New Menu Launch - Summer/Autumn 2013

Lighter, fresher and filled with seasonal favourites!

Filini Restaurant Belfast launches it's new Summer/Autumn menu this month, introducing a lighter and more seasonal menu to suit the coming summer months. Executive chef Nigel Mannion has worked carefully with his team to create a fresh and locally sourced menu to cater for all occasions, whatever your mood. Filini aims to indulge your desires whether it be for melt in the mouth authentic Italian pizza, crispy pan-fried sea bass or savoury risottos, to name but a few.

Seasonal items such as asparagus, fgs and fennel feature, alongside locally sourced squid, cuttlefsh and lamb rump; not forgetting regular favourites such as the succulent beef fillet.

Be Healthy

It's summer – that time of year when healthy eating comes to the forefront of many minds. Whether you're getting ready for a holiday or becoming more ft in general, Filini offers a range of healthy options to keep you on track and not ruin your good work.

Char-grilled asparagus with poached egg & Pantelleria capers will give you that energy boost you need, or try the tasty wholemeal spaghetti with tomatoes and ricotta cheese for a low fat, fbrous and flling meal.

Treat Yourself

Belfast weather can be erratic at best and sometimes we still need to satisfy ourselves with favourful dishes to warm those cooler summer evenings. Filini still features a wide range of authentic Italian pizzas, such as the Quattro Formaggi pizza, with it's four authentic Italian cheese toppings and the special Filini pizza, with tomato, mozzarella, pecorino, prosciutto and rocket.

New savoury additions include Veal Saltimbocca, veal topped with prosciutto and sage, and grilled fsh with 'Caponata,' an Italian-style ratatouille, but with capers and olives in place of tomato.

Al Fresco Dining

All sunny afternoons and evenings will now feature a special Al Fresco dining area on the Filini terrace, overlooking the tranquil waters of The Gasworks green space.This type of dining is ideal for warm summer nights with a chilled bottle of Pinot and fresh antipasti.

Filini Italian Cocktail Launch

Filini have launched a range of refreshing Italian cocktails made with traditional Italian spirits and liqueurs in order to further enhance your Italian experience.

New Wine List

Filini has worked hard to update their wine list to perfectly compliment the fresh new offerings with modern Italian favourites including Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Valpolicella wines.

May Bank Holiday and Beyond - KIDS EAT FREE

Filini Restaurant/ Gasworks Bar & Cafe - firm favourites for family dining!

This May Bank Holiday and beyond, take time with the family to enjoy an exclusive offer where kids aged 12 and under eat free when accompanied by a paying adult.

There is no need to worry about city centre parking when the Radisson Blu Belfast offers complimentary car parking to all customers dining in our Filini Restaurant/ Gasworks Bar & Cafe.

Visit Radisson Blu Belfast to enjoy lunch or dinner, where welcoming staff and a unique “Yes I Can!” spirit of service will ensure a Bank Holiday treat at the hotel’s renowned restaurant, Filini Restaurant.

With a variety of dishes on the menu, Filini Restaurant/ Gasworks Bar

& Cafe can cater to any taste. 

Dishes include everything from Beef fillet with roasted potatoes, bacon and sliced parmesan cheese to Margherita pizza. Also on offer for the kiddies are various pastas with a variety of sumptuous sauces, mini roast dinners, fish fingers & chips etc. To book and for information on booking terms and conditions, call +44 (0)28 9043 4065 or email f.b.belfast@radissonblu.com.

Jan Hanak, General Manager at Radisson Blu Belfast, said: “We are aiming to take the strain this second May Bank Holiday weekend, freeing busy parents from kitchen duties and enabling them to spend more time with the kids. The kids eat free offer should also take some strain off the purse strings.

Whether it’s a quick lunch as part of a busy day visiting friends or family, or a long dinner to celebrate an extra day off work, it’s a chance for families to take time out and let someone else do the washing up.”

Radisson Blu Belfast is situated at: 3 Cromac Place in the Gasworks Business Park at the bottom of the Ormeau Road in Belfast.

Filini Cook-Off Milan 2013: Interview with Marcin

Filini is all about taste and flavour. Much time and effort is put in to gathering the very best ingredients from Italy and its many regions. However, sourcing these ingredients is only the beginning of the process. Filini chefs aim to create authentic Italian recipes using classic techniques to provide their customers with a true taste of Italy. Filini chefs are trained in the art of Italian cooking from expert Italian chefs so they can deliver the perfect Italian experience.

To further enrich the performance of their chefs, Filini hosts the annual Chef Cook-Off in one of their Italian Radisson Blu hotels. This year the event was held in Radisson Blu, Milan. Chef Marcin Zajak was delighted to be selected to represent Filini Belfast amongst the array of culinary talent. Over 3 days in April, Marcin and the international team of chefs worked together in the kitchen, learning new, and perfecting old, culinary techniques.

Filini chef Marcin Zajac attended the Filini Cook-Off 2013

Filini staff member Claire interviewed Marcin to see what he got up to when he was there.

CLAIRE: Hi Marcin, so when did you get back from Milan?

MARCIN: I got back a couple of weeks ago (end of April). I was there for 3 days.

C: Did you have a nice holiday?

M: [Laughs] This was not a holiday! We were kept busy the entire time, with team briefings, cooking, and teaching, led by Rezidor executive chefs Urban Denk and Richard Williamson. Although in saying that, the weather was beautiful! 25 degrees and blue skies..

C: Were you thrown straight into the kitchen on arrival?

M: No. When we arrived we all met for dinner that evening to be briefed by Urban and Richard. There was about 15 chefs in total, flown in from all over Europe and Asia. We had a great meal together - delicious fredo misto and seafood risotto, washed down with their Barolo wine. (Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape and is often described as one of Italy's greatest wines.)

C: So when did you get cooking?

M: On the second day we all met for breakfast around 8am then headed to the Filini kitchen in the hotel. Because there were so many of us, and the kitchen still had to function as normal, we were separated into groups and each group took a turn in the kitchen.

C: What did your team cook?

M: Our team cooked a number of dishes. My favourite was a Bucatini dish with sardines, pine nuts, fennel, saffron and raisins. Every team member cooked each dish under the supervision of Urban, Richard or Filini Milan’s chef Dario. While in the kitchen we tried a range of Italian staples, such as authentic Italian olive oils and olives. In Italy they use a range of olive oils depending on the dish they are cooking. There are lots of different types and taste of olive oils, and it can make a big difference to the outcome of the dish you are preparing. They can be fruity, having spicy flavours, a characteristic of fresh ripe or green olives. Then more bitter, creating a pleasant acidic taste and lastly there are quite pungent varieties, which can create a peppery taste in the mouth and throat. The taste will differ depending on the number of presses the olives receive and their ripeness. A light extra virgin olive oil is used for salads, while a completely different, heavier and richer olive oil is used for cooking things like meat and fish. Olive oil is produced by grinding olives and extracting the oil. Green olives usually produce more bitter oil. The fresh olives in Italy were fantastic!

C: Is there a difference between the fresh olives in Italy and the olives we get here in Belfast?

M: They were extremely fresh - as if they’d just been picked from the tree. People think generally think there are two types of olive – green and black but there is only one type of olive. All olives begin green. Black olives are a dark colour because they have been left in the sun 7 days longer where they change colour from green to black.

C: So overall, what did you take away from the trip?

M: I learnt lots of new techniques, and perfected old ones. I got some great new focaccia recipes, and learned how to elevate even the most simple dishes.

C: Great! We look forward to tasting to some of the new dishes!

International Filini chefs at Radisson Blu Milan, Italy for the Filini Cook-Off 2013

Since returning to Filini Marcin's Milan experience has already sparked some new experimental recipes, including ricotta, spinach and red onion focaccia and cherry tomato, mushroom and thyme focaccia. 

What a Difference a Month Makes

Over the last few years we've definitely noticed a change in Northern Ireland weather. No longer can we define the seasons as spring, summer, autumn and winter. Instead the weather is erratic and unpredictable. 

Here's proof of how the weather is changing all the time in Belfast. Look at the comparison between a photo taken of outside Filini in March and then another taken a couple of days ago in April. 

Hopefully the lovely weather will stay with us for a while and us Northern Ireland folk can enjoy some much needed vitamin D :)

We love taking photographs of our own food!

In the age of social media and smartphones, a lot of us have jumped on the bandwagon of photographing pretty much anything we get up to when we step outside our front door... but one of the most popular trends has to be when we are out for a nice meal and we can't resist the urge of taking a sneaky (or not so sneaky) picture of the delicious plate in front of us. Check out our blog post of some foodies caught in the act! 

Marcin at work

We Love Birthdays.

We advise anyone who is out for their birthday to always let your server know! You never know what might pop over when you least expect it!

Happy Birthday to two special customers tonight, we hope you had a great night!