Sleepy Hollow

Visiting from Manchester while working away, I had the pleasure of dining at the Sleepy Hollow – and what a gem it is! I started with the soup of the day, which had a lovely texture and just the right balance – not overpowering with celery as can sometimes be the case. For my main, I went with the special rib eye steak, cooked medium rare to perfection. It was tender, juicy, and beautifully complemented by the rich béarnaise sauce. Drinks-wise, I enjoyed a smooth latte with what I’d guess was a medium roast bean – full of flavour and a great finish. I also tried the Belfast Brew tea, which was delicious and had a really pleasant, distinct taste. The staff were warm, friendly, and made us feel genuinely welcome. High five to this establishment – I’ll definitely return if I’m in the area again!

This place was a fantastic find! I have given five stars for both the food and the service but I feel there were a couple of things that could be improved to add to the atmosphere which is why I deducted two stars. Close to where we were sitting a service door to the kitchen was really squeaky and was making a lot of noise, it probably just needs a bit of oil. Another thing that I felt wasn’t great was the strong smell of toilet freshener as soon as you walked in the front door. It was quite off putting. I was excited to see that there was some pieces of pottery which is made by the owner, on sale and I’m delighted with the beautiful plate I’m taking home with me as a momento of my trip to Northern Ireland. All in all we had a really lovely lunch. Thank you!

Honestly not that impressed, only second time here though. From the car park it isn't obvious that you are at the back of the restaurant where the bins are and you have to go round the side to get in. Not a great first impression. There is a good atmosphere inside though and surprisingly busy for a Saturday afternoon. The menu is a complete mystery to me given that the mains are all individually priced and if you pay £27 for two courses that works out at up to £12.50 for a bowl of soup! We were in a group so it took a while for the food to arrive and when it did we felt the portion sizes weren't great. The staff were good enough to allow us to have a birthday cake we had brought instead of dessert however didn't provide plates/forks etc until asked so not that accommodating! Not a criticism of here particularly but why can restaurants not have the same staff member who took the order also deliver the food and use a system for this so that you don't have to shout out or put your hand up like you are in school! It also means the staff have to ask if everyone had got theirs (which they hadn't). Such a simple thing but when it is done it really makes a difference to how valued you feel as a customer. We had a two hour slot and despite us all knowing what we wanted prior to arriving, the long time to serve us meant they were clearing the table to encourage us to leave in the end! Well I suppose since we didn't have starters, didn't order alcohol and brought our own dessert we weren't worth holding the table! Not sure I will rush back. Sorry, no photos this time.