Mourne Seafood Bar Belfast is a specialist restaurant on Bank Street in the city centre. It is the oldest member of a family of independent hospitality businesses and built its reputation around local ingredients and direct, unstuffy service. The compact, lively dining room places the freshness of the day’s fish and shellfish ahead of unnecessary formality.
Shellfish is hand selected from the business’s independently run beds, giving oysters, mussels and other catches a close connection to their source. Langoustines, crab, scallops and prawns appear according to season and supply. Preparations range from simple chilled seafood to chowder, grilled or pan fried fish and richer sauces influenced by European and Asian cooking.
Mourne seafood chowder, pots of mussels, salt and chilli squid and beer battered fish and chips show the breadth from a quick comforting plate to a longer shellfish meal. Hake, cod, salmon and sea bass may be paired with grains, vegetables, herbs and carefully made sauces. Meat and vegetarian dishes ensure that guests who do not eat seafood still have a considered choice.
Wine, local beer and cocktails are selected to work with the salt, sweetness and richness of the menu. Children’s choices and accommodation for several dietary needs make the restaurant suitable for families as well as dedicated seafood diners. Mourne Seafood Bar’s central idea is clear: local catch handled carefully and served in a way that lets its character remain visible.
Address: 34–36 Bank Street, Belfast BT1 1HL, United Kingdom
Mourne Seafood Bar Menu
Oysters
Each portion is 1/2 dozen or 4 for one.
Natural
Tabasco & lemon (M)
Mignonette
Shallot & sherry vinegar (M)
Japanese
Soy sauce, pickled ginger & cucumber (G)(M)
Bloody Mary Oyster Shot
Spicy vodka Bloody Mary shot with a Carlingford oyster (C)(M)(G)
Starters
Mourne Seafood Chowder
Wheaten bread, local herbs & dulse croutons (G)(F)(D)(C)
Salt & Chilli Squid
Napa Asian slaw, chilli jam & lemon aioli (E)(MD)
King Scallop in Shell
Garlic pomme puree & spinach cream (CR)(D)
Crack & Eat Crab Claws
Garlic & local herb butter and toasted sourdough (CR)(D)(G)
Smoked Ham Terrine
Burnt apple puree & summer veg medley (D)(MD)
Ewings’ Smoked Salmon Plate
Cream cheese, dill, caviar & wheaten bread (G)(D)(F)
Smoked Mackerel & Portavogie Crab Pate
On toast with lemon puree (F)(D)(G)(CR)
Oyster Mushroom Gyoza
Black garlic & ponzu (V)(G)
Strangford Lough Mussels
White wine, fennel & garlic cream & crusty sourdough (G)(D)(M)(C)
Mains
Crispy Monkfish & Dundrum Mussels
Dill & local beer broth, citrus fennel jam (F)(D)(G)(SU)(M)(MD)
Roast Cod Fillet
Butternut squash, toasted pumpkin seed & fried sage (F)(D)(G)
Mc Atamney’s Beef Cheek
Sweet potato purée, tenderstem broccoli (D)(SU)
Beer Battered Cod & Chips
Mushy peas & tartar sauce (G)(F)(E)(D)
Roasted Beetroot
Horseradish & cashew nut butter (V)(N)
Baked Fillet of Silver Hake
Saffron cream, samphire & new potato (F)(MD)(D)
Mourne Seafood Casserole
Local fish & shellfish, potatoes & confit fennel in a rich marinara sauce with sourdough (G)(F)(M)(CR)(C)(D)
Whole Roast Seabass on the Bone
Samphire, clams, new potato, lobster bisque (CR)(F)(D)(M)
For the Wee Ones
Strictly for 13 years old and under
Fusilli Pasta
Rich tomato & basil sauce & garlic bread (G)(E)(D)
Mussels
Shallot cream & fries (D)(M)
Fish & Chips
Tartar sauce, mushy peas & fries (MD)(G)(F)(E)
Sides
Skin on Fries
Smoked Butter Champ
(D)
Local Greens
(D)
Parmesan & Truffle Fries
(D)
Greens Salad & French Dressing
(MD)(SU)
Roast Carrot & Feta
(D)
White Wine
Gls = Glass, Btl = Bottle
Campo Nuevo Viura Chardonnay, Spain
Navarra – Fresh, crisp, notes of summer floral fruit, apple & citrus
Palazzi Garganega Pinot Grigio, Italy
Veneto – Soft, fresh, subtle. Honeyed, floral aromas, apple & lemon flavours.
Ceptembre Sauvignon Blanc, France
Loire – Notes of citrus, pear and gooseberry with a touch of tropical fruits.
Quinta Soalheiro Alvarinho, Portugal
Minho – Alvarinho & Loureiro, vibrant citrus flavour & elegant mineral profile
Red Wine
Gls = Glass, Btl = Bottle
Los Primos Malbec, Argentina
Mendoza – Vibrant & young, easy-drinking, fruity aromas, smooth flavour of ripe black cherry & toasted oak, round tannins and good balance
Marques de Toro Mencía, Spain
Castilla y León – Red fruit notes fuse with a silky smooth, mouth wateringly juicy, herbal rounded palate resulting in a persistent finish
Extrait de Romarion Pinot Noir, France
Languedoc – Supple and fresh on the palate, with pleasing red cherry, raspberry & black plum flavours, light tannins and a mouthwatering finish
Ancora Sangiovese, Italy
Languedoc – Soft and velvety, with rich, concentrated flavours of red berries, plums, vanilla and spice, hints of coffee & cinnamon
Cocktails
All £11
Freaky Tiki
Copeland rum, Malibu, velvet falernum, mango purée, pineapple, lime
Strawberry Fields
Copeland gin, Aperol, strawberry purée, lemon, soda, raspberry foam (E)
Pear Necessities
Pear vodka, honey syrup, apple, lemon
Rhuberry Blast
Copeland rhuberry gin, Cointreau, rhubarb bitters, lime, sugar, raspberry foam (E)