WHO doesn’t love a night out with their mates? A time to catch up over good food, drink and gossip.
I always feel lucky that I’ve such a tight circle of friends, almost all I’ve known for years, some most of my life and they’re people I’d trust with my life.
So it was with great joy I got my glam on to go meet two of my closest girlfriends for a Saturday night in town.
There’s been a lot of chatter recently about Belfast’s Sweet Afton, the bar/restaurant that occupies the space that was once Irene and Nan's.
It’s in that big imposing Brunswick Street building, with the same owners as nearby Rita’s with its great selection of gins and Perch, the uber-trendy rooftop bar popular with people who have lots of filler in their lips to the point you could throw them at a glass wall and they’d stick to it.
Booking wasn’t easy, Sweet Afton has quickly became a popular rival to the Cathedral Quarter bars and I just about managed to get a table, I was told that Saturdays are always busy and you need to secure a booking well in advance.
We had a short wait with a drink in hand when we arrived waiting on the table being cleared, but there was such a good atmosphere it hardly mattered.
The place has been completely refitted and seems popular with a 30-something crowd, which is my pretend age anyway, so that was fine.
When we were seated, drinks were ordered – a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc as we settled down with our menus.
We decided that, instead of individual starters, we’d go for a few small plates to share.
Buffalo wings, potted crab and oxtail and stilton croquettes.
The place was heaving both with diners and crowds of friends just out for a night’s craic.
Service was slow but understandably so, given how many people needed tended to – and, despite being under pressure, the staff were charming and showed no sign of stress.
The three small plates were fab, lovely hot, spicy chicken wings, zesty crab with melba toast that tasted fresh as could be and rather indulgent croquettes with just the right amount of blue cheese so as not to overpower.
There was much debate over who would have the last wing and not a morsel was sent back to the kitchen.
There was a bit of a wait between starter and mains, but we were having a catch up so time hardly mattered and the wine was flowing.
Mains were a pan-fried chicken dish, the monkfish, which was on the specials board and seabass. We also ordered some buttered greens and sweet potato fries.
The seabass came with a buttery béarnaise sauce and was well cooked and seasoned, my monkfish was delicious with shrimps in a buttery pool and a lovely layered potato dish on the side, the fish not overcooked despite the kitchen clearly being snowed under.
The chicken remained moist and succulent with a crispy skin, I made sure to have a bite of everything just to satisfy myself – and satisfied I was.
All dishes had a fresh veg garnish so the buttered broccoli was probably unnecessary, but still not overdone, with a nice bite to it.
We didn’t order desserts and went for cocktails instead. However, a week later, I found myself back in Sweet Afton at a work do when someone ordered the peanut butter brownie with mallow top.
I was gifted half because it was absolutely huge.
A moist brownie topped with a duvet of soft Italian meringue with berries and ice cream. It was awesome.
But back to the Saturday night: we had cocktails to finish, an espresso martini that had a kick of caffeine, the Governor’s Tipple – a creamy cocktail that tasted better than it looked – and a Flow Gently Sweet Afton which tasted of lavender and therefore, in my mind, soap. It wasn’t my thing at all.
We finished up headed to Rita’s for prosecco and laughter.
Brilliant night, good company and great food.
The bill
Wings £4.95
Crab £7.95
Croquettes £4.95
Seabass £15.95
Chicken £13.95
Monkfish £14.95
Buttered broccoli £3.50
Sweet potato fries £3.50
Wine £23.95
Gin £4.50
Tonic £1.70
Cocktail £7.95
Martini £8
Cocktail £7.95
Total £129.95
