Independent Restaurants & Other Businesses We Can Support

Carrying on from my last blog, where I analysed the benefits of supporting local and recommended my top three independent coffee shops to visit in Northern Ireland, in this post I will be recommending independent restaurants and other local businesses.

Restaurants

1. Coppi

Firstly, Coppi. Coppi is one of my favourite Italian restaurants in Belfast. With their cinchetti style menu, they bring something new and different to the area. Dining in the restaurant offers a very sultry vibe with the dim lighting and rustic wood. Coppi was created in 2012, by a couple named Tony and Andrea O’Neill. The O’Neills have discovered the importance of supporting local in their ownership of an independent restaurant where they endeavour to use as many local ingredients as possible. For instance, they procure their steak from Peter Hannan Butchers from Moria and their fish is freshly caught locally.

2. Buba

This week I visited Buba in St. Anne’s Square. Not only was I impressed by the décor and atmosphere, with warm red neon lights and lively music, their Mediterranean style tapas menu was delicious. It offers a wide range of options and half of the menu is dedicated to customers who eat a plant-based diet. Interestingly, Buba is a more recent restaurant created by the same owners of Coppi. In the same vein, they collect raw materials from local businesses as a priority for this restaurant too.

3. Villa Italia

Villa Italia is a favourite of mine; my family and I made many trips there when I was a young girl. In my opinion, one of the standout qualities of this restaurant is the rustic Italian interiors and music, which make you feel like you are in a real ristorante. Their menu boasts freshly made stone-baked pizzas and traditional Italian pasta dishes, made with the freshest locally sourced ingredients. Additionally, Villa Italia is based in south Belfast, an ideal location for Queen’s University students. The restaurant also provides an internal lift to all floors, a disabled toilet and a designated baby changing area.

Other Businesses

1. Lines and Current

Lines and Current is a jewellery and accessories brand, created by a local Belfast woman named Rebekah. Their designs are simple with a boho twist. The business has a well-structured website and offers international shipping as well as free delivery to customers living in the UK. The business does not own a bricks and mortar store but instead has stockists all over the UK and Ireland which are listed on the website. Since partnering with SOS Children’s Villages in 2017, Lines and Current has also become the charity’s largest UK-based donor. Similarly, 10% of total profits are donated to various charities on top of SOS Children’s Villages.

2. Yoga Quarter

Last month I decided to join a yoga class at Yoga Quarter. I came away from the workout feeling refreshed and relaxed. As I mentioned in my last blog, Yoga Quarter is an independent yoga studio based in east and south Belfast. I definitely recommend this experience as the staff are very passionate about what they teach. One of their goals is to build a community in each local area. For instance, the studios have 42 yoga classes a week for all levels, with some categories being family, pregnancy, and mum and baby yoga.

3. Forestside Cookery School

A good night out with some friends or a different type of date night is Forestside Cookery School, based just on the outskirts of Belfast City Centre. By following a recipe and with guidance from one of the school’s experienced tutors, you are able to create a delicious dish. They offer a variety of classes for different cuisines and different levels of skills including Irish breads, Asian street foods, and Italian dinners and they also provide various master classes. The founder of the cookery school is a successful Northern Irish chef originally from North Down who opened the school in 2016.