Dirty Duck, Holywood (pub/restaurant)

  With its prime location overlooking Belfast Lough, the Dirty Duck has all the ingredients for a great place to enjoy food and a few drinks for afters. The main theme to the menu is seafood which makes sense being next to the sea and the shape of the buliding is as though its the Bow of a boat. The restaurant is upstairs above the bar and has gorgeous panoramic views.

  That is where the compliments stop for me, it is very over priced bar food that is very greasy. It was as though bits of the food had been recooked or refried, disappointing as I had been given alot of recommendations.

  The decor is very outdated and could do with a refurb. It's also very small in the bar downstairs and gets really warm amd claustrophobic which doesnt make it too nice when you just want to go in and have a chilled out evening with a beer or two.

I give the Dirty Duck 2/5

Bokhara, Holywood (indian cuisine)

I'm a big fan of Indian cuisine, i was practically brought up on it. I'm the eldest of 3 brothers and the big man test in our family was always spicy food, who could eat the hottest and the most of it without showing any sign of emotion. With age I've explored the menu and tried almost every Indian dish going so i see myself as quite the connoisseur and very well placed to have an opinion on Indian food.

Bokhara was a brilliant experience, on arrival you are greeted with a friendly smile and shown to a table. Complimentary poppadoms and chutneys are brought to the table while you peruse the menu, a range of drinks is on offer or you can bring your own. The decor is cosy and clean, typical of any Indian restaurant that Ive been to with traditional bollywood music creating a calm atmosphere mixed in with beautiful aromas from the kitchen and the food on other customers tables. The food is excellent, spices are clean and fresh on the pallet and the portions are big with great value for money. The service is fantastic the waiting staff always have a happy face, and cant do enough to ensure that you enjoy your experience.  There is no long waits for your food, even when its busy and just the right amount of time between courses. They also offer a takeaway service for those lazy evenings.

If you go  Sunday - Thursday between 5pm and 9pm they do four course meals for £25.00 per couple.

I give Bokhara 4/5

Welcome to places to eat in Northern Ireland blog!

Hello and welcome,
                               My name is Ben and a massive foodie residing in Northern Ireland, my mission is to eat at as many places i can and provide you the readers as much information about my experiences as i can so that you can decide on whether you want to eat there. Northern Ireland caters for all and has a wide variety of cuisines for every hungry mouth to enjoy. Northern Ireland is a great place for a foodie due to its wealth of luscious farming land and booming fishing trade what better place to enjoy fresh food locally produced.

  I am going to eat my way around each county by visiting restaurants, bistros, brasseries, markets, bars and pubs just for research so you don't have to waste precious spare time finding out the new place you are trying is actually a 1 star experience and not the 5 star you were looking for. I know how disappointing it is to plan a special night out during your busy schedule and have it ruined by poor food, terrible service, over friendly and intrusive staff, poor hygiene policies and general cleanliness of the establishment you have chosen to exchange your hard earned cash with. This is why i have decided to embark on my mission, plus my wife says i need a hobby.

  A little background on myself; I was born in Lancaster. My mother is Scottish and my Father is English and my family moved to Brixton when i was a few months old due to my Grandfather's job, we then moved to Hemel Hempstead a few years later where we stayed until I was 7 years old, my Mum re-married and we moved to Marchwood, Southampton, where we stayed for 7 years then moved onto Hullavington, Chippenham for 3 years and then moved to Osnabruck, Germany where i spent 8 years (my teenage years). During this time i studied to be a Chef and worked in a military kitchen as a civilian. I then moved to Oxfordfordshire, where i met my wife on a night out in Belfast and moved to Norn Iron to be with her. We have 2 young beautiful children therefore food is a big thing for us as we want to make sure they are eating the right foods, and we get a chance to dine out its important to use our time wisely.  A few bad choice eateries has given me the idea of doing this for other busy people.

  During my lifetime i have lived in and been exposed to several different cultures and travelled far and wide which has developed my pallet into what it is today, a very fussy one that is looking for perfection. But not Michelin guide perfection more the poor mans alternative, after all there is a recession on.