Family businesses are at the very heart of Irish hospitality - and there is nothing to beat a chef-patron for hands on care and consistency in the kitchen - so it's no wonder that Richard McCracken's delightful casual dining destination, Cyprus Avenue (named for the street in the Van Morrison song, nearby), has been a hit ever since it opened in 2017.
So much so, in fact, that it doubled in size within a year when they extended into the building next door - and what a lovely job they've made of it, creating a spacious yet intimate interior with a cosmopolitan vibe, and a brilliant Corner Shop artisan food area as well as a lovely heated terrace area for relaxed al fresco dining.
And Richard is no ordinary chef. Classically trained, like so many of the very best casual dining chefs, he worked under Tom Kitchin, Andrew Fairlie @Gleneagles and Helen Darroze in Paris. And more recently he was sous chef to Danny Millar of Balloo Inns before opening Cyprus Avenue, so he couldn't have been better grounded in the local market. All of which has added up to create a place that owes its popularity to the warm and welcoming atmosphere and engaged staff as much as the carefully crafted menus (including separate vegetarian and vegan menus and a terrific little real food menu for kids) and skilful cooking.
Beginning with breakfast - which includes the 'usual suspects' (their words) alongside less usual choices like Cyprus Avenue cured Glenarriff trout, scrambled eggs, tortilla, red peppers and avocado - a series of creative dishes is presented as the day unfolds.
Many of the eye-catching options on the lunch and dinner menus are offered in two sizes (a very welcome, customer-friendly practice) and you'd need to come here often to get a true sense of the range. How often would you see devilled venison kidneys on a menu? Here they come with mushrooms, crispy bacon and crispy oaten - now wouldn't that be a dish worth travelling for? Or, for more of a crowd pleaser, the East coast scallop, chicory croissant, black pudding poached egg has become something of a house speciality.
It's all about local and seasonal (note the caricatures of local suppliers hanging on the walls) and all menus and the daily specials boards are well seasoned with the names of producers and suppliers. Ballyhornan cheddar, Ballydrain vegetables, Marty Johnsons crab, Darren Rogers pork, Lorna Dunlop's duck, Finnebrogue venison, and Peter Hannan's celebrated 28-day salt-aged ribeye are among the heroes given a shout - and they even produce their own urban honey on the kitchen roof and use it in the restaurant.
And then there are the sweet treats, enticingly displayed... and, aside from desserts, this is just the place to pop into for a coffee and cake. If you're a visitor to the city, don't miss the Fifteen Cyprus Style, the house variation of the famous Northern Ireland fridge cake, it's made with cherry parfait, coconut and toasted marshmallows - and not a calorie in it of course.
An interesting drinks menu offers local tipples too - including their own Cyprus Avenue Ale house draft, which is brewed just down the road by Hercules Brewing Company, producers of the Yardsman craft beers which are named in honour of the shipyard workers of yore.
All round, Cyprus Avenue is a very special place - a great neighbourhood restaurant for the lucky locals, it's also a destination for those in the know from beyond the city which is quite a tricky balance to achieve.
