The Central Bar, Ballycastle — Restaurant in Northern Ireland

UNSAFE FOR YOUNG WOMEN, VERY AGGRESSIVE DOORMAN & SECTARIANISM - DONT RECOMMEND Went to this bar on Saturday 6th July 2024 with a group of 15 women for a hen party. We were having a brillant night keeping to ourselves in a corner of the bar until the live music started, when we went to the dance floor. We then had older men sat recording us the whole time trying to get inappropriate shots of the girls. We reported to the bouncers who said that its a public space and they cant do anything, and the men were probably 'excited' to see young women and probably wanted to 'share some videos with their friends on facebook', we let them know we were uncomfortable with this. The doorman also made a point to let us girls know that he was from a protestant community in Belfast in a manner that we thought was a means to intimidate us as we are from a different community. I spoke with the bar manager who was v.understanding and agreed with us about the inappropriate nature, he actually tried to talk the doorman to also ask them to get the men out, but the doormen refused. He said he couldnt do anything but check the cameras to confirm the conduct was inappropriate, he suggested for our own safety we go elsewhere. I got his contact details and as I was getting them I saw the aggressive doorman hoovering. I asked the bar manager if I could get the doormans name and he said to ask him, so I did, the doorman immediatley got his back up and told me it was illegal to ask, I said okay no problem and turned to walk away, as I turned he grabbed my arm and I asked him not to touch me. I walked back to the bar manager, and the doorman followed me, getting up into my face and reiterating that it was illegal for me to even ask his name, screaming at me demanding to know why I wanted his name, I was stood in shock, I tried to say, that 'I asked, you said no, that's okay,' eventually as the berating continued I felt very scared, intimidated and like the doorman had violent intent, especially since he'd already grabbed me once. I ended up having a panic attack and being helped out of the bar by the bar manager and a friend, both who were shocked themselves at his behaviour. Our group left the bar after this and all the girls spoke to the aggressive nature and sectarianism of the doorman. This is the person whos meant to protect and look after people in the bar, de-escalate situations and make you feel safe, we felt the total oppostie, and for this reason do not recommend. Ive reported the incident to the Security Industry Authority. UPDATE: I contacted the bar to request CCTV, they...

I would give 0 or even less if I could. My party of 5 have just had the worst experience ever. We visited here at 4.30 for an early dinner and we were one of the first tables to be seated. Lovely decor and we were excited for our friends birthday celebrations. We ordered five meals, one of which was mussels to be served as a main. The mussels came out to friend no 1, no finger wash bowl or wipes. Nor a bowl for empty shells. She asked for both, they never came. Her meal was finished. We asked twice where was ours. 'I will just check', was the response...no answers. Eventually the original server came and apologised but we know it wasn't her issue as she wrote everything down as we ordered, including the severe dairy intollerance... and read it back to us. Fiend no 2's salmon came out with the dairy sauce she had said to keep off her plate and the butter potatoes instead of her chips therefore it had to get redone. Friend 3's order came out which was fine. Leaving two of us with still no meal. My friend no 4 with no food then got a portion of skinny fries and told her meal would come presently. Our friends where over half way through their meal and we still had none, even the girl that had to get her salmon redone was well into her meal. My friends chips where now stone cold. It was now six o'clock and our food still was not on the table. Many a one would leave but we were so hungry. The server came apologising profusely offered us cocktails or a desert or coffee. Fair enough. We still just wanted our mains. But I asked what was gluten/dairy free...a bowl of fruit. We decided on coffee to be told "the kettles has been turned off, and I will check if there is oat milk for the coffee"..kettle and I am still waiting on the result of that milk query! By now we had just lost the will to go on. The bar man taking our payment just laughed at our mishaps and said the place was like this for the past two and a half months....really! 0 stars. I understand from working in hospitality for years, it is rarely the waiting staffs fault. They only bring to a table as the chef calls for service. We got offered complimentary coffees or desert which didn't suit 3 of our parties dietry needs and no discount given. Not a great 50th birthday tea...

The Central used to be a great place a few years ago. Unfortunately, in the last 1-2 years the quality of both food and service is steadily going down. After a few bad meals we still gave it a benefit of doubt because we used to be regular guests, but we won't bother to come again after our most recent experience.

The staff is completely clueless. I've asked the server what all is in the vegetable curry, given that I've ordered it previously and it was bland and starchy, basically containing nothing but chickpeas, which is not what is described in the menu at all. The answer was "well, vegetables". Yes, but which ones? "Peppers and things, I don't know exactly, I can find out for you." This is not good enough. The servers have no clue what the restaurant they work in has to offer.

Then the food arrived and we weren't given utensils. The two sauces we ordered weren't there at all, instead there were two sauces we had zero interest in. Kid's tomato pasta was a bowl of tasteless, unseasoned tomato sauce soup with pasta floating in it. House salad was bad, unseasoned, with tons of cheese and rice (?!) in it.

But the biggest shock was that instead of vegetarian honey and chilli penne we were served chicken penne! The meal was virtually ordered looking and pointing at the vegetarian section of the menu, but the server didn't pay attention. They replaced the meal and the right penne were tiny. A fraction of the size of the wrong meal we initially got, it was pretty much a plate of sauce with a few pieces of pasta in it. Yet it's the same price as the meat dish.

Overall, this was a very disappointing experience that cemented what we've been hearing from people from a while now, that the Central simply isn't a good place to...