"A nod to Italy", Michael Deane's appealing smart-casual restaurant at the upper end of the Lisburn Road is a blessing to South Belfast locals and visitors alike, especially the Shaws Bridge area that's home so many business travellers staying in Belfast.
With a range of menus changing through the day and evening, plus a special Love Sunday offering that includes a Sunday Roast special and £5 kids menu (also available all week), the team work hard to ensure that all bases are covered in the tastiest and most appealing ways possible.
The day begins with an appealing breakfast/morning menu (weekdays 9.30am-noon, Sat brunch from 10.30) offering interesting dishes like Eggs Benedict with Walter Ewing’s smoked salmon, avocado, toasted muffin and hollandaise sauce.
Following on from this, the lunch menu is a clever combination of some morning dishes such as an All Day Breakfast that features a spiced pork, chilli and fennel sausage, and some from the lighter evening menu including Decano classics like the Prawn Risotto with shaved fennel, or beef lasagna, plus blackboard specials.
At dinner time, the ambience ramps up (live music on Thursday and Friday) and menus offer sociable sharing starters like warm Italian cheese fondue with ciabatta to get the evening going. For main courses there's a focus on dishes like Seafood Pasta, but also hearty crowd pleasers like Peter Hannan’s dry aged rump steak; Pork belly with seasonal greens, herb gnocchi and red wine Jus; and Confit duck leg with a mushroom orzo and seasonal greens. And, as at lunch, daily blackboard specials feature too.
Desserts have always been a highlight here and many regulars will hold back, the better to enjoy indulgences like Affogato (vanilla ice cream with almond liqueur and espressso), Sgroppino (lemon sorbet & Prosecco), Chocolate tart or Sticky toffee pudding.
While by no means exclusively Italian, the wine list includes a good Prosecco (of course) and plenty of other Italian favourites, and a dozen or so are offered by the bottle, carafe or glass - and there's a dedicated cocktail list too.
Deane and Decano now caters for a wider market than the original strictly Italian style buty it still has a distinctively Italian flavour and, as in all the Deanes restaurants, the cooking is great and service is smart and engaging. It's a great spot and - you will want to return.
