I visited the restaurant La Boca in central Belfast yesterday and was extremely impressed. The airy, brightly-coloured casual restaurant had a small menu but excellent food and at a splendid price. Maybe I've been in Dublin too long but I was astounded by the price: £10 for a starter and main course. However, what most struck me was their attention to the other aspects of a dining experience: the drinks.
Their beer selection reflected their menu: small and carefully chosen. Each beer on offer was distinctive: one local beer from Argentina, one from Belfast, a porter, a wheat beer, and a high quality German lager.
However, it was in their coffee that they really shone. Discerning coffee-lovers see the end of a meal with some trepidation: should they spoil a good dinner by bad coffee, or would they be better instead to go without coffee? In this case, I had some justification to trust them: the menu said that the filter blend was 50:50 Kenyan and Guatamalan (and was delicious), and the espresso was a blend of five South American beans: again, splendid. This place serves coffee better than 95% of the coffee shops I've tried.
If ever you're in Belfast, please do pay them a visit: the pavement outside the shop is currently under construction so they need all the continued business they can get.