Giraffe

I was last here with Lou a couple of years ago when we started dating and you go through that faze of hitting 20 restaurants a month before you start spending nights in and working through each others DVD collection. I also recall being here about 5 years ago with a group of friends from Methody. My mind can recall few things from such a far back period, but it never forgets a bum deal at a restaurant. This is what it felt like eating at Giraffes today.

The decor hasn't changed at all. I'm in favour of things remaining the same if it isn't broken but a lick of paint now and again is all good. The interior is painted with Romany rustic colours and portraits of giraffe sections on the wall with scuff marks along chair height. The floor is a worn wooden panel layout also with scrape marks from the constant back and forth movement of the waiters (not that we could summon them when it came time to pay for the bill).

The menu itself is sparse with standard dishes/Norn Iron Mediterranean meals on offer such that I had to choose the least boring thing on the menu. We split some Tuscan bread for starters which was nothing more than 2 slices of buttered loaf bread on top of a small salad. Would it be too much to ask for bread and get a small assortment in a basket with a little butter to spread myself? Obviously.

Lou ordered the Lasagne and I ordered the tagliatelle. Lous lasagne looked like it had been yesterdays left overs and it was very dry, a sure sign that it had just been heated up (it arrived a mere 10 minutes after the starter). My dish had sun-dried tomatoes and black olives in it but I could taste nothing but pesto as the dish was saturated in it with a pool of juice at the bottom. I managed to eat half of it. The best thing about the meal was the side portion of chips that came with the lasagne that I picked at to get the taste of pesto out of my mouth.

The best thing about Giraffe is that it is BYO. However the corkage charge is £1.50 which is a bit steep really for the time it takes to pop a cork so even that has a down side. In my opinion the whole place needs redesigned starting with the menu and the firing of the chef. If you're looking for a better alternative, try Legends on Lisburn Road. No booking, BYO, friendly staff and food that is WYSIWYG - all at less cost.

This giraffe needs to wind its neck in.

1/5