Guildhall Taphouse,
4 Custom House Street,
Derry,
BT48 7AD,
028 7136 4888.
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THINGS change. This place used to be our local, the Warehouse café, opening up not long after we moved from Liverpool to Derry.
We felt right at home the moment we walked in. It was a place you could linger for hours, working, chatting, greeting the familiar faces you knew would come through the door.
But the Warehouse is no more. The café has been taken over by the Guildhall Taphouse, onto which the Warehouse used to back.
They've knocked through the wall that separated the two, extending to create a space that stretches from Custom House Street to Guildhall Street.
It's big, but it's been planned with thought and kitted out well, so the space doesn't overwhelm.
Now, things didn't start well for us. In fact, things nearly ended a few minutes after they began. My brother, daughter, and I were out for an early Friday dinner, around 5.30pm, with my wife intending to join us as soon as she got out of work.
We got our menus, found a table, and were just taking our time deciding what to order, when we were told the kitchen closed at 6pm.
I must admit, I was pretty cheesed off, to say the least. When I called to book a table the day before, no mention was made of the kitchen shutting at 6pm, and the website said food was served from noon to 7pm.
So, with a hungry child, a ravenous brother, and a wife still stuck in work, I was all ready to storm out and head to the nearest fish and chip shop, when, miraculously, Dean appeared.
Dean sorted everything. He understood the situation, apologised for the confusion, and said he would keep the kitchen open for us.
Given what Dean was doing, it seemed too much to ask him for starters as well as the main course, so we didn't, which was a pity, as I really fancied the prawn scampi with curry mayonnaise. And we didn't get dessert, either, for the same reason, which was also a pity.
So, just the main course, then. The grilled cheese sandwich - calling it a toastie doesn't do it justice - was excellent, the different cheeses selected with a real understanding of flavours to produce a gentle, sweet effect, both heightened and balanced by the chilli jam and the pesto.
My chicken burger was a real delight. The chicken was beautifully moist, and coated in a crisp crumb. The slaw was full of flavour and properly crunchy, not in the least drenched in mayonnaise, while the glaze was sweet and hot.
The fries that came with both mains were the kind that had you scanning the bottom of the basket to make sure you'd not missed any, and were especially good dipped into the hot sauce, made with Dopey Dick beer, which was sour and special.
I'd sent a photo of the menu to my wife, and she ordered the beef ramen before leaving work. Dean kept it in the kitchen and had it on the table before she could take her coat off. Lovely noodles, beautifully seasoned broth, with a creeping heat, tender beef, and a richness from the egg.
I would definitely recommend eating here, but I'm just not sure when. It's not quite a restaurant, given the kitchen closes by 7pm at the latest, but it's much more than a pub that does food.
The menu has some real style and know-how about it, and the food is very good. It's well-cooked, carefully seasoned, and put together with respect for ingredients and a thorough grasp of flavours and textures.
I'm not saying it's Michelin quality or anything, but it deserves time and attention. You certainly shouldn't be rushing through it in case the kitchen closes before you order pudding.
But, at the same time, it's not the kind of thing most people would choose for lunch, unless they have the afternoon off.
Having said that, it might well be worth taking the afternoon off for. I'll never stop missing the Warehouse, but I definitely don't think I'll be a stranger here.
THE BILL
Grilled cheese sandwich, gouda, mozzarella, smoked applewood, roasted red pepper, green pesto, chilli jam, fries - £9.00
Miso beef ramen, pak choi, coriander, sesame, chilli, soy, egg - £11.00
Korean chicken burger, Asian slaw, Seoul chilli glaze, butter pickles, chive mayonnaise, fries - £11.00
Child's chicken and chips - £4.50
Total: £34.50
