We'd walked into Lisburn on Saturday night and followed our noses towards Lisburn Square in search for somewhere to have dinner. Turns out that after forgetting to stop at Subway, the only other option was Cafe Square Bistro.
And it was an option we were very satisfied with. A good "early bird" menu: tasty nachos, empty plates after polishing off the lamb burger and chicken, and the rhubarb tart and crème brûlée seemed disappeared too. Nice atmosphere with a live guitarist appearing sometime after 7pm to sing and strum along in the background. Unless you're going to turn up very early like us, I would advise booking a table in advance.
Of course, having found a cosmopolitan corner of Lisburn, wandering home it was impossible to find a toilet. The city's tourist signage points to lots of public toilets, but none of them seem to be open at 8pm on a Saturday night.
With no cultural event booked in Lisburn's premier arts venue on Saturday night, the Island Arts Centre lights were out and the doors were locked. Good news for canines: the dog toilet was open ... but nothing for their two legged friends. Lucky enough, no one at Lisburn Cricket Club noticed (or minded) strangers wandering in, using the facilities and then leaving!
So come on Lisburn - sort out some decent facilities - and why isn't there something running in the Island Arts Centre every Saturday night?
5 comments:
did you not go before leaving the restaurant?
Ahh ... I did, but someone else didn't!
Hi Alan,
I am the owner chef of square bistro I am glad you enjoyed your visit and appreciate the time taken to post your positive review we hope to see you again at our restaurant many thanks
My Dad and I just spent the weekend visiting the Antrim coast and used Lisburn as a base. Whilst wandering around the town, and generally disappointed with the variety of restaurants on offer...we stumbled across the Square Bistro and were most pleased with the discovery. In brief, the food was excellent, generously portioned and at a reasonable price. We had rib-eye steaks for mains and these were delicious. starters were also very good, while the dessert of chocolate fondant was perfectly done..my only silly gripe being that the plate it was presented on was ridiculously large for such a small and delicate dessert. The staff were extremely pleasant and helpful also, very warm and full of smiles. Mention should also go to the guitar player that evening who gave the place a nice relaxed summer air about the place. The final bill was very reasonable with 2 glasses of wine, 2 coffees and water. I will certainly be popping by again some time. GIve it a try, its definately the best option in Lisburn in my humble opinion.
Island arts centre open on a Saturday evening? For entertainment? No. Unfortunately you've mistaken Lisburn for a city. Cities come with vibrant night life brimming with bars, clubs and restaurants. Lisburn is actually just a huge shopping centre and like all shopping centres, it shuts at 6pm on a Saturday.
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