Coppi

Offering something new in a diverse city like Belfast is no mean feat, and yet Tony and Andrea O'Neill have done it with their contemporary Italian restaurant, Coppi.

Wedded together with a sincere love for all things scrummy and Mediterranean (and other more profound things we're sure), Tony and Andrea make a formidable husband-and-wife team. Located in Cathedral Quarter, this restaurant enjoys a gothic and grungy ambience. Step inside their heavy, wooden doors and you're greeted by a sultry interior, lined with tiles inspired by New York's subway stations and decked out with atmospheric lighting that makes for a truly unique vibe you won't find elsewhere.

The most exciting thing on the menu has to be the cichetti (Venetian-style tapas) that are traditionally served as savoury snacks in the Bacari Bars in Venice. Small in size but mighty in flavour, kickstart your evening with some feta fritters, spiced pork sausage, mushrooms stuffed with rich blue cheese and walnuts or an aubergine parmigiana arancini. All you need now is a stellar glass of wine... the best part is that it's only going to get better!

Whisk your dining partner away to whimsical Venice with an authentic taste of Italy. Their pizzetta menu is fresh and innovative with toppings like roast fig and red onion as well as duck with green peppercorn and truffle honey – decadence in pizza form! And you can expect prime cuts of meat for their Irish lamb rump, chargrilled sirloin and market fish that comes with a rich cacciucco rago and mussels.

With all pasta made fresh on the premises daily, you really shouldn’t miss their infamous duck ragu served with porcini mushroom ravioli, red wine, truffle and Parmesan. Vegans are also very well catered for with innovative dishes such as the Tuscan spiced cauliflower, tomato, olive, basil sauce and lemon crushed potatoes. This is Italian food at its best; Venice here we come!