Hello Foodies! Today we venture out of Belfast and travel to Lisburn to take a closer look at the newly re-branded and freshly decorated Alfredo's. Once Angelo's on Piper's Hill, Alfredo's has undergone a massive transformation while still retaining the charm that made Angelo's a popular and intimate eatery in Lisburn for the past 25 years! And I am sure that Richard and his team will excel in this latest endeavour!
Before exploring the food I would like to thank Alfredo's for inviting me down to experience their NEW 4-8-4 Early on the Square menu. Not only was I treated to some super authentic Italian food but Richard went out of his way to give me a brief history lesson regarding Lisburn Square, the heritage of Angelo's and his future plans for Alfredo's - which are exciting ;)
The New Restaurant
For anyone that dined in Angelo's they will surely recall the low light and somewhat underground atmosphere - I am delighted that Alfredo's has taken on a more modern and contemporary approach, from the elegant exposed brickwork to the ultra modern Wine Glass Chandelier Alfredo's is bright, inviting and intimate.
The restaurant has been divided into different areas; there is the elevated section at the back allowing for a more private dining experience, a booth for family get-togethers, some luxurious seats (perfect for High Tea) and the two best seats in the house located either side of the glass front doors! These are superb seats where you overlook the newly revamped and impressive Lisburn Square, honestly on a sunny night like we had you would be forgiven for thinking you were sat in Florence, although not exactly the same scenery, does anyone know what the italian for Argos is?- I was sooo happy Richard had reserved this seat for me it added a lot to the meal!
The Food
So I was invited down to try the NEW 4-8-4 Early on the Square Menu! Here you can get a starter for £4, a main for £8 and a dessert for £4 - What a bargain!!!
What impressed me most was the variety of dishes on the menu, Moules for starters, Pizza, Pasta and Steak for main and a fabulous selection of desserts. Here's a wee photo of the 4-8-4 menu for you to pick from! Also this offer is available on Friday and Saturdays which is amazing!!!
Starters: So I decided on the Sticky Chilli Ribs served with Coleslaw - Talk about melt in your mouth, the meat was super tender and just slithered off the bone, which was a good thing as the ribs came in a bowl of marinate/sauce, which I am not ashamed to say I polished off using a spoon - the sauce was awesome! (P.S. Thank God for that finger bowl)
Lauren went for the Wild Mushroom Risotto garnished with rocket and cooked in pesto. There must have been 4 different types of mushroom which allowed for a unique bite each time which was lovely - each bite was different, surprising and tasty!
Mains: Well, it took me a while to decide on a main, honestly I could have picked any - after about 10 minutes of deliberation and some stern eyes from Lauren I picked the Alfredo's Lasagne (Plus some hand cooked chips) I liked that the lasagne was served in its own cast iron skillet and if you are looking for a lasagne packed with tomato flavour and a crisp cheesy top this is the one for you! A very generous portion and served with salad and garlic bread - The garlic bread was almost like a garlic wheaten bread, tasty, however I would have preferred a toasted garlic ciabatta!
Lauren decided on the Carbonara Tagliatelle served with garlic toast! This was my favourite dish; it was creamy, garlicky and left me wanting to go back to Alfredo's! This dish is definitely a winner and there was loads of sauce allowing for generous dips of garlic toast...yummmmmm
Have a look at the delights below ;)
The Desserts
I never really say much about desserts as the images usually speak for themselves but in this case I need to point something out - Ice cream and popcorn is my new love! TASTE SENSATION! Honeslty don't know how I have never encountered this before - or maybe it is just that the in-house baked desserts in Alfredo's are that good! Anyway I went for the double cooked Chocolate Brownie and Lauren had the individual Banoffe Pie with Bailey's ice cream and popcorn!
What's GREAT about Alfredo's?
- Fantastic staff - I think it was Samantha who looked after us all night - good job S!
- Authentic Italian - Stone baked pizzas are very, very hard to come by in Lisburn, look no further
- Passion - it is clear that Richard has a lot of love for his job and this is very evident, he greeted guests as they entered and ensured they had a pleasant meal
- Alfresco Dining - The seats outside offer an extra element, cocktails after work maybe?
- Value for Money - 3 courses for £16! Seriously, you cant even get a large Domino's for that!
All in all a very enjoyable meal with super service from start to finish - an authentic Italian menu at an incredible price and the new location is bigger, better and more contemporary than ever! Alfredo's is sure to flourish in the newly developed and brought back to life Lisburn Square
