Oregano Restaurant - Ballyrobert

It's well worth the drive northwards out of Belfast to find this house in the country, which makes a calm, relaxed setting for a meal away from the bustle of the city. As you might expect, Oregano has its own luxuriant herb garden, and the interior looks neat, smart and contemporary with its red and white walls, vibrant modern paintings and white upholstered chairs around bare tables.

The kitchen uses pickings from the garden for ambitious modern food along the lines of poached fillet of Glenarm organic salmon stuffed with herbs on a linguine of vegetables, basil pesto and crème fraîche or char-grilled haunch of Finnebrogue venison with thyme-roasted potatoes, slow-cooked red cabbage and juniper jus. You could start with seared scallops and beetroot purée and conclude with – perhaps – coffee and cardamom brûlée or tarte Tatin with toffee ice cream.