Monad,
4 Belmont Road,
Belfast,
BT4 2AN
077 3205 3253
Hyperbole, in this instant gratification, blistering opinion internet age of ours, sells. So there’s always a temptation in a column like this to declare something the ‘best in Belfast’, or Derry, or Fermanagh or Ireland, or the universe or wherever.
Never mind that it’s highly unlikely that anyone has got the required frame of reference – absolutely everything – to make such a claim. They’re catchy and, anyway, will be forgotten by the time the next hot take comes along.
These sorts of declarations usually concern ubiquitous treats like burgers, pizza or a fry, or omnipresent styles of restaurant like Indian, or a steakhouse or chip shop.
There’s more scope for comparison when something is everywhere, and presumably more impact in declaring that one you just had the BEST. However true it may be, you’re probably not getting the internet abuzz with arguments over the best pommes Anna or espuma in wherever.
Having said that, I’m confident enough to declare, here and now, that Monad on the Belmont Road is the best restaurant in Belfast with a massive portrait of Elizabeth I’s court astronomer John Dee on the wall.
Never mind Belfast, the best in the universe. I’m sure JD would appreciate that.
He’s hanging on some exposed brick and looking out over the sort of warm space with dark wood, metallic fittings, a smart bar, open kitchen and huge windows that is modern restaurant design through and through.
Monad was opened by Tamsin Harper, who also runs the excellent (by reputation) Jumon and excellent (by experience) Cu in the city, as well as Monad’s sister place Duad across and up the road a little, and chef Niall Duffy.
His previous stops include the head chef role at Blank when the innovative, acclaimed – and superb – south Belfast restaurant opened in 2021.
That first menu at Blank began with gougeres, and they’re one of the snacks at Monad too; little dappled balls of pastry and cheese, where the puff of choux disappears to leave oozing Comte and satisfied faces.
The discs of toasted brioche topped with beef tartare that’s every bit as melty as the cheese and comes dotted with little explosions of pickled mustard seed do the same.
Gloves come off with the starters, especially the pumpkin veloute made to be eaten with a bit of bite in the air outside.
It’s got the requisite silky smoothness, broken up by a welcome scoop of the pumpkin itself, shot through with toasted seeds.
The ham hock is probably the only misstep anywhere, but its main problem – that it’s a lot of meat – could be solved with a bit more of its mate on the plate – a gherkin gel they should dispense from a soft serve ice cream machine.
Those were two of the three starters on the menu, and its brevity is its strength, with attention to detail, ham hock heavy-handedness notwithstanding, evident everywhere.
The pork fillet blushes perfectly pink, and there’s a lovely wisp of smoke off the potato croquette. Everything else on the plate provides a bit of zip, from the puree of pickled walnut to the firm bitterness of the Tokyo turnip.
Sea bass is golden-edged crunch on top of just-done pearly flesh. Mussels bob around a light but deeply flavoured cream, with verdant long-stem broccoli and kale.
More greens come on the side, as do baby potatoes heady with rosemary and rustling around like a bag of chips.
The smoothness of the chocolate delice is punctuated by bits of praline and flakes of salt, next to a flawless coffee ice cream.
There’s no flaw to be found in the rum baba either, with the sponge just holding up against it’s boozy saturation and a pristine vanilla cream on top.
The timing of our visit mean they were doing a £65 deal for snacks, a main with a side, and a glass of wine from their list that starts at £7 a glass or £27 a bottle.
The full prices are listed below but even outside that deal, which our server applied with calculation as deft as her attention was faultless, Monad is somewhere that already stands out. And not just because of the pictures on the wall.
THE BILL
Comte gougeres £5
Beef tartare £4
Pumpkin veloute £8
Ham hock £9
Pork fillet £22
Seabass £24
Rum baba £8
Chocolate delice £8
English marmalade cocktail £12
Raspberry and lemon fizz £4
Total £104
