|
stroll by the water . As I do , I think about just how welcoming everyone is here — a special type of hospitality that feels unique to this part of the world .
Everyone I meet , from the barista at Babushka Cafe on Portrush Pier to the manager of Morelli ’ s , a famed family-run ice cream parlor two streets away , is effusive in their love for their region . Among them is Nicola Neill , who runs the luxuriously styled boutique bolthole Blackrock House . It ’ s perched high above the town of Portrush with beautiful coastal views , and makes for the ideal place to rest your head after a long day of exploring .
Locally sourced dishes here include fresh crab meat stirred through slow-cooked , soft and golden scrambled eggs served with traditional Northern Irish wheaten bread . It ’ s no real surprise , given the proximity to the sea , that seafood and shellfish punctuates many menus in this region .
“ Despite living two minutes from the sea , I could barely source any fish locally 10 years ago ” says Paula McIntyre , an author , broadcaster and champion of Causeway Coast produce .
“ There ’ s been a seismic change since then , in particular led by Harry ’ s Shack in
|
Portstewart , which put locally caught lobster on the menu when 95 % of it was exported . More recently , there ’ s Lir in Coleraine — fishmongers first and foremost — whose ethos for their restaurant is sustainably sourced fish and zero waste ,” she adds . And with that , I know exactly where I ’ m having my dinner .
Later that evening , I steal a few moments ahead of a busy evening service with Lir ’ s owners , husband-and-wife Stevie and Rebekah McCarry . Their fish restaurant opened in Coleraine Yacht Club in the midst of the pandemic , and has quickly become an acclaimed dining destination for a tide-totable tasting menu .
Talk at the table quickly zones in on the ongoing discussion within the Irish food scene — how little fish and seafood is eaten here contrasted with how much is exported . It ’ s a phenomenon that frustrated the couple and fuelled their mores — their restaurant is as much about connecting with diners and educating them around fish seasonality , cookery and waste as it is serving delicious dishes with warm ‘ Norn Iron ’ hospitality .
“ We can get incredible lobster here but so many locals , you wouldn ’ t believe , have never eaten lobster and write it off as too
|
From left : Lir owner Rebekah McCarry in the process of cutting down a monkfish ; Guinness and treacle wheaten bread and fish skin crackling at Lir in Coleraine
Previous pages : The main restaurant and bar at The Salthouse
|
images : Vlatko Mitashev |