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URBAN PUBS
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RESTAURANTS
HOTELS
OWENS’ BAR - LOCATION: LIMAVADY ■ OWNER/MANAGEMENT: Damian Owens ON OFFER: On arrival, one is greeted by the warmth of roaring fires and the sound of local banter. Photographs adorn the walls of characters past and present, all of which add to the homely ambience. For the traveller on their way to the Causeway Coast, this family-run business warrants a visit with the assurance of a warm welcome and indeed ‘the perfect pint’. HISTORY: Established in 1852, Frank Owens’ bar has become a household name in the North West. The award-winning pub remains relatively unchanged over the years and has retained all the features that make this establishment a welcome stop. USP: In recent times, the arrival of the Game of Thrones door has added another dimension to the bar. Visitors, from far and near, call in to view this beautiful work of art. Friendly staff is at hand to greet, and explain the origin of the door and its association with the locality.
OX - LOCATION: BELFAST ■ OWNER/MANAGEMENT: Stephen Toman & Alain Kerloc’h ON OFFER: OX is a modern Irish restaurant that seats 40, with a plate glass shop front view over the water, exposed brick and polished concrete details, as well as an intimate mezzanine area for more secluded dining. STYLE: The style is relaxed, the décor is paired back and the space buzzes with energy from the open kitchen. USP: OX menus are designed to showcase excellent meats and sustainably sourced fish whilst equally careful attention is given to seasonal produce. Head chef and owner Stephen Toman is a true believer in seasonality and has the imagination and creativity to bring seemingly mundane ingredients to Technicolor life. Alain Kerloc’h, co owner, uses his extensive experience as sommelier and restaurant manager, gained through years in leading Michelin restaurants.
THE PARSON’S NOSE - LOCATION: HILLSBOROUGH ■ OWNER/MANAGEMENT: Ronan & Jennie Sweeney, directors ON OFFER: The Parson’s Nose is a Georgian pub and restaurant in Hillsborough, owned by Ronan and Jennie Sweeney, directors of award-winning gastro-pub group Balloo Inns. The group also owns Balloo House in Killinchy and the Poacher’s Pocket near Comber. Uniquely for a Northern Irish pub group, all three venues in the group are featured in the Michelin Guide. HISTORY: Bought by the group in 2009, The Parson’s Nose unveiled a new chapter in its history early in 2017 with the completion of a £600,000 refurbishment and extension, which has revamped the country-chic design and food concept and has created 20 jobs. USP: Well known for showcasing local and seasonal produce on the menu and for supporting local brewers and distillers behind the bar, the new layout introduces a woodfired oven into the premises for the first time, adding a unique element to the gastro-pub menu with a broadened appeal.
PEADAR O’DONNELL’S BAR - LOCATION: DERRY ■ OWNER/MANAGEMENT: Phil Nolan & William McGuinness ON OFFER: In recent years, Waterloo Street has become the hub of Derry’s thriving nighttime economy with the jewel in the crown being Peadar O’Donnell’s. Its owners have invested heavily in developing their adjoining premises, The Gweedore Bar and Nightclub 57. This investment has been successful in offering punters a diverse choice of evening entertainment from traditional Irish music to contemporary rock and nightclubbing. HISTORY: Peadar’s is located on a site housing licensed premises for over 200 years. People from all over the North West of Ireland getting the boat to go to work on farms in Scotland would stop off in hostelries in Waterloo Street; hence the Donegal connections in the naming of many of the pubs there. STYLE: Peadar’s has the ambience of an old shop/pub style familiar in Ireland in the early part of the last century. USP: What makes it special and unique is an emphasis on live traditional Irish music, which can be heard every night and from early evening right through to closing at weekends, while its collection of flags of many nations and bric a brac is renowned the world over. 42 • HRNI THE TOP 100 HOSPITALITY BUSINESSES 2018
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