The Cellar Restaurant in Allerdale

From start to finish, what a fantastic anniversary dinner we had. Taken to our pre booked table immediately. Jug of water and 2 glasses left on table by waitress(something every restaurant should do)followed by menus. Short time later waitress came and took food and drink orders. Drinks appeared in no time at all. Food came out and boy was it tasty. Garlic mushrooms and spring rolls to start followed by rump steak and potatoes of your choice. I got cheesy chilli and they were awesome. Will be back and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking quality affordable grub.

Managed to sneak in a table of 5 for us tourists, even though we hadn’t booked. Service and food was excellent, great meal and the place was soon full with reservations. I fully recommend a visit, opens at 1700 so book if you can. Well done to the staff, much appreciated

My second meal here in recent years and happy to report that the excellent standard is being maintained. You'll find a pleasant, dimly lit room, a reasonably priced menu which covers all the bases, and, friendly but unobtrusive service. My sirloin steak was generous in size and beautifully cooked, as was my wife's monkfish. We'll be back!

We seem to have encountered the same rude man as previously mentioned. We had a lovely seafood dish spoilt by the addition of crab sticks ( the processed ones with red dye) . When asked if we enjoyed our meal ( when paying the bill) we mentioned the crab sticks and how we felt they should never have been served along with other good seafood but were completely blanked by the man. My sister said that her crab claws had freezer burn and didn’t taste fresh and his reply was well you ate them . There are better places to eat locally so I will be giving this one a miss in the future unfortunately. The food wasn’t bad but meal spoilt by te attitude of this front of house man.

We stayed in Ballycastle for a few days at the campsite and one evening decided to stroll into town for dinner rather than barbecue - found The Cellar on google and it looked very nice so we decided to give it a try. Well what a lovely spot for dinner! The inside is lovely and cosy and there was a really nice informal atmosphere in there with a nice hum of noise as it got busier through the evening. The service was excellent and the food really was delicious. Between us we had the seafood platter starter which lovely and light, and a lamb shank/sea bass for our main courses. Top marks all round for everything that we ate, definitely worth taking a trip here for dinner if you're in the area:) Recommended!

I would like to have been able to write a review on the food but perhaps fortunately we never got to taste any. Arriving at the restaurant at 5.50pm we had hoped to avail of the Early Bird menu. Just as we took our seats we were approached by someone who I presume is the owner as no one in their right mind would employ him. An unpleasant mixture of Victor Meldrew and Basil Fawlty (on a bad day) who snapped at us that the Early Bird menu was finished. We enquired why we had missed it as it says on the menu up to 6pm, he stated in a sneering and aggressive manner that you had to be in by 5.30pm and everyone else had managed it. We were not informed of this and checking the menu and FB page I can find no mention of it. All it would have taken was a polite explanation of why we couldn’t have the Early Bird menu and we would have happily ordered from the normal menu. We, of course, immediately left after this encounter checking the door on the way out to ensure we hadn’t accidentally stumbled into a NI version of Karen’s Diner. Should the Cellar ever go out of business I’m sure Karen’s would welcome him with open arms although maybe retirement would be a better option. In all my years I have never been spoken to in this manner by someone who is supposed to be providing a service. We were nothing but quiet and polite and left in shock. He rarely replies to reviews and obviously ‘sorry’ is not in his vocabulary but in the faint chance he does reply to tell us he’s a great man and his customers and staff love him….I don’t believe you!

Would not recommend this place, we booked a table for 6pm arrived at 5.50pm and the menus were set down to us. A white haired very rude waiter?? Owner came to the table said something and walked off, I politely called him back and said sorry I didn’t hear what you said, he said the early bird menu is over and I said but it is not 6 pm yet, he banged his hand of the table and said ‘ma’am it is over’ and a lot more but I was so shocked I didn’t really take in the rest!! I have never ever witnessed such rudeness in a restaurant in my life! Shocked would be an understatement. We left and at the door I told him he was very rude to which he replied ‘Thank you’! Can’t comment on the food but this service was the worst ever. I would never step foot in this place again.

We went to the cellar restaurant this evening for dinner and had starters what was lovely but unfortunately the the posh fish and chips were a let down, the fish was bland, the chips was nice and if it wasn't for the tartare sauce and minted peas really I could not have eaten the fish, the staff was very welcoming and the service was good and the atmosphere of the restaurant was comforting.. B back again

The Cellar were able to accomodate us for a last minute bookng. Fantastic food and great service. Would highly recommend!

We had the early bird menu, starters were okay mushrooms and wings bought in but perfectly fine, the mains rump with colcannon and pepper sauce,and salmon with potatoes were very tasty but the salmon was very small. Cheesecake was 10/10, service was like a well oiled machine. Drink’s very well priced we are definitely going back!

Unusual place to find an excellent restaurant. I can highly recommend going down this basement in the city center.

quick and good service. Came specifically for the mussels. A heat keeping pot would be good to savour the deliciousness to the end

We were so thankful The Cellar Restaurant took us at was possibly at the end of normal hours on a Monday night mid-June. The food was SO AMAZING and the service was very friendly and attentive. We ordered steak, sesame chicken, grilled chicken, pork belly and carbonara. Do yourself a favor and order the garlic potatoes, you won’t be sorry!! Save room for dessert as their chocolate cake and strawberry kiwi fluffy cake was divine! Thank you again for nourishing our travel weary bodies!

Given a table at 6.20 and told could order only a La carte not early bird (5-6.30). Waiting staff, girls were friendly, lovely and efficient. We ordered sesame chicken, duck and for me beef stroganoff which had a strange unpleasant smell when set in front of me. I separated a piece of meat to taste and it was off but had to ‘spit’ it out as quite foul. Told the girl who without hesitation took it away and brought the menu for me to order something else. She had hardly left the table when the same man, thin with grey hair came to the table. Didn’t introduce himself but immediately stated in an abrasive, rude tone that their meat was bought fresh from local butcher and that it was likely the Dijon mustard I could taste in the sauce. I reiterated that the meat was off and both myself and my daughter had tasted it but removed both pieces and put them in a separate bowl. He said there was only one piece in the bowl. I suggested he taste the meat but he continued to state the meat was fresh. He was quite unpleasant and never did he apologise. I ordered duck and it was beautifully cooked. Our meal was not as relaxed and enjoyable as it should have been and I would not recommend eating here as complaints are unacceptable. I paid the bill £76 and will never eat here again. His attitude was appalling

I don’t usually leave reviews after a meal but due to the awful customer service on top of the quality of food I feel the need to let others know in the hope they don’t waste their time and money here. I ordered the chicken wings for a starter. I was immediately disappointed as I was served 3 wings that were clearly store bought frozen battered wings, poor quality and quantity. When I bit into them they were cold on the inside, mistakes happen so we discretely and politely informed the man on the front desk, he replaced them grumpily without an apology. This was disappointing as we were unable to eat our starters together. My girlfriend ordered the chicken as a main and it was pink and squidgy in the middle as you can see in the picture, we don’t like to cause a fuss so didn’t want to complain a second time and I shared my steak with her. She also ordered a Prosecco and was given a different type of wine entirely which we only noticed after opening the bottle. As we were leaving my girlfriend said she wasn’t happy with the experience, told him about the issues and asked politely would it be possible to have the bill amended and we were bluntly and rudely told “no” and nothing else. Even with the cold starter, Salmonella chicken and wrong drink orders we would have put it down as a bad experience but because of how rude the man on the front desk was we feel we have to leave feedback. They advertise themselves as ‘Ballycastle’s best kept secret.’ Unfortunately, my experience suggests that it might be more accurate to say it’s not recommended

We decided to eat out last minute and thankfully the Cellar was available. I ordered this Vegetarian pasta with onion and pepper sauce and it was delicious! Staff were nice and friendly. The only downside for me was the dessert. I had chocolate cake and it wasn’t great. But overall it was a nice experience!

Nicest meal we had in Ballycastle! I had the Rathlin Surf and Turf and both the steak and Lobster were cooked to perfection. My Girlfriend had the Pork Belly and she said it was the nicest Pork Belly she ever had ! Staff were lovely too ! We were lucky to get walk in but definitely would advise pre-booking.

Sweet restaurant in a vaulted cellar. We got a table late and spontaneously as well as delicious fish dishes.

The best steak I've ever had. Perfectly cooked and perfectly tender.

This was one of our favorite stops in Ireland. The location is really cozy and the food was good. The favorite dish of the table was the lamb chops. The sauces made the dishes.

We did have a really good dinner at the cellar, lobster as a starter was not the biggest that I had so far, but pretty delicious. The Peking duck was really tasty too!:)

Hidden Gem! Amazingly delicious food, lovely staff and atmosphere!

Had a delicious meal with three of us. I had the rack of lamb. My friend had lamb roast, and my wife had the Hake. The roasted potatoes were to die for the Banofe desert was one of the best I’ve had! The service was impeccable and super friendly

Have visited The Cellar twice now and both times I’ve been so impressed. Great food, great atmosphere, great service and really reasonable prices, especially with the ‘Early Bird’ menu! Desserts are EXQUISITE 😍

wow. super wow. one of the best meals we have had during our trip to northern ireland. we actually went to another place that was down the street but they were overbooked so we stumbled here instead and we are so glad we did. we had the beef stroganoff, surf n turf, 8oz filet and duo of prawns. the service was also very friendly! i wish i lived here. they also have a fireplace.

We visited this cozy joint after a day at the Causeway. The stroganoff, prawns, beef and potato were incredible! 10/10 yummy!

An absolute gem of a place in the middle of Ballycastle! So cosy with the open fire and low ceiling of the cellar. The food was delicious and so fresh. All of the staff were lovely and very helpful. Would recommend this place to anyone visiting the area!

Great food. Early bird dinner is great value

Lovely wee place, well worth a visit!

I decided to take my wife out for dinner on St. Valentine's night and decided to eat early so went for The Early Bird Menu. We were pleasantly surprised by the decor and ambience of the place and a roaring fire. After being seated we were brought a jug of iced water and left to study the menu. A very pleasant young lady came and took our order. I had Chicken Wings which were very tasty followed by a 6 ounce Rump Steak my wife also had the same and the steak was big enough but when we tried to eat it it was tough and very chewy. I called the waitress and explained and she said if you can't eat it I will take it back and let you have something else. A few minutes later back came a male waiter with the same food and virtually threw it down on the table and said it is what you ordered and what we were having to eat. For the price of it £11.95 each what did we expect and he was not going to let us have anything else to eat. We tried to eat it while it was warm but most of mine was not eatable at all. My wife had opted for dessert and had Banoffee Pie. We also had a glass on wine at £1.50 each which was quite nice. We were given our bill and went to pay and it was the same male waiter who never spoke while taking the money and when we had finished our transaction my wife did comment to him that she found him extremely rude. He just shrugged his shoulders and said for the money we paid what did we expect and who did we think we were. I was very enraged at this comment and my wife asked whatever happened to customer satisfaction. We said we had hoped to return as we had a few days left in Ballycastle but after that no way would we return he put his arm out and jestered to the door to leave. Needless to say we shall not be returning.

This was our first experience of the Cellar restaurant and it was a good one. The food was wonderfully prepared and importantly tasted great. Service was excellent. Best to book as there wasn't a free table when we arrived at 7pm. Highly recommend.

Out with family for annual getaway. Food lovely, staff friendly, good atmosphere 🙂

The early bird menu is great value.

The mussels were amazing. Pork belly not so much.

Booked on the day as we were only staying overnight. Atmosphere and welcome really great. The restaurant is compact and feels quite homely. We were a party of 5(all staying in Ballycastle for 1st time - 3 from England) We all had starters and mains and all were to a high standard with generous portions. I had baked lemon sole on the bone and it was amazing - one of the best I've ever had. The service was attentive without being overbearing and the price was a very pleasant surprise. I cannot thank them enough - a great night had by all and a promise to return one day. A hidden jewel

Had reservations booked here based on the excellent reviews and the meal did not disappoint! We took advantage of the Early Bird Menu and it was an excellent offering and value. Highly recommend dining here!

Lovely restaurant with friendly and efficient service in cosy booth surroundings. We chose pasta dishes which were rather heavy for a late meal, so we should have chosen the very tasty looking seafood options which are the place's speciality.

The menu is suitably varied for all tastes and the food did not disappoint. The meals were superb, the best l have had anywhere, the staff were exceptionally friendly and helpful. Can't speak highly enough of this restaurant.

The Cellar was recommended to us by a Ballycastle local- and it was amazing! The food was SO good, the service was TOP, and we had a lovely evening. Can’t recommend enough!

We were a family of five (three young adults). everyone found something they loved (even the peaky eaters). Everything was delicious and the service was great to boot.

Would have loved to have been able to eat here. We arrived about 4 minutes after the early bird menu ended and they said we couldn't order from it so we left.

Great food and a very good early bird menu. Friendly staff and good service.

What a gem of a place!! Cozy atmosphere and delicious food - especially the cheesecake (light and full of fruit).

Best service I've had so far in Ireland! Servers were prompt and efficient. They also have early bird specials for £12 where you can choose two items between a starter, main, and dessert. Really enjoyed eating here - it really is a hidden gem!

Ci siamo trovati benissimo. Cibo buono con un ottimo rapporto qualità prezzo. In due con una birra, 2 main e un dolce circa 60 pound. Bisogna prenotare perché hanno pochi posti

Food was good. We had the salmon and the lobster

Very hit & miss food. The so-called prawn tempura was especially poor, not being remotely like any tempura I’ve had & tasteless. But some dishes were very good and service was good throughout. Based on our experience, my guess is that the more adventurous sounding menu items might be the ones to avoid while other more mainstream sounding items would provide a good meal.

Came here for a meal with my partner, food was nice and no complaints. I ordered the haddock with cauliflower purée, fish cooked perfectly however the puréed cauliflower was quite bland. We were seated beside a group of six who were extremely loud, shouting and using foul language so much so that we rushed our food so that we could leave. Probably wouldn’t return.

El lloc es molt maco i agradable. La qualitat del menjar que hem demanat no es correspon a les espectatives. El llenguado, ens han dit que era fresc, però era tou i no ens ha agradat.

Saw the menu figured great value! Got chicken wings to start, 3 wings, frozen and undercooked also tasteless with no sauce served alongside. I got steak for my main, was filled with grease! No seasoning very dry and again tasteless. The chips were a sad sight, also frozen! My partner got the salmon there was 4 bits he was starving afterwards. I won't be back thought it was good advertising poor product.

Went there for birthday dinner which was enjoyed by all attendees food was good but did take a while as dining room was full. Would return in future.

Busy restaurant with limited covers so booking ahead is advised. Food was good and the staff were very friendly. Would definitely recommend it.

Abbiamo cenato in questo ristorante al centro di ballycastle abbiamo preso due surf and turf e un aragosta che dire se non ottimi ? Servizio veloce , personale gentilissimo e rapporto giusto qualità prezzo ! Abbiamo speso sulle 45 euro vino incluso . Vi consiglio di provarlo

Early bird menu good value and a nice variety Service good

Very good restaurant with a buzzing atmosphere. The seabass was delicious. When we go back this week, we will try their desserts and uodate here but they look good.

The worst experience for quite some time. Food was dry and did not taste good. Wines were only per bottle, a few small bottles available were of a quite poor quality. Would not recommend.

A great choice for dinner. So much so, we went twice. We treated ourselves to grilled lobster the first evening. Generous size and well cooked, The other evening we had fish, also good. There is a wide choice of menu to suit all. The prices are reasonable and the restaurant has a warm buzz. The staff were excellent, friendly and caring. Best to book as it was busy both nights.

Great little spot , really enjoyed the food here! Best reserve in advance as the place doesn't have a lot of sitting area.

Been going here for about 18 years love it

We had an excellent dinner here. Favs were the lamb shank, sea bass, and banoffee pie. From a week in N IRE, this was probably our best meal so would definitely recommend and would return ourselves.

By sheer chance decided to give this place a go and although a little late for the early bird we were allowed to eat albeit with a time limit but the price and the food were excellent and soo taken aback with the whole surroundings, totally unexpected and unique, honestly from the outside I have passed it by before but never again, loved it.

We had a fantastic meal there last night. I loved having a beautiful salad and not so many chips. Steak was just right. Thank you everyone for a lovely experience.

Great little quirky resturant in a cellar. Service was very good, friendly staff. Food cooked beautifully too. Reasonable price. Would recommend.

Ordered Steak champ & pepper sauce, the steak was quite tough not much taste. The champ had a hard uncooked lump of potato in it. I informed a staff member and got chips which tasted quite greasy. I asked for more pepper sauce as I had put it over my champ. The pepper sauce would of burnt my tongue as it was too hot. I don't normally write these type of reviews, maybe it was a one off bad experience?

Absolutely wonderful food fish cooked beautifully and nice staff a lovely place full stop.

Una esperienza più che positiva, abbiamo mangiato pesce c è anche il menù per i bimbi una cheesecake incredibile e un baileys coffee buonissimo, gentili e disponibili i proprietari, un posto da ricordare

Really recommend the cellar we dine in the best places in Northern Ireland and my opinion is the cellar is way up in the top 5 absolutely amazing food, reasonably priced, delightful staff, service is excellent,

The Cellar is a little gem of a place. The food, service and ambiance are excellent. The Early Bird menu at 5pm, in these days of inflation, is very good value. Highly recommended.

In the 2 weeks we’ve been in Ireland, we had one of our best meals here at The Cellar Bar. The space was intimate and cosy but well spaced, the staff were extremely friendly and engaging, and the food top notch. Would definitely recommend as your first stop for a lovely meal in Ballycastle.

One of the worst meals I’ve ever eaten. I sent the mussels back as they smelt like rotten egg and were so rubbery you could have bounced them off the walls. The mains arrived and were bland, clearly from frozen and on chipped crockery. All in all, a truly awful dining experience.

Absolutely beautiful meal and fantastic staff. Could not fault!

Came here while visiting Ballycastle with my wife. This place was amazing and the food tasted great. The service was also incredible and I did not feel rush. We got clam chowder and this tasted great. My wife ordered the prawn pasta and I ordered the surf and turf. The entrees were very flavorful and there was plenty of food. I would suggest making a reservation to this restaurant because there are limited tables.

Restaurant with good food, good service high recommend

Excellent quirky restaurant. Very welcoming, superb food and good service. Would recommend. Great find.

My girlfriend and I have just been there for our Sunday dinner, after hearing many positive reviews from people we know. The attention to detail to immaculate, which made it easy to make a decision about what we wanted to order. The food was fantastic, and the portion sizes were good. The food quality was high, and I'll be back again.

Amazing food. Delicious🤤 hubby had lobster I had the sea bass. And what a beautiful dish. Not forgetting starters and dessert. We shall defo be back. Can not fault anything. Highly recommended.

Lovely place great food staff where brilliant the only downside I got a little to drunk

Dreadful service with food to match. Food was greasy and tasteless . Service was dreadful . Seating was uncomfortable and dated .

A dreadful meal , matched by the rudeness of the waiter . Having raised concerns regarding the quality of my meal I was informed the meal was fine because no one else had complained , despite the fact I had left most of my meal. . My advice would be avoid this restaurant at all costs. Customer service from a bygone age.

This place is amazing! We both have fillet steaks and I can honestly say it was one of the nicest steaks I've ever had! The staff are super friendly and it's a lovely atmosphere, couldn't recommend enough!

Fish restaurant with many proposals based on locally caught fish. Delicious food and modest prices. The desserts are also very good. Intimate atmosphere. Highly recommended

Love the cosy atmosphere in the wintertime in the Cellar. Great when as a couple you are not at a tiny table squeezed in beside bigger groups! Early bird menu is fantastic value for 2 courses and a drink. Could not fault the tasty rump steak and pepper sauce or the salmon main. Have always enjoyed all the delicious home made deserts. Staff friendly and efficient.

War mein Lieblingsrestaurant bei meiner Nordirland Reise. Alles Bestens.

Ate there and the staff and service were excellent! Beautiful cozy place with great food, not regular fish and chips type of place. Highly recommend!

Just had a fabulous meal at The Cellar. The food was outstanding, service amazing, great menu & good value. Thoroughly recommend.

I had been meaning to try this restaurant for a while and eventually made a booking for me and my husband wedding anniversary which was just before New Years Eve. We decided to go for the early bird menu as we didn’t want to eat...

The staff were friendly and professional. The food was superb. The roaring fire was a bonus. Great value for money . We would not hesitate to go back

Food absolutely beautiful 😋 wish I had been here sooner 🥰 will be back also great value for money

I was emotionally moved by this food! The taste was exceptional and the atmosphere incredibly cozy. If you have one spot to do dinner in Ballycastle, this is where you should go.

The restaurant is very warm and cosy, the waitress was very friendly, service was prompt and good. The food was delicious, this was our 4th visit and never disappointed. Highly recommend.

Been many years since we last ate in the Cellar and went again a day ago. Food and service still outstanding. Says a lot when it's still the same chef. Very friendly and helpful owner and staff.

We had heard great reviews about this place but unfortunately we left disappointed. The duck pancake and mussel starters were both pleasant to eat, however both my partner and I ordered the surf and turf for mains. It’s safe to say we were left underwhelmed...

Went to this restaurant for our wedding anniversary. Seated in a quiet corner of the room. I had the chicken, my wife ordered the lamb shank. Both mains came promptly and we could see this was a good choice. The cuts were excellent quality, the...

The best dinner and service since arriving in Ireland. We should have driven yo North Ireland sooner.

This cute little underground restaurant was a last minute find. We had the early bird menu- 2 mains 2 desserts. No complaints. Staff friendly food came out quickly and reasonably priced

Had a soup of the day and a Rathlin Surf and Turf which were both tasty, staff were attentive and the atmosphere cosy

Extended family meet up meal with seven adults and and a two year old and we were all happy and contented. Staff were very friendly and accommodating. Child's meal was served very quickly, so his Mum was able to ensure that he had eaten before...

Very good choice of food. Nice place tucked away in The Diamond in Ballycastle

Early bird menu . Staff lovely unfortunately food just ok .

Kleines Kellerlokal mit einer übersichtlichen aber abwechslungsreichen Speisekarte. Der Service ist freundlich und flott. Wir waren auf der Durchreise und daher spontan am frühen Abend dort und haben einen der wenigen Tische ergattert. Das Essen war großartig, die Portion reichlich, das servierte Guinness sehr lecker und am Ende die Rechnung erfreulich niedrig für 3 Getränke, eine Vorspeise und 2 Hauptgerichte: 51,75£. Es gibt ein early Bird Menü zum günstigen Tagespreis. Unbedingt einen Tisch reservieren, wenn man ab 19 Uhr mit mehreren dort Essen möchte!