Wet and Wintery day wonderfully warmed at The National. For my second BFB review I decided to check out The National Grande Cafe situated on High Street in Belfast. Owned by the Merchant the National is located at the site of the old National Bank building and it does not disappoint. From the exposed brickwork to the high glass vaulted ceiling there is a feeling of grandeur here but with a very pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. The staff most definitely add to this!
Breakfast was on the agenda and the menu offered a vast selection of options including; The National Breakfast (fry), Eggs Benedict, Omelette, Organic Porridge Oats, Baked Eggs, Brioche French Toast and these are only a few of the dishes available! They also had a special on which was a Spanish fry with chorizo sausage and potato bravas.
I struggled to make a decision narrowing my choice down to three; The Beef Brisket Hash with Poached Eggs, The Spanish Fry or the Baked Eggs? I opted for the Baked Eggs - 3 eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet filled with crispy bacon, oven roasted garlic cloves tomato pesto and mozzarella and it was accompanied by toast and a spinach and hollandasie dressed salad (see image below, seriously, look at it). It was delicious, my first bite was egg and wonderfully stringy mozzarella, my second bite uncovered the roasted garlic cloves and red tomato pesto which gave the dish an extra dimension, a heat, almost chorizo like, it was definitely a welcome addition. This dish was sooo filling; it kept me going right up until dinner (it is very, very rare I'll miss lunch).
Considering that The National is owned by the very prestigious Merchant I am very pleased to report that the menu offers an array of dishes at a very reasonable price. In total for two dishes, the Baked Eggs and Scrambled Eggs with toast and two cappuccinos my bill came to £14.90 which for this quality of food is amazing, the head chef Sol O Brien should be very proud of his team, who in a busy and pressured restaurant produced quality and tasty grub.
BFB Star Moment: The Place itself. The interior of The National, the way it was set up, allowed for small intimate one to one dining if you wanted, or there was the option to dine with friends or family at the vintage picnic tables. The walls were decorated with local art and photography, the one that caught my eye was a piece from Belfast based photographer Gavin Miller depicting a young girl (you'll have to visit to see the rest)
Overall a great experience, friendly staff, a vast menu which is very vegetarian friendly, a badger hanging from the roof (you read that correctly) all added to an eggcellent Breakfast.
Comentarios