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.

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. 

Pizza Making at Filini

Check out all the info here!

Dish of the Day - Filini Pizza

‘Filini’ Pizza

Tomato, mozzarella, pecorino, prosciutto & rocket

Pomodoro, mozzarella, pecorino, prosciutto e rucola

Dish of the Day - Carpaccio

Carpaccio of beef with rocket salad & shaved parmesan cheese

Carpaccio di manvo con rucola e parmigiano a scaglie

Our specialised Italian meats are all imported from Italy. 

Carbonara - the Italian way

Cream? Pfft. Chicken? Fuggedaboutit!

Here at Filini we make real Italian Carbonara, using spaghetti, pancetta, egg yolks, parmigiana, olive oil and pepper. 

Fun Fact: The name is (thought to be) derived from carbonaro (the Italian word for charcoal burner), as some believe the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers.

Filini Pasta Carbonara

Pasta alla carbonara

Dish of the Day - Seafood Stew

Tuscan seafood stew with saffron, fennel & garlic bread

Stufato toscano di pesce con zafferano, finocchio e pane all’ aglio

Dish of the Day - Something Sweet

Filini Tiramisu