Don't miss out on the gur cake! - Molly's Yard, Belfast

There are some days where cheese and carbs are the only things that make me happy. I am even happier when they come at a good price, in large quantities and someone else cooks them!

Molly's Yard is set in the Botanic Gardens quarter of Belfast city, within minutes from the train station and the university. It's set in converted Victorian stables with a cute outdoor garden area for summer evenings, and also stocks Hilden Craft beers from Ireland's oldest independent brewery.

It boasts a separate vegetarian menu and also a money-saving 5-10-5 menu on Mondays-Thursdays where starters and desserts are £5 each, whilst mains are £10 each. We mixed and matched between these 2 menus. I had a starter of grilled local goat's cheese with some toast, balsamic vinegar reduction and a light salad (£5). Simple and slightly on the small side but tasty, and step 1 to happiness.

I had a grilled aubergine, topped with ratatouille and feta, served with roast potatoes and chopped olives (£14). Nicely seasoned with plenty of salt from the feta and olives. Maybe not particularly adventurous or creative cooking but still hitting the comfort spot that I was craving. Hubby had portobello mushrooms topped with melted cheese, drizzled with herby vinegrette, salad leaves and beetroot (£10). He felt that it was a bit small but the accompanying chunky chips filled him up. Step 2 = cheese and potato in different forms, but same effect.

Step 3 came in the form of delicious desserts.We were tempted by the classic chocolate brownie. It was a generous slice of soft dark chocolate goodness, served warm with a large scoop of ice cream and blackberry coulis. But we couldn't resist trying a local Irish delicacy - the gur cake. It's a fruitcake coated in sugary pastry, similar to strudel. But the whisky ice cream, bitter caramel crumb and treacly sauce really elevated it from an afternoon tea type of cake to a rich, indulgent dessert.

Thoroughly enjoyed our dinner at Molly's Yard - it was an excellent value meal that filled our bellies and hearts without making too much of a dent in our wallets.The only (minor) complaint we had was that the starters were quite small and the mains we had were very similar but probably our fault for choosing them.

Peckish Pea rating - 4.5/5!

#dinner #relaxed #largeportions #budget #beer #British #dessert