Food Review: 4th Wall

It's an appropriate name, what with the Mac just across the way and the sense of theatre that pervades any restaurant - any sociologist could tell you about Erving Goffman's theory of Dramaturgy, where there's a very clear parallel with the theatre and the dining room, which both come complete with actors, audience and a backstage area. First impressions are good - there's an appealing patio area on offer, slap bang in the middle of St Anne's Square. We take our seats and prepare for the first act.

There's a tempting offer on cocktails, two for a tenner mid week, but we bypass the list and choose a couple of cool Peroni, the crisp Italian draft doing the business on a roasting hot day, though there are other local beers on offer by the bottle, as well as a sensibly priced wine-list. Service is friendly without being obtrusive and we're offered the pre-Theatre menu despite being a few minutes past the cut off point.

The ala carte has some substantial staples on offer, with the lamb and the pork belly both tempting, but with a set menu that includes some of our favourites, it would be churlish to ignore it.

The opening act features a crab salad on sourdough bread and a soy chicken dish, both fulfilling our need for something light and easy going. The bread served is fresh and the crab dressed minimally, pushing this sweet, underrated meat to the fore, while the soy chicken is saved from being overpowered by something sweet and tart running through the accompaniment. Both portions are pretty hefty.

It's a theme that runs through the menu, with the second act seabass running to two fillets of crispy-skinned fish on a bed of baby potatoes - the spuds boiled to perfection, and lifted by a prawn sauce where you can practically taste the sea. This isn't a fussy bit of cooking, but it's well executed.

We wouldn't normally go veggie on a night out, but the gnocchi appeals to a carb-craving and we're very glad we went off-piste. Again the portion is large, but not intimidatingly so - a solitary dumpling escaping our attention, mopping up a truffle sauce which isn't overpowered by pungent oil.

We're beat when it comes to dessert, but a couple of expertly executed coffees act as a curtain call for a very pleasant evening. The 4th Wall is well worth securing a seat for.

Shane Horan

4th Wall can be found at St Anne's Square, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast. It's menu and contact details can be found at 4thwallbelfast.com and keep up to date at Fb/4thwallbelfast and T@4thWall_Belfast.