No. 36 on Belmont Road

After having a lovely afternoon at Ava Vintage Fair (Twitter) in the Park Avenue Hotel Belfast, we ventured out for lunch. Partially drenched due to the lovely downpour, we quickly decided on somewhere we haven't tried before. First impressions were great - the premise was beautifully presented in neutral colours with accents of a pastel and fresh green.

No.36 is on the Belmont Road in East Belfast and is an eaterie/coffee shop which prides itself upon home cooking and fresh, locally sourced ingredients. All meat, sweet treats, chutneys and fruit preserves are cooked and made on the premise itself using recipes developed by No. 36 itself. A wide range of homemade muffins, gourmet scones and tarts are also available. The soups are inspired from the Belmont Road to Bombay and beyond, served with gourmet sandwiches, wraps and ciabattas.

We were both quite hungry and the day itself was one of those days that soup seemed like the best option. The menu was great - such a range available! No. 36 offers breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner...Table service, bookings and walk-ins are all welcome along with a catering and a take-away service also available.

We ordered the soup of the day 'Roast Red Pepper and Lentil' which came with a choice of gourmet sandwiches. 'Chicken Caesar with Hot Crispy Bacon, Parmesan and Cos Lettuce' was picked as the accompaniment. We also ordered their signature Toasted Club Sandwich 'a Triple Decker of Toasted Bread filled with Crispy Streaky Bacon, Pesto, Sun Blush Tomato, Red Onion, Rocket and Applewood Smoked Cheddar'. I added chicken to this sandwich as an extra filling as I thought it would have lacked something.

The sandwiches were amazing; with a crisp granary taste, they literally had 'bite'. The Chicken Ceasar Sandwich was creamy with a contrast of crispness from the bread and bacon. I'd really recommend the No. 36 Toasted Club Sandwich to any Club Sandwich lover out there. Not the typical, it certainly was a great alternative to the 'standard', lack-lustre Club Sandwich you are likely to be served in many restaurants these days.

Surprised at how much I liked the Roast Red Pepper and Lentil Soup. Smooth to the taste, with a pleasant kick to it. The bowl is massive, so great value for money.

Afterwards we ordered two No. 36 Signature Caramel Hot Chocolates (infused with Caramel Syrup, topped with Cream) with traybakes. AMAZING way to end the meal. The hot chocolate blew away all of the Hot Chocolates I've had out of any Cafe Nero's. Much nicer and sweeter, not that chocolatey as such. I liked how they offered the cream and marshmallows separately - they're not always for everybody. However, if your a sugar nut like myself then build a small marshmallow tower!

The traybakes are great; chunky and chocolatey. Only slight criticism would be that that they are refrigerated at a lower temperature than they should be, which can make for difficult eating. Didn't help when I have braces and have to be careful what I eat.

Overall, delicious locally sourced food at an alright price (would go there to treat myself when in the area). Service could do with some improvement as it sometimes felt like forced friendliness. A wide range to choose from and good for dietary requirements such as gluten-free. Perfect for sandwich lovers out there and sugar snackers.