We went with a tour group for a farewell dinner. All of us really liked our food and it was delicious. The fried cheese thing was good. The chicken was tender and juicy. The cider was gross. It tasted like dirty mop water. Several of us noticed that. The service was great! We were with a large group and they served us all quickly and efficiently. read more

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I throughly enjoyed my meal here. The jerk vegan burger had just the right amount of spice and was so flavorful. I went with my whole family as a wedding celebration and the wait time was very minimal. The servers were helpful with menu questions and very attentive to dietary needs and restrictions. I would eat that burger weekly if I was near this restaurant! read more

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After the Giant Causeway today in wet and chilly weather, tour bus dropped off in front of the Europa hotel. Acton was just around the corner. Ran in soaking wet and was seated right away. Might be one of the lady owners explained today's early bird menu and we opted for the two course option with the special 3 starters. She explains that would be plenty of food for two but we wanted to try more of Belfast food. The starters were nachos with all the fixings. crispy calamari and bbq baby ribs. Wife had the potato noodle soup and the cod, and I had the soup and sirloin as our two course dinner. Starers were size of main and the mains were huge portions. Needless to say, the lady owner was right on as we were not able to finish all our food even though they were all delicious. Now, I have changed my perception of Irish cuisines. read more

Acton & Sons - Three staters special: Nachos, bbq rib's & calamari - British Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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Great service and ambience. They got this party of one a table rather quickly on a EUROs match day Friday night. The appetizer and dessert were top notch and not to be missed! the beef it was cooked, but slow cooked to fully render, I'm not so sure. The place has a great beer and whiskey selection and a wide options menu, so I'll defo eat here again! read more

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Every single item drank and eaten was delicious. It was our favorite dinner of our 2 week trip. We had a vegan and meat option, both were excellent. read more

This was recommended to us by a friend. Nice place, food was enjoyable but not memorable.Staff were kind but we were never sure who our server was and had to chase them down when we needed something. All in -decent meal but not one I would go back to. read more

Quite possibly my favorite Belfast dining experience. Our server was wonderful and helpful when we weren't sure what we wanted to eat or drink. The food was outstanding and their selection of starters (and really their entire menu) is fabulous. I particularly enjoyed the fried halloumi with honey and my teriyaki salmon was cooked perfectly with pak choi basmati rice underneath it. They also make their own honeycomb gin (?!) and serve it with a piece of honeycomb and I was in heaven. Perhaps the best part of the experience was the chef (or a cook?) came out to ask us how everything was. That hardly ever happens at restaurants and when it does, you can rest assured that they truly value quality and keeping that quality as high as it can be. Thank you so much, Acton & Sons, for giving us and our mothers a wonderful dinner experience! read more

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Fantastic service, excellent food. Truly enjoyed our visit, our 2 kids enjoyed it as well! Sticky toffee pudding for the win!!

Five plus stars for this place: let me tell you why! Reservations online were so easy to make. We were greeted with warmth coming in the door. The service is really exceptional with friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff making sure your desires and needs are met.... And I have not even addressed the food!!! So let me tell you that they have an extensive gluten free menu clearly indicates on the menu itself and if you tell the waitstaff about gluten issues they will point you to additional gluten free options that are not listed on the menu. If you have been missing gluten free fish and chips and these are better than anyplace I have ever had them ! try it ! also have a gluten free bread basket and don't miss the cheesy garlic bread. There is warm ambiance and everything else you might want here so give it a shot! read more

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The best food we have had in Ireland!! 7 people (including 2 children) all happy and full with food ratings of 9/10 or higher!!! Soooooo amazing! read more

Excellent meal! The menu was diverse and this was one of few places I've found in Ireland offering dairy alternatives. I had fish cakes and a flat iron steak. Each were perfectly prepared. I cut my steak with my fork. And for some reason, the restaurant was empty and quiet. The server was amicable and made good suggestions; the service was quick and attentive. This was an unexpected gem in our trip to Belfast. read more

Loved this restaurant. They had many gluten free options. It was our first real meal after traveling. They had gluten free garlic cheese bread for a starter that was amazing. Whole meall was wonderful and staff was very attentive. Great service! Highly recommend this restaurant . read more

There's a phrase 'Mother knows best' and weirdly, a week before Mothers Day, this proverb has been proven true! Whilst searching for a new restaurant to visit for a family outing, my Mum suggested Acton & Sons (a Skandia restaurant, which was previously called Olio) as she'd heard they offer great Vegetarian options. My very good friend Nicola S also told me that her Mum loves Acton & Sons and has frequented it for years with her friends. Well, all Mums should be Yelpers because they definitely discover THE BEST places to eat! Acton & Sons was FANTASTIC. I visited it last night with my Mum, brother and sister and everyone agreed it was the best meal we've had in ages. On arrival the restaurant was packed, buzzing, noisy and vibrant. I would recommend booking a table over the weekend to make sure you're not disappointed. Decor is relaxed consisting of wooden tables, framed posters on the walls, candles in wine and gin bottles on the tables and a large dark wood bar. Staff were delightful and the dedicated Vegetarian and Vegan menu was extensive, well thought out and impressive. Not a boring pasta or risotto in sight! We ordered starters of hot halloumi in honey, warm spiced cauliflower lentil and hazelnut salad and two hummus and flatbreads. Such fresh, tasty and well balanced flavours, so we shared them all so we could taste everything! My main was the twice baked spinach soufflé with scallion cream and greens which was beautiful. My sister Caroline S went for Cajun spiced aubergines with courgette-pepper rice and tomato salsa which was spiced hot and perfectly to her liking. I sampled this dish also and it was absolutely delicious. My mum had a hot and spicy chicken Greek salad with flatbreads whilst my brother enjoyed a sirloin steak. We all LOVED the food and agree we've found our new favourite Belfast restaurant. Determined not to leave until Acton & Sons literally closed for the night we sat on at our table and shared a couple of desserts, a fudge galore and a mango pavlova. Two bottles of Pinot Grigio and a Malbec later we eventually headed home and hadn't even made it to the pub for an after dinner drink as we had initially planned. Instead, we just didn't want to leave the great food, good wine and chilled atmosphere of Acton & Sons. Our bill wasn't too bad either! I would highly recommend this restaurant for an evening out and it will suit couples, groups or large parties. Plus with Acton & Sons wide range of menus there'll be dishes to suit all tastes. I loved it and cannot wait to return. read more

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Having read such glowing reviews of Acton & Sons I was really excited to pay my first visit but i was left with mixed feelings about it! Firstly, the location is amazing, as central as you can get in Belfast without standing out too much. The decor and atmosphere was great. The walls are adorned with original art, there's a cool minimalist feel to all the branding and the dining area is bathed in sunlight. Yesterday I arrived a little later than my friend, it was around 12:30 and the restaurant had a great lunchtime buzz. When I walked through the door I was immediately approached by a member of staff and shown to our table - I liked this as if you haven't been somewhere before it's nice to be greeted. The food menu is extensive, so extensive that I don't think I had a chance to browse the whole thing by the time we were asked for our order. I went with a bacon, mushroom and onion omelette and like I said I was excited to try the food after reading such great things. I also ordered an Americanno which came to the table after the food - not by my request. The food came in around 10 minutes and was served up on bone china plates, a nice touch I thought. Although the presentation of the omelette didn't match the grandeur of the plates. It looked like something I had thrown together in the kitchen, I know it's tough to make beat up eggs look pretty but a little bit of garnish wouldn't hurt. I thought it must taste better than it looks but it didn't, there wasn't much flavour and overall it was pretty bland. The frites it came with were great - the nicest part of the lunch. The omelette cost £6.50 which at first I thought was reasonable but after tasting it I realised it was steep. On a side note the coffee was lovely, perfectly bitter with a real sharp kick - just the way I like it! I really wanted to love Acton & Sons, I really did, but after my first food experience I was left disappointed - I'll definitely be giving their evening menu a try in the future! read more

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I met my friend here for lunch last week. I arrived first and was promptly seated by the attentive waiter. This gave me a chance to take in my surroundings. The decor was nice, elegant without being flashy. Everything looks as if it's been finished to a high standard. Once my friend arrived we ordered, both going for the Bacon and Mushroom Omelette. The Omelette came out really quickly - it was just ok. It's only saving grace being the frites it was served with - I wouldn't have minded just a plate of them. The menu had a lot of choice and I noticed a few promotions on during the week. The place was packed for a Wednesday lunchtime, so I'd recommend booking if you are with a larger group. I think it deserves four stars! read more

Acton & Sons - Complimentary table water - British Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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We never actually planned to go here. We had wanted to go somewhere else for dinner, however when we arrived, it was absolutely packed and we'd not booked, so we decided to come here as it was nearby. We came inside and were greeted immediately, we were shown to a table straight away, it wasn't packed like the last place, but had enough people to have a good buzz about it. I was really pleased with the menu - It took me forever to decide what I wanted as loads of options on there sounded great. In the end I decided to go for the fried halloumi with honey starter, with a chicken schnitzel and orzo carbonara main. The food didn't disappoint, it was beautiful! My two friends, one of whom was vegetarian (they have separate vegetarian and vegan menus) both loved their food too. I had alcohol with my food but even with that the price was reasonable. I would definitely come back here! The only reason I've not given them five stars is because it was a bit hard to attract attention of staff when we needed anything eg extra drinks. read more

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Update: This venue are pretty awful with most meat dishes! I've been a few times as my friend is vegan, they have several vegan options which she finds nice. Ive had lamb, duck and beef and all have been absolutely crap. My vegan friend order vegan icecream and they gave her diary! She only realised after eating part of it and knowing the difference! We got the same waitress again and frankly, she could not be less interested in her job. Pretty sure she was responsible for Icecream mixup. read more

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This review is for their dinner and breakfast. I would rate their service at 5 stars, their dinner at 3.5, and their breakfast at 2. We had a two course meal while on an expat tour. It was one of the better included meals of the trip. I started with the caesar salad with anchovies. Not the best but it passed for good. I tried the fried breaded mushrooms which were pretty good as well. For the main course I had the sea bass. It was thinly sliced so it was a bit overcooked and it sat atop mashed potatoes and on the side brocollini. I love brocollini but these were just steamed or boiled devoid of any flavor. The mashed potatoes tasted great especially with my husband's steak sauce that came with his medium rare steak. His steak was also very thinly sliced and a bit chewy. But the sauce was very good and their fries were thinly cut the way we like it back home. I got a Guinness which came from a can but was very good as it is in all of Ireland, and hubby got FARMAGGEDON IPA which was very reminiscent to west coast IPAs that we know and love. Overall, a pleasant dinner experience and like I said one of the best included dinners of our trip. The breakfast, however, was very poor in the selection. It only included bread, cereal, fruit, and yogurt. Maybe we were just spoiled having all these options plus a traditional Irish breakfast every morning which included eggs, sausage, bacon (more like ham, as we know it), and tomato and baked beans on the side. It was pretty bland. All in all, though, the service was fantastic and we were very pleased with how friendly and accommodating the workers were. read more

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Great food and incredibly accommodating for gluten-free and dairy-free customers, highly recommended!

I came to Acton & Sons on a Friday night with four coworkers. I'm not a vegetarian, but coming from the hippie land that is California it was nostalgic to see Acton & Sons offer some vegetarian and vegan options. Strangely, even some wines are labeled as "vegan" which leads me to question how and with what ingredients the non-vegan wines are made...? Anyways, I had one of the daily specials for my entree, which featured smoked haddock, champ cakes, and a poached egg in a mustard sauce. The sauce was primarily savory, really only mustard-y if I bit into the seeds. The portions are substantial, and despite being veritably stuffed after assorted bread basket appetizers and polishing off every last crumb of my entree, we succumbed to the dessert menu. No regrets--the sticky toffee pudding was magical, as the hot and steaming pudding merged with the cold vanilla ice cream to form a scrumptious puddle of sugar on the plate. The one slight con is that it was quite warm in the restaurant. We had to discard all layers, plus the stylish bare bulbs hovering right above our heads added to the heat. But all in all, I look back on Acton & Sons very fondly! A relatively fancy dining experience including appetizer, dinner, and dessert with Acton & Sons' professional and chipper staff for about £20 total is worthwhile. read more

Acton & Sons - Special of the day: Smoked haddock, poached egg, and champ cake - British Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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We loved this place! We had a prawn salad and Caesar salad and my husband got the fish and I got the burger and the burger was the best! The waiters and waitresses were really friendly and helpful and the decor and ambiance was great. I definitely recommend a visit here! read more

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Needed some inspiration for saturday lunch and found Acton and sons through the reviews on yelp. We were greeted promptly and shown to our table. They had some lovely gin offerings but as I had to go to work after I just went for a sparkling water. I went for the Seaboard which included a prawn cocktail, sweet cured herring, whitebait, mackerel pate and wheaten bread. I also ordered a portion of vegetables. I was too hungry to take a picture! My other half went for a special that day of a pork burger served with salsa, salad and skinny fries. He absolutley loved it and said it was the best burger he had in a while. For dessert we had the Portuguese custard tart and tea/coffee. I would love one of those right now..soooo good! The staff were friendly and the restaurant itself is bright and airy. Love the blackboard drinks menu behind the bar area. It really is a wee gem and in a great location in the centre centre with plenty to offer. I will be back to try the shortcross gin with red grapefruit and basil...I'm intrigued! read more

My wife and I had a delightful dinner here on our first night in Belfast. The drink menu was superb, with both cocktails (specializing in many types of gin, including one garnished with strawberry & black pepper yum!) and wines. There are several menus, ranging from vegetarian to dinner. We enjoyed one item off each of each of the two menus. My wife had the Twice Baked Spinach Soufflé while I enjoyed the Irish Ribeye. Our servers (using a team serving approach) were both friendly, warm, and engaging. An excellent place for a couple or group to enjoy a dinner evening. read more

It's my 100th review so I wanted to make it somewhere special, somewhere I had heard about from different people and somewhere that had a great reputation, so for this reason I decided in Acton & Sons as somewhere my mum goes to quite regularly to meet up with old work friends and somewhere my good friends Ciara & Caroline S raved about. Because of all of the above I suppose you can say my expectations were set quite high, and also because of this the only way to go was down. I arrived first awaiting my other 2 friends to arrive and was greeted warmly by a member of staff, it's worthwhile to note they do a separate vegetarian/vegan menu of you ask and it is also noted on the menu as well as gluten free adaptable options. So far so good, for us we ordered a bottle of the Pinot Grigio at £18 and I have to say was an extremely tasty wine bursting with flavour. Myself and one friend ordered chorizo and roast red pepper baked chicken and my vegetarian companion ordered the mushroom Wellington, the waiter kindly advised us that the Wellington would take up to 25mins to prepare of we were OK to wait, which for us was not a problem but for those in a rush could be, so was nice to be informed. After around 20mins the 2 chicken dishes arrived (without sides) and we waited in anticipation for the rest of the order to arrive. This unfortunately is where Acton and Sons lose a star from me as we waited and waited and waited for the sides and the vegetarian dish to arrive. Eventually after around 5 mins (which can feel like a lifetime when food is concerned) the vegetarian Wellington and sides arrived - by this time the chicken dish was 'warm' but not the piping hot dish I would of expected ( to be honest wasn't the hottest to begin with). It was I have to say though very good a succulent breast of chicken in a creamy chorizo sauce, it did become very heavy after a while of eating it but all the same a good choice. Other than the meals arriving slightly disjointed I can't fault the staff they were friendly helpful and informative, and it wouldn't put me off. My only disappointment was I wanted my 100th review to be 5 star and unfortunately bad timing let it down. read more

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Ate here last night for my cousins hen do. Lovely space with a nice atmosphere. Service was very good. Good variety of food and drink. I had the burger which was ok, a little dry, but I did have food envy of my sisters Maryland chicken. Creme brûlée to finish was yum! read more

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On our first evening in Belfast we stopped here for dinner. We had a lovely server who was quick to answer any questions and place our order. The food was good (fried halloumi, soup, etc). Thank you for the lovely experience. read more

The term 'hidden gem' is bandied about all too often I feel, but when it comes to Acton & Sons, it is very well deserved! A lovely little restaurant,out the back of Fibber Magees, formerly Olio, which is deceivingly spacious at the same time as being able to maintain an air of intimacy. I recently visited for dinner and drinks with friends and on a lunch date and found it perfect for both, very different occasions. As my lunch date was most recent, I shall base my review on it. Having arrived slightly later than the lunchtime rush, there was such a lovely relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant with little more than a handful of other diners scattered around and not all ushered to the one handy spot. Staff were very friendly and welcoming and displayed a great knowledge on the food and drinks. The lunch menu is served Mon-Sat from 11am - 4pm which is great if the normal 12-2 window doesn't suit you. The choice on the menu is huge, with all tastes and appetites catered for. They also offer separate vegan and vegetarian menus. The standard menu has everything from light bites and salads to omelettes and steaks. They also offer daily specials and great little offers throughout the week ranging from 2 for 1 on Mondays to 'Fizzy Fridays' - a bottle of prosecco with your choice of any three small plates for just £25! As I was feeling particularly peckish, I opted for the grilled, marinated chicken fillet 'burger'. My lunch date had roast fillet of seabass. When the food arrived I was slightly embarrassed as my dish dwarfed his! The 'burger' was indeed a succulent and juicy chicken breast, cooked to perfection and mouthwateringly good. It came with a bap, freshly prepared salad and a portion of gorgeous skin on fries which were the perfect mix of hot, crispy and just the right amount of salt. The smoky chutney accompaniment also hit the spot in terms of flavour. My dining partner cleaned his plate in no time and said his seabass and Portavogie prawns was one of the best dishes he'd tasted in a long time. Not being a Northern Ireland native, he was surprised that somewhere with food this good wasn't rammed to the rafters. Both being suitably filled, we decided to forgo dessert but having saw some dishes being delivered to neighbouring tables they did look temptingly good, definitely something to try upon our return. So overall, food was great, service was great, drinks were super and it was all really reasonably priced too. What's not to love?! Well worth trying out. read more

This was the first place we stopped for dinner in Belfast. The food was good, but not great. We ordered the mushrooms and soup as an appetizer. The mushrooms didn't have a lot of flavor, but the soup was good. For the main we had the lentil roast with vegan gravy and veggies. This dish was pretty good. Bread was dry and dessert (peanut butter ball) was not good at all. The ambiance is upbeat and it is big space, so might be good for large parties. read more

Acton & Sons serve great food and offer a variety of menus including pre-theatre and dedicated Vegetarian menus. I visited last night for a family meal and it was exceptional. Food, wine, service, prices and ambience was wonderful. In particular my main course of Cajun spiced aubergine with rice and salsa really impressed. It's so difficult to get really excellent, hot, well spiced food but this was perfect. Acton & Sons definitely deserve a 5 star rating. read more

I had a really delicious vegan roast dinner - the vegan gravy was historic! Great to be able to bring non vegan friends to a lovely atmosphere, great service and fantastic food. I am a regular at other vegan cafe style places in Belfast which do (arguably) better vegan food, but the service and ambiance here make it more suitable for a treat or special occasion. read more

Great restaurant with great service. Our group had people who wanted both lamb, vegetarian, and glutton free food and this place was a great crowd pleaser. Reasonable prices and plenty of options. Dedicated vegetarian menu and glutton free options noted on both menus. Everyone LOVED their meal. Full bar as well. They even stayed open a little late for us! Would totally return. read more

Dined here on Saturday night with our friends from Scotland what a nice meal we had . The service and staff where amazing. I had the chicken snitcell is was lovely. Will definitely be back again soon. read more

I visited when it had just changed hands and they were finding their feet. Service was good as was the good but my friends burger was very red. They replaced it and removed it from the bill which was very good of them. Good menu and nice place read more

This place really set the tone for dining experiences in Northern Ireland... My first meal in the country. Definitely impressed by the Chorizo Chicken. I don't even know what to call that flavor other than GOOD. Was not expecting to have food be this good and full of flavor, and chicken perfectly cooked. Plus, the service and atmosphere was really pleasant! I'll be back hopefully before I return to the states!! read more

This is a great wee place. I was there last night to celebrate my friends birthday. The staff were very accommodating to us and helpful. The food was lovely. I had the baked goats cheese salad to start which was lovely but a little too oily. Other than that, it was great. The ribeye was cooked to perfection and the frites were nice and crispy and went great with the pepper sauce. I also had onion rings as a side but I was a bit disappointed in these as you could squeeze the oil out of the tempura style batter which put me off and I only had 2 of them. The butterscotch Sunday was unreal! Perfect finish to a lovely meal :) read more

We tried some small plates from the nibbles and starter sections of the menu on a recent visit. Sadly the much-anticipated chicken liver paté wasn't available and the crab claws were somewhat disappointing. However, the service was prompt, friendly and attentive and the chicken wings were a surprising hit so worth trying again! read more

I loved this place the first time around, so much so I gathered a group of friends to go there the next month. The staff are very friendly and attentive, and there is a nice buzzing atmosphere in the restaurant. The main highlight though is the extensive vegan and vegetarian menu. This is very rare in Belfast, and only a handful of restaurants do this. My first experience in Acton and Sons was to die for. The evening meal, of soufflé was top notch, real quaility and it was great to have vegan wines and beers to wash it down. However my second experience wasnt that great. I went for a simple dish of Omlette and frites. The omeltte was like aeroplane food. Bland and rubbery. I am not 100% this was made fresh. It was grim. It's so bad I think they should take it of their menu, as it almost lost me as a customer! What a disappointment after the first time! However I have given Acton and Sons 4 stars as I was blowing away by my first experience. I will be back in the future, and hopefully my expectations will be met again! read more