When we strolled up to Pottingers Cafe, the chance of sitting outside and pretending we were fine with that one burst of warm weather made up our minds.
Pottingers offers an array of salad bowls, sandwiches bagels and tacos, which are my favourite thing to spill all down the white top I’m invariably wearing when ordering.
The staff were friendly and patient as we looked over the menu, pretending we’d never seen it before, and the service was excellent, with our dishes swiftly arriving to the table.
Pottingers
My friend went for the Hello Halloumi — a salty-sweet treatment of the popular Cypriot cheese with to a honey glaze. The menu allows it to be served various ways, from a sandwich to a wrap, but it is the bagel that captures her interest. When it arrives it’s nicely presented on a wooden plate, with the golden hue of the ring-shaped bread displaying that characteristic sheen.
It’s promising stuff, and the first bite confirms it also has that essential chewiness that is key to ensuring that it is indeed an actual bagel, and not a bap masquerading as one.
The halloumi is still warm, confirming it hasn’t stayed any longer in the kitchen that it needed to (halloumi is a delicious grilled cheese, but it essentially goes rock hard if left uneaten too long).
The honey glaze is lovely and balances out the saltiness of the cheese, and the thinly sliced iceberg lettuce adds some freshness, as does the sliced tomato, which has been deseeded and had most of its inner flesh cut out, leaving the tastiest bit of the tomato behind. It’s a small touch but it ensures the bagel doesn’t become a sloppy eating experience.
The smear of mayo adds a lovely creaminess and a tang that brings a richness.
Hello Halloumi bagel
Yet, for it to be a bagel my friend would want to say hello again to, it would need other elements: a chutney, the option to add chorizo — a bit of heat.
I opted for the chicken tacos, and when they arrived I felt a wee bit smug. Two cheese-coated tortillas (bonus cheese!) heaving with buttermilk chicken, spicy cheese, pineapple, guacamole and spicy mayo. Not a fan of wet food, I worried about how gloopy it would taste but was pleasantly surprised at not just the flavour — the addition of a lime for squeezing made every ingredient zing — but how filling they are.
Pineapple can be a divisive choice, but in this case, and never in pizza, it added to the dish’s overall appeal.
But... dessert. Though the sun had given Pottingers Entry a true glow, there’s always time to eat cake, particularly if the cake is reminiscent of that coconut sponge topped with raspberry jam you got in primary school. This cafe’s option swaps chocolate for jam (I’d prefer the jam) but, nicely warmed, it enhanced what was already a great meal.
Pottingers Cafe 7 Pottingers Entry, Belfast Tel: 028 9023 5986
The food
TOTAL £31.50
The rating
"cafe" - Google News
September 18, 2023 at 02:38PM
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Restaurant review: Belfast cafe has tacos worth shelling out for - Belfast Telegraph
"cafe" - Google News
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