In a review of Deanes Meat Locker, he tipped the hat to Michael Deane who next Friday will see the last service at Deanes Eipic.
Writing for The Guardian, Rayner said: “The grand, crisp-tableclothed restaurant that he opened in 1997 and which has held one of Belfast’s few Michelin stars for much of the intervening 25 years, and never had an apostrophe.
“Deane recognises increased cost sensitivity “which is out of kilter with our fine dining offering at Eipic”.
“He has acknowledged the scourge of Brexit and the pestilence of Covid. People want something else, and he’s ready to give it to them.”
Rayner said Belfast city’s menus come embossed with lyric poems about the quality of the ingredients available on the island of Ireland, and rightly so.
“The rain falls. The pasture is lush. They have the good stuff. Don’t muck about with it,” the award winning writer added.
As the name suggests, steaks are the star of the show. The critic said: “The body of the menu will not surprise anyone. That’s the point of a place like this: to not be surprising.
“There’s a list of steaks to be cooked on the clanking Argentine asador grill, on display behind the huge plateglass window at the back. Here are T-bones and chateaubriands for sharing. Here are sauces and here are chips.
“Is it strong on vegetarian and vegan options? Is Boris Johnson honest and trustworthy? It’s called the Meat Locker. The clue is in the name.”
Heaping praise on the restaurant, Rayner said: “Michael Deane has long been a standard bearer for the shiniest of high-end cookery in Belfast, particularly fêted for his skills as a mentor to ambitious young chefs.”
He spoke of meeting Rayner at dinner’s end: “I find him at a back table chatting to a regular. Closing Eipic had to be done, he tells me.
“The restaurant I’ve just eaten in will expand into the rest of the space. There will be a few changes to the menu, but what I’ve just had is roughly the way forward.”
Rayner concluded: “If we’re moving away from formality and have-what-your-given tasting menus and towards nights like the one I had at Deanes Meat Locker, we’re in a pretty good place.”
Respected food critic Jay Rayner
James Parker is a UK-based entertainment aficionado who delves into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. From Hollywood to the West End, he offers readers an insider’s perspective on the world of movies, music, and pop culture.
