Waterman is a unique dining concept in Belfast, bringing together a contemporary approach to Mediterranean dining in one of Ireland's buzziest cities. The space itself is chic and sophisticated, with a warehouse feel it features huge, dramatic windows, lofty ceilings and sprawling artworks. It certainly looks the part of the hip, new restaurant on the block and the perfect spot for impressing a date or friends.
Waterman opened in 2022, and comes from Niall Mckenna and his team, with a view of serving fresh, seasonal produce changing daily, and working across dishes with European accents but still a sense of home. Alongside the main restaurant, there's a cookery school and events space, both of which you can enquire about with the team.
Moving onto the menus and the a la carte is served daily for lunch and dinner. Due to the constantly-changing nature of the food, the website offers an example but dishes may be different on the day. Smaller plates include nibbles like hummus, spiced seeds and flatbread, alongside house cured pork belly and pickles. While across main plates you'll see concoctions such as steamed cod, shellfish sauce and shrimp, plus salmon, gooseberry, kohlrabi and mustard, and classics like co. Tyrone sirloin and chimichurri, and house spaghetti, shellfish, anchovy and chilli butter.
If you're up for a set menu, you can opt in for two or three courses with a choice such as Parmesan arancini and truffle mayo to start, hanger steak for mains and white choc cream and raspberry for dessert. We like the sound of the desserts on the main menu, too, such as milk chocolate mousse with hazelnut and orange, as well as mixed berry baked Alaska. The drinks menu features local gins and beers which are also often rotated, as well cocktails of the week.