Marcel in Belfast

When I lived in London my go-to French bistros were Sacré Cœur and Bleeding Heart in Islington and Farringdon respectively. They were the best I'd been too outside of France with outstanding food and the slightly dismissive service worthy of a busy Parisien corner brasserie. Marcel is every bit as worthy of that accolade. Food was outstanding, although the service unlike the indigenous French equivalent was pleasant and not overbearing. They dealt with my beer-wanker petulance quite well when they brought me a beer that wasn't what l ordered on the menu. The baguette and smoked butter along with the gougères are mandatory as a snack. I had the chicken liver parfait as a starter and poulet frites and they were top deck. Very good value as well, especially if you can avail of the prix-fixe deal. Can't wait to go back or maybe try its little brother, bebe up the road. The only shortcomings on the service was the aforementioned beer faux-pas and we were slightly ushered out to free up the table but that's understandable as it was a busy Saturday evening. Just meant I didn't get the chocolate tart that I'd had my peepers on. All in all though... outstanding.

Delicious food and lovely welcoming service - as a coeliac I found them very attentive and informative about the GF options on the menu, will absolutely be coming back!

Excellent meal last night (Monday) would recommend anyone to go. We’ll certainly be going again.

We had a wonderful meal at Marcel. The food was delicious and beyond our expectations. The service was friendly and efficient. We can't wait to go back.

Excellent service and atmosphere Throughly enjoyed our meal, we had been gifted a voucher to use for our anniversary, so it was a lovely evening out. We will definitely been looking forward to visiting again and sampling more on the menu

Excellent French onion soup and beef bourgignon.

Amazing time - food was amazing, great service! Thank you so much really enjoyed it!

Our first visit here, we dine out quite a lot and we were excited about trying this new place ( found the place via social media). However, we found the food to be very bland, neither of us could finish any of the courses because we simply did not enjoy the food 😕 The restaurant was also quite loud and we did not feel very welcome. Even my hubby said that he felt disliked by the waitress lol after getting £100+ bill, we wish we had stayed at home 😒

A fabulous experience was had in Marcel last night food gorgeous service excellent atmosphere perfect highly recommend and will definitely be back 🤩

Great steak frites during the week.

Great service, higher brow / better dressed clientele than your average Belfast restaurant but not a complete ripoff either. Choice and food was spot on! Achieved complete clearance on my mid morning motion the next day. Only a two square wipe needed. 5 stars would come again.

Very disappointing, over priced wine, got our main course before our main course and asked to leave table after an hour and a half.

Great simple menu and top class cocktails with a cool vibe

Delightful french restaurant with wonderful food and very reasonable prices.

Went last night staff very pleasant food was not unfortunately starter chichen liver parfait was decent enough !!!.. seabass served in a watery sauce and mussels tasteless..wine just ok ..mayonnaise served from packets which definitely doesn't suit this restaurant..chips dry and hard ..sorry but was so looking forward to a new experience was very disappointing 😞

I loved it because the food was very yummy and the servers were very nice and friendly (shout out to Declan!). I am definitely coming back for my birthday! The chicken was the best and very nice and juicy and scrummylicious.✨✌🏼💅🏻🍗🎂

Fantastic spot. Had dinner there tonight for the first time and it won’t be our last. Perfect level of friendly staff without being in your face. Very nice relaxed vibe to the place and the food was awesome and well priced. We will be back.

food was delicious ,very friendly service,i would highly recommend marcel s

Food was really good, have been a few times now. The waiting staff were lovely but it would be really nice if they dressed a bit more conservatively. Just too much tattooed flesh on display, a bit unnecessary and off putting.

Frozen chips and a steak you can't even have rare never mind blue like you like it. I asked for my steak to be blue and got back 'it's only pink or well done' I don't think they know what french cuisine is because if you told a French chef that they would laugh at you. Over priced and not great. I was excited to get a taste from home.

Fantastic menu and service. Everything is finely tuned to perfection without being stuffy. Allergies managed very well, staff gave me lots of confidence in those allergies being managed by the kitchen team. Relaxed vibe; all the staff know what they are doing. A very enjoyable meal all around. Great value.

Food was excellent; the quality of the produce used to create the dishes really shines through for a straightforward classic French style menu. Bourgignon was to die for, and the mashed potato needs some kind of culinary award. Open kitchen, friendly and attentive wait staff, lively but relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely be back!

A delightful surprise! We were given a gift voucher and we enjoyed it so much we are planning our next visit. The menu offered plenty of choice and the prices are reasonable. They offer midweek a prix fix deal that is very good. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Beef Bourginion was something special!

Had no knowledge of Marcel but was in the area and called in, no issue getting a table as a walk in. They have a great steak offer (2 steak and chips for £30) which we tried and loved - opted for Cafe de Paris butter and it didn’t disappoint . Also had French onion soup which was dark,rich and tasty. Even the warm crusty bread with a smoked butter was really really good (pictured). A top quality restaurant for modest prices, we felt we got a great deal all in all

Two very good steak/fries for £30 and then two very good crème brulé! Very happy.

Came from the other side of Belfast to try here. French Bistro with a decent Prix Fixe menu. Had classics of Moules Mariniere and Poulet Roti which were delicious and filling. Smothered in butter so this place is not for your waistline lol. Our waitress was lovely and great at upselling lol. Beware ordering breads at £5.25 which is steep. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon when we went. I'd go again.

The place is great and the food was delicious! I almost felt like in a typical french restaurant. I only missed a piece of baguette just to eat my meal like a proper french... With bread. It was perfect and I'll definitely come back! Thanks

Excellent French food, really good value, will definitely be back!

A little gem in Strandtown, east Belfast. The restaurant was buzzing when we arrived but we didn’t have long to wait until we were shown to our table. Chose olives as a snack then two fish based dishes. The haddock fishcake starter with fennel salad was delicious. Sea bass with mussels, prawns and squid in a tomato based peppery sauce and a large crunchy crouton was equally good. We had some sides of chips, green salad and green vegetables alongside the main dish. Very satisfying course but still had room for the strawberry vacherin meringue dessert. Another lovely dish. Servers were attentive and friendly throughout the evening with just the right amount of wait time between courses. All very reasonably priced. Definitely will return.

Fantastic food served by lovely people in a very relaxed, unpretentious environment and great value to boot. Keep it up, it’s exactly what the Belmont Road needs!

I understand the need for a profit above all else, especially in the restaurant business, but maybe a little more experimentation with an even more French feel - frogs' legs, snails, etc..? Maybe, they're hard to acquire in NI, but I recall L'Etoile serving them, and they were very popular. One other thing: please open bottles of wine and water at the guest's table rather than arriving with an opened bottle. Overall, a great meal for me, which my wife also liked, if a little lower scoring. A great surprise in East Belfast. Truly excellent. Thanks, John.

Wanted to celebrate my birthday in a French restaurant for a family lunch - great experience from starters, mains, cocktails to desserts 🤩

Really a lovely place to dine. Very relaxed and the food was delicious, service was also excellent. Can’t wait to come back, thank you

Our second visit which was brilliant . Very good food served by locals who know their onions . Well done team Marcel keep it up and we will be back .

The staff are lovely. Perfect spot for a catch up dinner with a friend over steak frite and a bottle of red

Food is simple - definitely a bistro rather than a brasserie - and beef bourgignon was rich and hearty. A note to future diners: the water offered at beginning of meal is £5, and service may feel quite rushed (I expected that this was because part of our party was unexpectedly delayed making them 30 mins late - this would be fair enough! - but I see another review here saying they were rushed out after 1 hour 15 mins so maybe this is a regular occurrence). Certainly not the only NI eatery with high prices as they are all struggling to survive due to factors out of their control, so the prix fixe and steak deals are appreciated - but I do think diners should be informed that the water being offered is £5 when this is not the norm here.

Really really salty food which was a shame as everything otherwise looked really beautiful and well made. Have eaten there once before under the Marcel's name and the food was lovely so maybe just someone a bit heavy handed in the kitchen that night. Service was lovely. Very cosy spot.

Everything was great. Food gorgeous and friendly and efficient staff

My wife and I had a brilliant dining experience,good food ,with good pairing of wine and beer from very knowledgeable staff to accompany well thought out dishes. Really tasty stuff! Happily return and recommend! Thank you.

We had a wonderful first visit to Marcel. I saw them via Instagram on one of the "Belfast" accounts I have followed since moving here. Was thrilled to find such a lovely restaurant here in Belfast. The food was beautifully prepared with fresh ingredients. The staff was friendly and went out of their way to make you feel comfortable and attended to. The decor is comfortable yet elegant. We really enjoyed Marcel and will come back!

Tonight I visited Marcel for the first time with a friend,we were not informed when we booked that we only had the table for 1 hr and 15 mins . The food was delicious the service from the waiting staff was functional was shocked when told while eating our desert we needed to be finished in 10 mins . Also a service charge is added to your bill so you can’t decide whether you would leave a tip or not . What I expected to be a pleasant relaxing evening ended up a rush we weren’t even given the chance to order coffee. On booking a table you should be told you have it for a limited time

The food & service were both excellent. Although the restaurant was quiet on a Tuesday night, it still had a really warm, welcoming atmosphere. We'll be back for more!!

Belfast's new little secret gem. Pleasantly surprised with the quality of the whole experience here. Parking might be a little difficult as it's a busy main street but once you're in, it's definitely got a great cosy atmosphere that lets you unwind and simply enjoy the well made and presented food.

First time in this French restaurant. Meal was excellent ,service first class. We would recommend a visit.

We had the most fantastic meal and drinks - everything was perfect and we will definitely be back!!

Small venue, but amazing food and atmosphere. We went for the steak & frites deal which was lovely. Cooked really well and good value for money. Service was exceptional too!

Great restaurant, well crafted food and warm service. Couldn't of asked for more. Thanks guys you made our trip awesome.

Truly an underrated gem. Some of the best food we’ve had for a long time. Will be recommending to anyone who’ll listen. Best burger of my life, amazing bourguignon.

Pricey for Very small portions. Had a very overcooked, tough tasteless ‘steak’ but no one actually cared. . Coffee in a chipped tea cup. We all Came away smelling of fried food. Not great at all.

Great food. Friendly staff. Have recommend to friends and looking forward to my next time

This was our first trip to Marcel and we hope to return. Delicious food, relaxed atmosphere and great to have this little gem in East Belfast.

Really disappointing experience. Food was average. Service poor and the atmosphere non-existent. Our first time here and nothing would entice us back.

Our first trip and honestly after reading a few of the mixed reviews we were a little unsure but or fears were unfounded. We had a lovely meal in a pleasing atmosphere served by Caitlin and Jordan with friendliness and helpfulness. Not much could have been better. The food was good but nothing ever gets 5 stars with me unless it’s exceptional. We will be back.

just a few ingredients cooked perfectly was delicious will definitely be back

a little hidden gem! amazing food, stunning cocktails and so reasonably priced as well. will definitely be back!

I wouldn't recommend this place if you're a vegetarian - only 1 choice for a starter (soup) and main (pasta)I had a mushroom pasta which was fine, large portion but not hugely tasty. I did ask if they had any other veg options or if any of the other dishes could be made meat free (e.g. a salad) but they said no, despite there being only a couple of customers in the restaurant.

Only critical from my point of view is the food smell you have in all dining floor. Kitchen exhaust system should work better. You go home smelling of fried food. Food and service are excellent. Congratulation

Beautiful food and friendly service in a very relaxed inviting setting. Ate here with friends on a very chilly December night and I didn’t want to leave! I had the baked Camembert and the Moules Frites and it was simple food done really really well. Reasonably priced and good selection of cocktails on offer . Great addition to east belfast!

Great food, lovely staff, efficient service. Loved it.

Great atmosphere and a chef that clearly understands and has a passion for food. However service is a little too casual which maybe intentional due to the "relaxed vibe of the place" However the main issue is the portion sizes, i understand with margins how they are kitchens need to work hard to make a profit but coming away from a restaurant after having 2 courses and still feeling hungry is an issue. I would pay an extra £10 and feel that i had value

Good food but the prices are high and the portions are not massive… makes up for it by having a really good atmosphere and friendly staff

EDIT: So it's been rebranded and the menu has been changed. It's still great, though I do think this has impacted the more high end dishes - clearly that wasn't doing it for diners so they've gone for a more brasserie style offering and it's now way busier! Worth noting too that the prix fixe is only a small part of that menu. However as before everything they do they do well and it's now cheaper alright. We tried here a few times before writing this review just to be sure. It's spectacular. There really aren't many restaurants operating on this level in Belfast, and none in the east. The menu is compact (four starters, four mains, couple of desserts) but everything on it (we've tried most of it now) is really top notch - this is not country dining with massive portions though if you're expecting three onion rings on top of half a cow. Good selection of wines (including off menu) and the music choices also excellent. They'll also knock up some bangers and mash for the smaller guests. It's hard to find anything to complain about, other than it seems to be a local secret so far and a bit quiet a times. Which, given the quality and the fact that the pre 6pm deal is one of Belfast's great bargains, I can't imagine staying the same for long.

I visited here 2 weeks ago and going again tonight. Food is a reasonable price and a very good standard. Overall the team are very welcoming, the wine list is good and the restaurant ambience was spot on. Running a local restaurant that is good value for money is commendable and I wish the Marcel owners all the best. Ps. Would love to see French Onion Soup on the menu! 🤞

Ambitious to offer a menu, three courses for £22 in this day and age - but they have absolutely nailed it. What’s amazing about this restaurant is when I was there it was full and the open kitchen was in complete harmony. No banging, loud noises etc just 3 experts in their field making the most amazing food. It was great to watch this from our seats. I opted for the soup to start, which was a carrot and coriander. Elegantly served in stoneware with a sprinkle of seeds and delicately placed droplets of sauce on the top. The bread served with it was to die for. The main which was a play on beef bourginion was delicious, the meat melted in your mouth, the potatoes were buttery and velvety. We opted for the fries and buttered greens to side and no complaints crispy fries, Parmesan shavings and perfectly cooked greens. To finish it off we had an apple tart, elegantly decorated and clearly cooked in-house - not usually my type of order but I horsed it down forgetting I said I would share it!! Thank you to all the staff, your service was excellent so polite and friendly. This place is well and truly on the map.

Super disappointing experience at Marcel. Snacks and starters were good, but the mains and sides came out cold. They brought us new dishes which we appreciated, but overall the mains were very mediocre. When they asked us how our food was and we gave honest feedback that the food was okay, they got defensive and fully avoided coming back to our table while we finished our wine. Not coming back!

Highly disappointing. I was really looking forward to checking this place out, but unfortunately Marcel was incredibly underwhelming and I will not be returning. The food came out cold and when communicating with the staff, they were complacent and rude.

I took my daughter here for lunch as it's her birthday. We didn't want a big meal as she is going out later so ordered soup. It was delicious however, the amount wouldn't have filled a child and no bread with it. A tiny little bowl. For 2 tiny soups, 2 apple juices and still water I was charged £25. We left hungry and disappointed. The staff were lovely though that didn't save it. I won't be back. .

Bog standard with hardly a smile. Bland bread, half Mc Donald size fries, poorly seasoned baked camembert and overall uninspiring.

Delicious food and cocktails 👌🏻

Disappointed & just ok, nothing special! Noting on sides to compliment the duck main course, which was duck overload! Menu, very little choice, especially on sides and only 2 desserts Grossly overpriced! We did the £30 for three course on Thursday promotion, otherwise it would have been £50ish per head Confused on concept, not fine dine Furniture similar to that in a pub years ago

Very impressed. I have been to a number of 2 star restaurants that were no way as good. One small criticism is the wine list needs to improve. But over great

Received the best food and service I have ever experienced in a wonderful atmosphere.

Bit reluctant to share a middling review of this restaurant because, hey, I want local businesses to succeed! Having said that, I feel motivated to post a review because I went to monad recently and I was pretty stung by the combination of cost of the meal (very high!) and the quality of the food (just….ok I guess?). I’d been looking forward to trying monad a while as I’ve been to its sister restaurant (duad) a few times and really enjoyed it. I decided to go with a couple of friends of mine who were visiting me from England as a bit of a treat for us all, given I’d heard such positive things. Between three people, we had three small snacks, a single starter to share, three mains, two deserts, a bottle of wine and two cocktails. The bill was over £200. That means that essentially, none of us had a three course meal and it was still nearly £70 per head, which is crazily expensive for Belfast. I wouldn’t begrudge spending this much if the food had been really lovely (hey, I appreciate that good ingredients cost money, as do overheads, etc etc). Out of the entire meal however, I’d probably only say that one element (the chocolate delice) was truly good and memorable. The snacks (cheese puffs and some other bits) were bland, the mains (an average of about £27 per plate) were like something you would get at a wedding or mass catering event - tasteless and not especially interesting. For dessert, the panna cotta we had tasted solely of cream but had no other notes, and we all felt was just “eh”. In essence, I would sum up the food as….meh? It’s sort of pleasant but quite bland and not something I would really go out of my way to try again, which is a feeling compounded by how crazily expensive it all is. At these prices you’d expect to be wowed by the food, not left feeling it was bland or “just fine”. I also thought the service was laconic to the point of indifference. I didn’t feel there was much enthusiasm or interest from the wait staff, which again isn’t what I’d expect at these prices. I’d recommend duad for a much better value meal with a higher standard of service too.

Great food, great staff, great night ... highly recommend & no I'm not related or being paid... a real good restaurant with quality food, try it.

An excellent restaurant, the food was great and the staff attentive and friendly A++

If you haven’t been, you gotta go. Thank me later! We had an amazing Sunday lunch, serious value for money considering the quality of food and a wine. Great addition to the east, thanks so much 🙏

Food was beautiful and served by friendly staff - just needed a few more punters to help the atmosphere

Tasty food, we loved the mash and appreciated the babà which was remarkable for being served outside Italy

Dining experience at Monad was disappointing based on reviews that I had read. The food was delicious and well presented; I however felt it was overpriced based on the location of the restaurant and the fact that the majority of mains did not include a side order which had to be ordered at an additional cost. There were 4 main choices with only one vegetarian option. Waitresses were not proactive in advising/promoting the menu. The restaurant lacked atmosphere. The bill included service charge which I would not expect for a party of four.

We were disappointed in the food here. After reading reviews etc we were expecting to be blown away. 3 of us had the lamb shoulder & it was so rich & salty, as was the sauce, that we couldn't eat it all. It was served with a croquette potato and not enough veg. Veg was supposed to be spring greens but was 2 small bits of broccolli. There was a choice of only 3 meat dishes and a small dessert menu. All in all it was okay, but disappointing for the price & hype.

Party of 4 dining on a busy Saturday night. Staff very welcoming and knowledgeable. The food was delicious. Good atmosphere. Will definitely be back.

First time, and won't by my last! LOVED the food, every bite a taste sensation. I'm gluten free, and was really impressed with the options that were on offer : ) Fine dining, that fills you up, in a beautiful setting with attentive staff. What more can you ask for!

A (relatively) new restaurant in foodie East Belfast that doesn't fail to impress. The menu is tight, which contributes to the quality and consistency of the balanced and flavoursome food - the kind of food that can only be described as yummy and worthy of plate-licking. We didn't, but instead used the tasty chips to scrape our plates. Worthy of an extra mention are the Comte gougeres and the chocolate delice, and the front-of-house team who are professional and friendly. Well done all.

Amazing food.. one of the best meals we’ve had in a long time.

Just had a wonderful celebratory meal here and everything was perfect. Could not have asked for more. So, so tasty

Very friendly, professional young staff who were very busy ( one member down). The food was of a very good standard and well presented. Will definitely return .

This restaurant has become one of our favorites. Consistent good service with superior food and reasonably priced.

Excellent restaurant in East Belfast. Staff friendly, helpful, knowledgable. The food is top class. Immediately booked to return again after our meal here!!!

Really amazing food with lovely and attentive staff - will definitely be back!!

We have visited this fab restaurant twice now for dinner and both times have been amazing! The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, giving excellent advice about the menu. The food is exquisite, with excellent wine choices to go with it. Not to mention the wonderful cocktails to finish off the evening (they do a very fine negroni, just ask!). Can’t wait for our next visit!

Shared a great meal here with a coworker - we had a prix fixe menu with pumpkin soup, beef, and cake for dessert. Everything was delicious. The décor makes for a warm and inviting environment.

Group of six and we are all raving about how fantastic the food and service was. It was so good that we are going back again this Friday! The food was perfectly cooked and seasoned and the presentation was beautiful. Staff couldn’t have been more helpful. Cocktails fab too. If you haven’t been yet just go ahead and book - you’re in for a treat!

My granddaughter and I visited this lovely restaurant on a Saturday evening. Great atmosphere, lovely food. We both loved it and will definitely return soon.

We had heard about a lovely new restaurant at the bottom of the Belmont Road. So glad we decided to book a table. Nice atmosphere, high quality food (with gluten free options) at a reasonable price and great service from the staff. We will certainly be back.

First time here it but won't be our last. Everything was fantastic and Esme looked after us superbly well so big thanks for that. Good luck

Have had a couple of absolutely amazing meals at Monad with staff so very friendly. My daughter is very pickie with regards to food and has actually decided this is our now go to restaurant. Would urge everyone to give it a go, we will definitely return regularly xx

My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our 3 course meal at Monad last Friday night. The food was amazing and the staff all very attentive with superb service. We would highly recommend this restaurant and great to see another top end eatery in East Belfast.

Fantastic food and atmosphere, with wonderful staff!

Absolutely LOVED this place. The vibes are immaculate 🤌. I don't stay in Belfast anymore but if I were to go back to visit, this would be my top TOP recommendation to anyone that loves to have a good time, likes great food and amazing drinks! The menu was excellent and so refreshing. And the staff were extremely sweet. I don't usually re-visit a restaurant but this one is a definite yes to re-visit! Looking forward to trying the rest of the menu on my next visit! ❤️👏