Particularly new ones that aren’t established and in areas saturated with food places.
So take a bow The Teal Monkey, on the Dublin Road in the centre of Belfast for having the courage to do something rather radical.
Kids eat for free: not a new concept, but something it pushes to the absolute extreme.
Two children ate with two adults in October, and their mains, desserts and drinks came in at a grand total of £0.
This wasn’t frozen chicken dippers, tap water and supermarket ice-cream. It was well-seasoned chicken breast goujons encased in a deft batter, deep-fried until lightly browned and served with crunchy fries.
The chocolate brownies that followed were even better. Crisp on the outside and gooey inside, with a handful of tart raspberries and fantastic black-seed vanilla ice-cream.
It was the best children’s food that I have seen served in any restaurant, many of which treat it as a second thought, and it cost the grand total of nothing.
For that reason alone, I’ll be going back to The Teal Monkey, which also produced grown-up grub that compares to all the top places in the city.
The Teal Monkey
A sirloin steak was handled with aplomb, with a peppercorn crust on the outside and pink in the middle. The bone-marrow butter it came with was lick-your-plate lavish.
So too was the roast beef dinner, with honeyed vegetables, a perfectly done Yorkshire pudding and indulgent mash. The only complaint, and it was slight, was that there was not enough gravy to bring it all together.
Our desserts included an indulgent sticky toffee pudding and creme brulee with a white chocolate and pistachio ganache.
The brulee was shallow and spread over a wide plate, a style that I prefer because it allows for a more caramelised top.
The Teal Monkey is a brilliant restaurant and from the conversations I’ve had since visiting it’s also one with a growing reputation.
There is a lounge lizard feel to the place — think heavy carpets, soft furnishings and low lighting — and a weekend evening singer lends to this vibe.
It is also brilliant for families, and the owners deserve a pat on the back for being so brave with this in tough economic times. By allowing two kids to eat quality food and drink for free during my visit, they easily cost themselves around £25.
But that is negated by the fact that the experience was so impressive that I’ll be back, and also how I haven’t stopped raving about The Teal Monkey in WhatsApp group chats with family and friends, who have promised to book a table.
The service staff and chefs’ knowledge and adaptability are also worth praising.
The waitresses were welcoming and friendly and the kitchen coped easily with at least one tricky food alteration. Their attitude was first-class and helped make a memorable meal.
The Food
Total £63