Bistro Este in Belfast

I reviewed this restaurant a few years ago after my first visit. Since then I have visited it every time I am back home in Belfast and the quality has never wavered from excellent. We went there again last night and had another exceptional evening. We arrived a little early for our reservation and asked if we could sit and have a cocktail before ordering. We were told that we had the table for the entire evening and there was no need for us to rush. Many other restaurants are keen to feed you and get you out quickly so they can turn more covers but not this one. The good was fantastic as always. Looking forward to our next Norm Iron trip next year when we will be sure to return to Bistro Este.

Food and service was very good, our first time visiting this restaurant, my only complaint is the portion size is quite small, especially for the price you pay.

Beautiful meal for Father's Day. Such friendly staff and so helpful. Featherblade of beef was beautiful and sticky toffee pudding gorgeous. Lovely well priced bottle of wine too. My girls loved the cocktails! Service with a smile and can't wait to return. Thank you for a lovely evening with great atmosphere.

We have been to Bistro Este on other occasions and have always enjoyed the food, this time we went for Sunday dinner. The food was excellent, hubby started with king prawns, which he absolutely loved. For mains, I had the chicken supreme and hubby had braised featherblade of beef, both were cooked beautifully, the whole meal was delicious. The waitress had the perfect balance of being friendly, and attentive, without being intrusive. It's a lovely restaurant and well worth a visit.

Enjoyed a great evening at Bistro Este celebrating a family birthday. The food was great and we received a very warm welcome from Sarah and the team. Can’t wait to visit again next time we’re in town.

Had dinner last night and what a fantastic experience. Food was amazing and staff very attentive and friendly. I had the goats cheese starter followed by the featherblade of beef and I simply could not fault. Flavors were incredible and the presentation magnificent. Well worth visiting and I will definitely be back. Thanks guys for a wonderful evening.

Really enjoyable night,friendly staff,great atmosphere,food and drink you couldn't fault.Looking forward to our next visit.

We were 7 friends out to celebrate the retirement of one of us. The menu and food was absolutely delicious, the service excellent and staff very friendly, a perfect evening.

Small but busy bistro. Food excellent. Service outstanding. Highly recommend. Best to book in advance tho.

What a fantastic night! Out for a friends birthday, 6 of us loved this fantastic restaurant. Warm welcome. Great, friendly service with humour 🙂. As a Vegetarian, fed up with poor food choices in the majority of eateries-Bistro Este fantastic choices made a bored Veggie very happy. Gorgeous food. Great staff & service. Highly recommend 🙂🙂🙂🙂

I can’t fault this place. Lovely Friday evening, relaxed and buzzing atmosphere. Families, couples and friends all enjoying that “start of the weekend” vibe. The service was super friendly, helpful, very good and not over-bearing. We didn’t have to ask for anything twice. AF drink choices are good. I’d love to see an AF gin too next time I return. I’d the kimchi rolls, pan-fried hake curry and crème brûlée. All delicious, quality food. Very reasonable too. And Pamela Ballantine was there lol! Thank you Bistro Este for a lovely evening.

Bistro Este A family run restaurant in Ballyhackamore, serving locally sourced produce in a modern, European style menu, Bistro Este offers a friendly welcome, and great quality dishes. For Starters we had Crispy ham hock rillettes with remoulade & burnt apple puree, Deep fried squid with Asian slaw & lemon mayo, and an outstanding dish of House fermented kimchi rolls and an Asian dipping sauce. The seafood options were terrific, and our choices of Monkfish Scampi with fries, Linguini with Portavogie prawns, Tiger prawns & mussels in a chilli, lemon, & parsley butter sauce, and a moist Pan-fried Hake in a Goan curry sauce with prawns, spiced crab cakes and hispi cabbage, all really hit the spot. A long overdue return to this excellent East Belfast eatery.

A really lovely meal Very friendly service Great menu Excellent food Really recommend this place although not walking distance from centre

We had an impromptu dinner in Bistro Este and it was fab. I have never had a bad meal here and tonight was the same, the squid for starters was especially good and the beef bourginon was so tasty. The service was as usual friendly and inviting. This is a fab restaurant, you will struggle to choose between the yummy food on the menu and you will love the staff.

We ate here to celebrate my daughter’s 30th birthday and were a party of 14, including a baby, vegan and pescatarian. The food was great and the staff very attentive. The restaurant is airy but has a cosy feel too. I would definitely recommend it.

Had been a few times before and always find it good here, the cocktails are excellent and the food is always fresh and tasty.I tried the hake with the goan curry sauce and wow it was superb, a mild and creamy sauce which was not too spicy, we ordered the creme brulee for desert and asked for a scoop of ice cream with it - this too was delicious but when I asked for the bill I saw we were charged £5 for 1 scoop of ice cream which I thought was rather excessive for 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream, I queried this with the waitress and was told that this was what they charged for ice cream, so we paid the bill and left rather amazed by this

We booked a table for 4 people here on my visit home after many years away. Based in the mainland (and to compare) we visit Scott’s in Mayfair regularly. The meal was of such standard that at the end of service, I accosted the assistant chef outside to thank him before he got on his motorbike to go home…main chef night off. The menu was so good that you struggled to choose from multiple choices, when the food came it did not disappoint, glorious… every dish. The lady of the house was a delight, she was very welcoming…it’s what a restaurant experience should be. If you eat in Belfast at only one place, eat here. PS if you see a motorbike outside, try and get a table!

My partner and I are regular visitors to Bistro Este and as always the staff (Sarah and her lovely daughter Jasmine)were outstanding!!The food is always good and I am now quite addicted to their goan curry!!Jasmine made us two fabulous cocktails,Kir Royale and French Martini!!Great atmosphere and would highly recommend.

The food, cocktails and service were fabulous as always. The hake in goan curry sauce was delicious and they do the best espresso martinis! Highly recommended

Attended here 30th April with my partner. Steak was cooked to perfection. Service friendly. Has been our favourite restaurant and never disappoints.

From the warm welcome to the friendly goodbye, everything was as a good bistro should be. The atmosphere was buzzy without being loud, the menu was small (to ensure high quality) with plenty of variety, and the food was excellent. Service was extremely efficient, professional and friendly. Would highly recommend the ham hock starter and the beetroot risotto. We'll be back soon.

My partner and I visited Bistro Este and as always we were not disappointed.The service is top notch,Sarah is a wonderful host.My goats cheese and beetroot starter was lovely and the new addition of pickled grapes just elevated it to new heights.My partner said her...

I have been here often and every time I go I am not disappointed. The food was beautifully cooked and presented. Cocktails were delicious and the service was friendly and professional without being pompous. With every detail of our experience covered.

Fabulous dinner here this evening. Super friendly and welcoming service, gorgeous food, wine and cocktails were excellent. We’d particularly recommend the linguine with langoustine, prawn, crab and lobster oil. It was absolutely superb. Thank you. We’ll definitely be back.

Can’t believe we haven’t tried this place sooner. The food was fantastic, the atmosphere was lovely and the staff were both friendly and attentive. We had a range of dishes and a bottle of wine m. We everyone was delighted with their food. I had...

Food fine although main portions on the small side. Over 45 minute wait between stater and main course. When queried delay was told by a member of staff very rudely and condescendingly all our food is cooked from fresh. No apology for delay in mains...

Been going here since it opened and always felt it well priced, imaginative food and good ingredients. Last night it could only claim to be one of the three. The flavour of the scallops in my starter was killed stone dead by the spicyness of...

My wife and myself have just enjoyed a gorgeous meal in Bistro Este. Sarah always welcomes her customers so you feel part of the family. I had the venison Scotch egg starter and my wife had the goats cheese and beetroot. She did say that...

Good food, warm atmosphere, pleasant service but, oh my goodness, £6.50 for a can of Guinness is extortionate!

Booked a table for me and my partner, as we are now starting to eat out again.We were met at the door by a lovely friendly lady, who showed us to a lovely wee table and took our orders.I had the beetroot and whipped feta...

We absolutely loved our lunch at Bistro Este, the food was absolutely amazing and the service was excellent. I got the hake with Goan curry and it was probably the best curry of my life. My boyfriend had the ravioli and loved it too. Could...

We both went here as we had heard great things. We weren't disappointed, the food was amazing. Great selection of cocktails and local beers. Lastly I have to mention the staff, top notch 👌

Myself and my partner booked a table here after seeing how highly it had been rated here and it did not disappoint. Very friendly and accommodating staff with great food and a lovely, relaxed (and busy) atmosphere - the latter being a sure indicator of...

Enjoyable meal. Korean starter and Kimchi rated best in our group. Cod and Burger options for mains distinctly average, beef bourguignon rated highest. Didn't really feel the desert menu gave a large enough selection. Overall a pretty good meal but mains a little underwhelming and...

This restaurant has always been one of our favourites and we went here at Sunday lunchtime. The menu choices were all so good, it was difficult to choose, but we settled for the watermelon salad and pate and sourdough. Both were delicious but the watermelon...

We were let down by our planned restaurant and phoned everywhere to try and pick up our night. They told us they could split tables to fit us in. Saved our night completely! On top of that, the staff were absolutely outstanding! Unfortunately didn’t get...

I've been to Bistro Este 4 or 5 times in the past and it's always been good value, tasty bistro food but it seems to have changed up a gear to be really good. We were a party of 5 adults and 1 child on...

Have wanted to try this Restaurant for ages. Managed to get a booking for a family celebration for 6 adults and 1 child. Food was amazing, something for all eclectic tasted in our group, service was attentive but not intrusive. Very child friendly and supportive...

This is a little gem in the Ballysnackamore food scene. Every time we've been we've been astounded by the quality of the food, it really is top class (we had duck ragu, chicken, and seabass) but they have also managed to keep the atmosphere cosy,...

Elegant, smart, fun food. Ballysnackamore has come on leaps and bounds but Bistro Este is perhaps home of the most talented chefs in the area. Our party of 5 was absolutely silenced by the quality of the different main courses. There’s a smart french quality...

This is a fabulous restaurants with very high quality food. These chefs need to be commended on their food and service. Definitely a must to visit and we will definitely be back again next time in Ireland .

First outing since covid and it’s reign of terror. Warm and friendly staff. Bustling inside but also social distancing in place. Gorgeous kimchi rolls starter and an okay pumpkin ravioli main. Delish dessert coffee. Cosy and felt like a semblance of normality had returned to...

Fresh, tasty food. Delicious starter, mains and dessert with a lovely Reisling by the glass. Thank you!

It’s great to see more restaurants offering plant-based/vegan options. However, it’s important that chefs and waiting staff educate themselves on the specifics of this lifestyle choice. If you offer a separate menu that is titled “plant-based” then everything on that menu including condiments should be...

Went early evening, only people in restaurant. However service and food were excellent and we will be back.

Returned to sample the New Plant based Menu. We both ordered VEGAN options yet the waitress brought butter and didn't say. HELLO? Vegan = zero diary. The tofu dish was a very obvious and amateurish effort to camouflage the paucity of seasonal veg and the...

We ate here for my mother’s birthday. The braised beef was excellent and the waitress very friendly and helpful. I also enjoyed the local beers.

We ate here as a group of friends on a Saturday night. The place was busy but our table was ready and the staff were friendly and helpful. The menu was great I could have chosen numerous options. The hake was exceptional. I had a...

We live around the corner and are glad to have this place up the street. Service is very good, the husband and wife team behind this restaurant are talented at what they do. Lunch today was excellent and the set lunch is extraordinary value -...

Great food had Sunday roast dinner, braised beef, delicious all good quality produce, home cooked potatoes and veg cooked to perfection, no processed food here thank goodness ! Great service also

So we booked on trip advisor at the time free to be allocated, excited for our first meal here! Walked in and told ‘ oh the kitchen is closed’ we booked for 8pm(online open til 9pm) Very very disappointed! Don’t publish times if you aren’t...

I have to say, easiest the best dining experience we have had in the last year. Relaxed, warm surroundings, superb customer service and a fantastic food. Cannot recommend this place enough, light years better than any other restaurant in East Belfast!

We had a great time here on December 20th .

Esta fue nuestra primera vez en bistro este aunque vivimos localmente. El restaurante en sí tiene un ambiente encantador y el personal de la recepción fue acogedor y conocedor del menú.

The food here is absolutely beautiful! Had the turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings , 10/10, best in the area!

Excellent as always. This was the first time I have had the early bird menu and I was very impressed. Generous portions and delicious food. Service was excellent. Looking forward to returning in December for the Christmas menu.

Visited this restaurant last night 12/9/19.

Absolutely loved our visit here. The food was very tasty, very well presented and of good quality. Service was excellent. Will be back

Really good food at reasonable prices. Very easy to get to and from. Staff are amazing. With all the other good food destinations in the area this easily holds its own.

Teníamos su menú de madrugadores. La calidad de la comida era buena, pero a menos que pidas un par de guarniciones, te quedarás con hambre. El otro aspecto negativo es que la primera copa de vino solo cuesta 3, pero el vino proporcionado era basura barata.

I had an Excellent lunch. The menu was varied . 3 courses for £12. I will definitely be back again soon

The owner came out to the street to help us find a cab and we promised to come back. She told us they are a family owned business. We came back two nights later and it was delicious. The staff are super friendly. I had the North African Freekah and loved it!!

My husband and I are just back from bistro este. Had a lovely meal early bird menu 2 course £16.50 and £21.50 for three courses. The food was excellent and the service was first class will definitely be back definitely worth a visit.

We arrived to bistro este on a Thursday evening, around 8pm to a very quiet restaurant. Only 4 other people.

Went there recently for our wedding anniversary on the recommendation of my daughter. The food was really good with plenty of flavour - my wife's hake and curry sauce was particularly memorable. However, the portions were quite small - we ordered a side order of chips and were glad we did. Not the cheapest either, but I would go back and try some other items on the menu.

Just had the most amazing lunch at Bistro Este. We had the beef, prawns and Freekah (vegetarian option) and we cleaned our plates. This is one of the best meals I’ve had in Belfast and for an extremely reasonable price. The staff are also really lovely and attentive. Highly, highly recommended for an excellent meal in a lovely restaurant.

Visitamos el Bistro Este por primera vez para cenar el jueves 20 de junio, siguiendo las recomendaciones de amigos. No nos decepcionó. Todo lo que comimos estaba delicioso. . Sopa Brocolli y queso de cabra, Tartar de bistec, Linguine de mariscos, Freekah y coliflor del norte de África, Mousse y el queso de la Selva Negra. Gran selección de bebidas y cafés. Buen ambiente. Sin duda volveremos. ???

A lovely relaxed and friendly atmosphere for our family of 12 for a pre wedding party meal. Everyone was able to get something they liked. The lamb was delicious and it was the best sticky toffee pudding I've had in a long time.

As ever, Bistro Este offers an excellent dining experience with delicious food and brilliant service. If looking for somewhere to eat out in Ballyhackamore, do not overlook Bistro Este.

I was here for lunch with a group of family and friends (party of 6), and was highly impressed.

Taking a traditional Sunday lunch to anything beyond 'As good as expected' is difficult. However this place constantly leaves you with a feeling that they put love into their food and try and set the standard for others to aspire to. The atmosphere is dictated by how busy they are and who the clientele is on another particular visit. If it is a cold day and they are fairly empty it can feel cold but recently my experience has been more that they are full and warm. Either way the staff are attentive and friendly.

We had booked a table of 6 at 7pm.

Recently a group of 17 ate at this restaurant where the food and service were excellent. Everyone ordered off the early bird menu which offered a good selection of quality food at a competitive price.

Llegamos a las 1330 y lo que notamos de los peces fue una clara falta de clientes. Lo segundo que notamos fue la falta de calefacción. No era especialmente frío, pero notó el frío en la habitación, los baños estaban aún más fríos. Pedimos una mousse de caballa que estaba bien, tortitas de venado que resultaron ser crocettes pero no hubo ninguna explicación, y dos sopas de cebolla francesa en las que se había mezclado un agente espesante - muy pobre, aunque el queso cubierto con queso era bastante bueno. Para los platos principales tuvimos tres "asados del domingo" de pollo (muy sabroso), lomo de cerdo (ok) y carne de ave (16 horas cocidas pero nada especial). El pudín de Yorkshire era bueno, las papas asadas y la zanahoria, pero el brócoli tenía un aspecto distintivo de congelación. También teníamos un plato de abadejo que estaba bien. Copas de vino y café estaban bien. El servicio estuvo bien, pero ese mismo tic verbal de Irlanda del Norte, donde todo es "pequeñito", comenzó a rallar. De vuelta a la temperatura, el frío significaba que nuestras comidas se enfriaban rápidamente a pesar de que se servían en platos inicialmente calientes. No nos apresuraremos a volver.

Thought we would try this place based on the reviews. The service was lovely, the starter was good, the main of duck and turkey with all the trimmings wasn't great. Overall we expected more.

Birthday Sunday lunch for our 14year old...10 year old also eating...plus 5 adults. Lovely friendly service...chicken and beef roast on offer..both lovely. I had pork cheeks...meat lovely but jus a bit salty...few starters ordered which were lovely too. Crumble and brulee for afters were delicious too. Would definately recommend this wee place. Great value.

Comimos aquí por nuestro aniversario, el sábado por la noche, después de haber reservado una mesa para 7 p. metro. Por 8 p. metro. ¡Todos los asientos disponibles estaban ocupados! El personal fue muy amable y servicial, y nos trasladó de nuestra mesa original a otra para evitar estar al lado de una gran fiesta. Tomamos cócteles antes de la cena mientras intentábamos decidir qué tomar del menú tentador y variado. Opté por las croquetas Ham Hock y mi mejor mitad optó por el Comte Cheese Souffl para empezar. Para los platos principales ella tenía la carne de res cocida a fuego lento y tuve el Haunch of Venison. Para el postre tuvimos el chocolate blanco y la crema de frambuesa y el pudín pegajoso de toffee. Todos los platos eran excelentes, al igual que el Malbec. Habiendo tantas opciones en Ballyhackamore, esta fue mi primera vez en Bistro Este desde que se mudó a este lugar, aunque mi esposa había estado varias veces. Tuvimos una excelente noche y estaremos seguros de volver pronto.

Excellent menu. Sunday roast was amazing. All cooked perfectly. Fish tacos really lovely. Lentil Dahl was really good. Not too spicy. Cocktails amazing. Great staff. Very friendly. Lovely atmosphere.

My partner and I decided we wanted a traditional Sunday roast dinner and made the big 10 minute walk to Bistro Este. What a good idea!

The restaurant is nice to sit in and has a pleasant atmosphere. The menu had a good selection with something for everyone and the food didn’t disappoint when it arrived. The service was polite,professional and attentive and I was really pleased to see that the straw with my drink wasn’t a single use plastic one. Credit is deserved for a local business trying to make a difference to the environment while also impressing on all the usual expected areas too.

Had a few meals here but just joined TA so thought we would leave our first review for probably our favourite restaurant in Belfast. Starters of eel and beef, followed by duck and pork. Exquisite cooking matched by great friendly and knowledgeable service. All in all, can’t recommend highly enough. Thanks guys

Had a great night out for 50th birthday celebration with a couple of friends. Great atmosphere and only second to the service received.

Mi ir al restaurante en Ballyhackamore. He estado viniendo aquí desde que David y su esposa abrieron. Él ofrece comida abundante, sin sentido, con imaginación y sabor. Eso me sienta bien cuando me ofrece nuevas experiencias de degustación cada vez, pero con la comodidad de saberlo, siempre habrá algo que me guste.

Bueno, qué comida más destacada, ambos comimos el queso de cabra, seguido de la carne de res. Ambos cursos fueron excelentes. La comida estaba perfectamente preparada y presentada. Los tamaños de las porciones eran correctos ya que nos dejaron espacio para el desierto. Tuve el br l e y mi amigo el pudín de toffee pegajoso, otra vez delicioso. Bien hecho para el chef y los camareros. Definitivamente regresaremos pronto.

Friday night meal and cocktails with a friend, from the moment we arrived the service was excellent. Food was fantastic, and great gin cocktails. Great night out at Bistro Este, highly recommend.

Decided to visit for Sunday lunch for a special occasion. Restaurant is beautifully decorated with some unusually quirky bits and great local artwork. Staff are friendly and could not do enough to help. Sunday menu is just fantastic offering several roasts and two or three other fish/vegetarian options. All accompanied by beautifully cooked potatoes and veg and gravy like granny's. Just excellent. Good choice of starters and puddings too and extensive (though quite expensive) wine list. Perfect way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Thank you Bistro Este

By far one of the best restaurants I have visited in a long time. Beetroot risotto was amazing and I am not a vegetarian. Service was brilliant. Can't wait to go back again.

Flying visit to see family this weekend and visited here for lunch. Food was absolutely delicious and generously portioned. We ordered a combination of dishes to try... the Dahl with cauliflower was amazing! Children’s menu fantastic quality as well! Highly recommended! Hope to visit again! :)

Another great meal at Bistro Este.

Our first dinner out since the wee’un was born and what a way to celebrate! Lovely ambiance, attentive and friendly service and fantastic food! One of the best meals we’ve had in a while, thank you Bistro Este!

I chanced upon Bistro Este as I was walking up the Upper Newtownards Road last Saturday and thought that it looked nice. A couple of days later after a morning visiting "Titanic Belfast" my wife and I decided to give it a try for lunch. As it was a wet weekday there were not many people there - which turned out to be a plus as we had fantastic service. The lunch menu featured dishes made from local ingredients and both of us thought that our meals were spectacular. We started with a crayfish salad served on home made wheaten bread - outstanding and a perfect light starter to split with two people. For my main I had the braised lamb, while my wife had a chicken dish. All this as well as a glass of wine each all for less than 20 pounds a head. Next time I am back home in Belfast Bistro Este will be one of the first places I will go to.

What a lovely meal. Food was fresh and different but the service was the most outstanding part. Options for vegetarians and vegans and of course the meat eaters among us. Well worth the visit, highly recommend it!

5 of us went for dinner, service is first class and really helps with the experience. The food is cooked from fresh and is incredible. We all had fish and have been talking about it since. Cooked and presented to perfection! Staff couldn’t have been nicer and some amazing cocktails as well as boundary beers to select from. Can’t wait to go back.

Looks like I'm out of step with other reviews but really this was very ordinary. A group of us visited and my first impression was STICKY TABLES. My choice was pork belly which was very fatty but quite tasty which came with 2 croquet potatoes and 3 pieces of broccoli and a dab of sauce. I had a starter of mussels 4 fried to death, they looked like walnuts, completely tasteless. Had to order a portion of chips to bulk the main up otherwise would have left hungry. No value for seven people, nearly £200 without any alcohol. However the service was good but sorry I won't be back unless I hear of an improvement.

Good food and service in a relaxed atmosphere have eaten here on a few occasions now and have not been disappointed.

Last minute dinner out with hubby. I had the beetroot hummus and lentil dahl, he had pork belly. Delicious and reasonably priced for the quality of the food.

Nos estábamos alojando en Ballyhackamore pero tenía entré en Belfast al mercado y al otro lado para un by-copa river en Cortadoras Wharf. Fue imposible conseguir un taxi de vuelta (probamos todos), así que tuvimos que caminar un largo camino para llegar a la mesa que habíamos reservado en el Bistro Este. Aceptaron nuestro cambio de hora para cenar debido a la caminata. Luego tuvimos una comida absolutamente increíble y bebida junto con un servicio realmente encantador. Nos dieron una botella de vino del menú ofertas especiales que fue una excelente relación calidad-precio. La comida era uno de los mejores que he probado en mi 42 años. No es lo que normalmente busco; comer bastante bien. Tanto nuestra entrantes eran muy ricos y sabrosos y los platos principales fueron fenomenales. Yo tenía el cerdo (hecho un par de maneras) con black pudding samosas y chorizo croquetas. Las raciones no eran enormes, pero eran más que suficiente. Habíamos pedido patatas fritas como extra, pero no los necesito. Un restaurante familiar con comida a pesar de no ser pretencioso.

Grupo de 4 tenía la cena en el Bistro Este última noche. El servicio era atento pero no invasivo. Menú es un poco diferente (en el buen sentido). Todos tuvimos entrante y plato principal - todos los platos estaban muy sabroso y muy bien presentado. Mi primera visita, pero espero que no será la última, lo recomiendo.

We all went here for Fathers Day as a family. Very good food well cooked although my daughter expected her steak to be rare and was well done I had the hake and fish cakes goan curry which tasted beautiful the only fault there wasn't any rice which was a bit strange for a curry. But very good food.and service was good too.

Fuimos a cenar con mi familia, incluyendo a un niño de cinco años.