Restaurant Review: The Barking Dog
Posted: 01 July '09 by Niall
The Barking Dog, Malone Road, Belfast
After hearing good things from some other reviewers, and being at a loose end on a Monday evening, Kelly and I thought we’d visit The Barking Dog on Malone Road in Belfast to see what the fuss was about.
First impressions were very good – even on a Monday night there were a few people inside (and outside), the decor was nice and a bit quirky, and the aromas coming from the kitchen promised a good meal.
And, as far as the food was concerned, we certainly weren’t disappointed. I regularly bemoan the lack of good eateries in Belfast, and the lack of choice on most menus.. Not so with The Barking Dog! I can honestly say that we both struggled to decide what to order – even going as far as to remember what we’d order next time we were in!
My partner started with scallops on black pudding with cauliflower puree (a GREAT combination), and followed that with confit of duck and bubble and squeak (the duck was excellent, and the accompaniment complimented the flavours extremely well), while I had chicken liver and foie gras parfait on sourdough bread, followed by cod on white beans with basil. The pate was deliciously light and flavoursome but, while the cod was superb, the “confit of white beans” were undercooked and it was like chewing pebbles.
At this point I should say that the only reason that we decided to stay for dessert (and to return in the future) was a change in our waiter. We were initially shown to our table by what I can only assume was the floor manager – with little conversation (what there was were clipped one word answers or perfunctory pleasantries) and no mention of the specials. Our starters were duly delivered with the same taciturn demeanor, and she proceeded to lean across me as I was taking my first mouthful. Now, I can appreciate that waiters need to remove the excess glasses from a diner’s table, but a shoulder in your face and a bare armpit hovering over your meal is going a step too far!
Fortunately, the change in waiting staff changed my impression of the meal – the remaining two staff were attentive, knowledgeable and, more importantly, friendly. So pleasant was the change that we stayed for the chocolate and pistachio brownie (rich and moist, and nicely offset by the white chocolate ice-cream) and cheeseboard (nice mixture of cheeses, but a bit pricey at £7) respectively.
Our verdict
All in all, we were quite happy as we left the restaurant: the food was good and while the bill did come to £65 it did include a couple of drinks for Kelly and myself. While The Barking Dog is far from a cheap option, we didn’t feel that it was as excessive as some in Belfast.
As I didn’t see it in the bill I can only assume that the shoulder in my face was free-of-charge.
While I would definitely recommend that the floor manager take a leaf out of her staff’s book in terms of customer service, there was nothing that would discourage me from going back – in fact, I have my eye on the pint of prawns, and the crab-on-toast!
The Barking Dog
35 Malone Rd
Belfast, BT9 6RU
028 90661885
You can also see The Barking Dog on Google Maps.
Tags: 3 star rating, belfast, belfast restaurant, restaurant, restaurant review, review, the barking dog, where to eat in belfast
Categories: Northern Ireland > Restaurant Reviews > United Kingdom
