I travelled to Belfast twice over a four-week period and was wowed by the foodie scene. I shared my Belfast exploits through my #one2Belfast hashtag on Instagram and clearly there was no shortage of fabulous restaurants, cafes and bars for me to explore. Not to diminish the other wonderful places I visited but I just have to share my experience at Ox, an amazing Michelin starred restaurant near the Belfast Waterfront.
Wow - what a wonderful location. The service is outstanding, attentive and customer oriented.
The food was a dream! Really reasoned combination of ingredients and unexpected well-fitting tastes mixed together.
I loved the presentation of the white wine.
Eating at the OX is an experience which you should enjoy with enough time and openess to different tasts.
Thank you to the whole OX team for that experience.
For those who want a short answer. I will start by saying a can’t recommend this place more and everything is fantastic.
Having been lucky enough to be able to go to a number of nice restaurants including 2 and 3 Michelin star, I will say this has to be up there with some of the best food I have ever eaten.
We had the tasting menu with fine wine parings and there was no showy, stuffy, unnecessary extras, things smoking that shouldn’t and trying to re invent the wheel.
This was quality, local ingredients cooked to perfection.
The simple scallop dish with chorizo, cheese foam and oyster leaf was one of, if not the, best scallop dish I have ever eaten.
The cote du boeuf with wild garlic capers was a real treat and was so mouth-wateringly moreish.
Whilst the food was amazing there was also the wine. This is THE best pairing I have had that I can remember. The wines were fantastic and complimented the food so well.
A small mention to the staff too. Our waiters and waitresses were so lovely and helpful, aswell as being so incredibly attentive and knowledgable about the food themselves. I think they appreciated having two chefs to talk to about the food asking all sorts of questions, which they replied with fantastic knowledge and confidence.
All in all, a fantastic trip and I couldn’t recommend it more. I really hope we are able to come back soon because it was just excellent in every way and I have told all of my friends and family about it already.
There is not a single element of this restaurant that did not exceed expectations. Chef Stephen's dishes are conceptualised around the incredible local produce, and with working alongside the sommelier talents of Alain and Juan (and not forgetting James and his FOH team), we had the most unforgettable evening. Bravo, and thank you!
This review is based on the Michelin star. There was a huge amount of effort in the presentation of the food. It was magnificent. However, on a few of the dishes the flavour wasn't really apparent.
The service was on another level. Pure class. I love people who are passionate for their job and the folks at Ox know their food and drink.
Following Michelin’s recommendation, this restaurant offers the pleasure from the service to cuisine.
I tried their lunch course which is great and flavorful especially dessert. The starter is a soup with foam-like sensation.
The staff is so talented at persuading and recommending.
Recommended if you visit Belfast to experience something impressive. it’s full very quickly so reservation is a must.
Lovely food and amazing pairing wine. Highly recommend!
Every time I come to Belfast I go to the OX Cave.
I like to stay there for a few hours and enjoy the tasting menu.
The service is exceptional and the manager, Mrs. Marta, has always proved to be very competent in proposing the right wines in combination with the food, revealing not only in-depth knowledge of the characteristics of the wines, but also of the menu offered. Beyond this, Mrs. Marta manages the place in a commendable way.
Everything is perfect!
Nowadays it is not easy to find such a capable and professional person.
I conclude by congratulating all the staff.
Incredible food, with some of the best food/wine pairings I’ve had — I really enjoyed the way they enhanced each dish. Great service and pretty, minimalist atmosphere. Definitely will return next time I’m in town!
Ox rightfully stands as a pinnacle of fine dining in Northern Ireland with a menu that delights and inspires!
When visiting Ox I would most definitely advise ordering the tasting menu to ensure you get the most out of your visit. We ordered the winter tasting menu and the culinary journey it sent us on was second to none. Standout dish was most definitely the beef frankly left us dumbfounded.
Ox maintains its high standards not only in its food but also in its service with some incredibly helpful and friendly staff always on hand to assist you.
If you are in Belfast and find a this place has an opening, you would be mad not to grasp that opportunity!
One of three restaurants in Belfast to hold a Michelin star, Ox is a dining delight. We opted for the 3 course lunch menu rather than the 7 course Tasting menu, which also offers optional wine pairing. We were greeted by James, who ensured an attentive but not intrusive, seamless front of house experience. Ox Somelier Nick provided expert advice as we opted for an excellent Vino Verde. I can only describe our food as sublime and before we reluctantly left, we made an evening reservation when we intend to explore the anticipated delights of Ox Tasting menu
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