BANK Holiday weekend and the stars had somehow aligned in the shape of the divine trinity of a babysitter in place, a lack of worry over getting a taxi home and an overnight stay in Belfast city centre courtesy of Malone Lodge Hotel.
Situated along South Belfast’s tree-lined Eglantine Avenue, the family-owned hotel has been welcoming visitors and guest for close to 30 years. After a warm welcome at reception we made our way to our Executive room on the hotel’s first floor. The room was extremely spacious with a huge bathroom – a welcome slate of fresh fruit and bouquet of flowers was a wonderful touch.
Over a cup of tea we were able to see more guests arrive throughout the afternoon who were accessing the hotel’s popular apartments and it was a quick change before heading out for dinner at Malone Lodge’s Knife and Fork Grill and Deli. The hotel’s restaurant is beautifully laid-out with burgundy leather banquettes and ornate glass cases containing antique cutlery. Our sitting was for 6.30pm and already there was a buzz in the restaurant with both couples and families celebrating birthdays and other special occasions. Once settled we had a look over Malone Lodge’s All Day Menu, which is served both in the main restaurant and Macklin’s lounge. Light bites included soup of the day, classic Caesar salad, chicken wings and beetroot and goat’s cheese salad. My partner and I decided to start things off with two servings of the goat’s cheese, which was delicious – pearls of tangy goat’s cheese were perfectly dressed accompanied by a scattering of caramelised walnuts and leaves.
We surveyed a mouth-watering menu but it was a dish of chicken and chorizo carbonara served with a wedge of garlic bread and rocket that won out, along with a fillet of salmon with cockles, carrots, celery and lemon persillade sauce. My salmon main was a plump fillet with crispy skin sat atop a mound of creamy mash, green beans, roasted parsnip and cauliflower. Across the table the pasta was hailed a success. Generous side portions of onion rings and sweet potato fries ensured we had no room for dessert, tea or coffee but opted for a drink in the lounge where we promptly sank into one of their luxurious Queen-sized armchairs and did something we hadn’t done in a while – relax.
The hotel staff in Malone Lodge are at the top of their game when it comes to going above and beyond to ensure your stay is a memorable one. This was further demonstrated at a very busy breakfast service the next morning. Nothing was too much trouble as we were guided to bowls of fresh fruit, granola, juices and toast with the option on offer to opt for something cooked to order. Full Irish, porridge, scrambled eggs and homemade pancakes are there for the taking, but we opted for the muffin, bacon and avocado combination, which hit the spot along with pots of freshly brewed coffee and tea.
Malone Lodge Hotel offers a first class experience from the minute you step into their reception, until, sadly, in our case, you check out and back to reality.
The hotel is within walking distance of Queen’s University, Botanic Gardens and a host of other South Belfast attractions. We particularly enjoyed the café culture of the surrounding area. The hotel boasts its own private car park which is becoming something of a rarity these days and it’s a mre step out of the vehicle and in to the hotel.
Malone Lodge offers the perfect stay to all and, for us, on this occasion, a memorable one.
For more information visit Malone Lodge Hotel and Apartments at www.malonelodgebelfast.com or Tel: 028 9038 8000
