. Thank you.

And we're back! Jan 2025. Caramelised onion tarte tatin. Really good. Hubby had chicken and chorizo paella. Both really good. Service spot on as always. I do recommend booking in advance. Don't assume it'll be quiet on a cold January Saturday!!!

Update Nov 2024 Loved it. Good service and great food. Italian mixed beans con carne tonight. Super tasty. I do recommend booking in advance as it does be busy. Thank you 😊

Staying in Bangor again tonight. Googled to see where to eat, and had a nosey in through a few windows. Ended up at Ava - again! Third time now. And it certainly didn't disappoint! Friendly welcome. Managed to nab a table without a booking (only just!) Prompt service. Food was really good. I opted for the Halloumi grill, and my husband the steak sandwich. Other than several fatty bits on the steak our plates were cleared. Would've been good to have some form of 'green' on the plate along with the steak. Reasonably priced, other than dessert which was £6 for a ridiculously small portion. Tasty however! Four pints, two mains, one dessert = £56. Highly...