How long does it take before you can describe something as "retro"? Definitely anywhere in Belfast that serves salt and chilli squid and slow roast belly of pork - two foods that have dominated the Belfast scene for the last decade - is in danger of this description.
And Hill Street Brasserie somehow has a turn of the century retro feel to both the design (black floppy rubber place mats - SO eighties - brown leather banquettes, black lacquer tables, and the food - goat's cheese bruschetta, bread, oil and tapenade, lime creme fraiche with grilled salmon. Of course, there's the open kitchen, the Chilean sauvignon blanc, the jazz compilation CD that plays John Coltrane one minute, Keith Jarrett the next. The thing about retro though, is it becomes retro because it's classic, and even though it may not be original, Hill Street Brasserie certainly knows how to interpret the zeitgeist. This is a good space with zappy tasty foods.
