two rooms ... second chance (and there’ll be more)

So despite what I said back before Christmas, we did go back to two rooms.

Having googled for online reaction to his not-that-long-open restaurant (doors opened in September) Peter McGeough had emailed to say he was sorry to hear about the poor experience and wanted to put things right with a meal on the house. So with the offer of such a bribe, and a mix of guilt and grace in my heart, we went back.

This time not a big party on one of the busiest nights of the year, but just the two of us on a bitterly cold Friday night in January.

Starters arrived fairly quickly – salmon and bruschetta – beautifully presented* and good flavour to match.

The duck and sautéed potatoes were really tasty, and over on the other side of the table, the sea bass and fennel disappeared off the plate too. The portions were well sized – unlike other Belfast restaurants where the amount of food is inversely proportionate to the size of the bill. Clean plates all round.

Desserts of sticky toffee pudding with whiskey ice cream and cookies and ice cream ended a great meal. If we hadn’t enjoyed the meal so much, maybe I’d have paused to take a few snaps :)

* Now obviously we did get a wee shade more attention than other tables ... they were trying really hard not to trip up!

Rhian Grundy and her pianist took over from the background music and sang live, warming the restaurant’s atmosphere and earning a round of applause after most numbers. Rhian’s rich vocals can be heard in two rooms on Thursday and Friday nights.

Overall, it was a great experience second time around – with a lot better food and service than our Christmas do. So good that I reckon we’ll be back. Humble pie mightn’t have been on the menu, but I certainly ate it.

So three cheers for Peter McGeough trusting his brand and having the sense to get in touch, and three cheers for two rooms. If you’ve experiences – good or bad – tell the restaurant before you leave ... and feel free to leave a comment below too!