Jean-Christophe Novelli excited by Belfast debut

Jean-Christophe Novelli excited by Belfast debut

Jean-Christophe Novelli (56), the world-renowned French chef who will open his only Irish restaurant at the City Quays hotel in Belfast next year, has told LCN that he sees the launch as an opportunity to “raise the bar” for restaurant provision in the city.

Novelli was here recently for a showcase launch event at the Harbour Commissioner’s Office in Belfast, just a short distance from the City Quays construction site.

The four-star AC Hotel by Marriott Belfast is the city’s newest waterfront hotel development and will feature Novelli’s 104-seat restaurant – known as ‘Jean-Christophe Novelli at City Quays’ – as well as a lounge, bar, gym, meeting rooms and 190 bedrooms.

Speaking to LCN during his recent visit to Northern Ireland, Novelli, revealed that he had decided to open his only Irish restaurant in Belfast primarily because of the region’s burgeoning reputation as a visitor destination:

“Also, of course, you have great produce here, you have lots of chefs who are busy making names for themselves and so this is the perfect place for us to come at this time.”

Featuring a double-height glazed façade with waterfront views across Belfast Lough, the new restaurant at City Quays will offer a brasserie menu with Novelli’s trademark French flair.

Novelli is a five out of five AA Rosette and multi-Michelin Star award-winning chef who has worked in a succession of leading restaurants since he re-located to the UK in 1983. He makes regular appearances on television and last year, the Novelli Restaurant Ltd. brand was launched, aimed mainly at high-end hotels.

The Novelli Academy, which opened in Hertfordshire in 2005, promotes healthy cooking by replacing salt and sugar with unique flavours and reducing the amount of saturated fat.

Novelli himself has visited Northern Ireland four or five times in the last 22 years, and although he admitted that he hadn’t eaten out very often during those trips, he said that the experience was “definitely on the wish list now”.

“We have a lot to offer Belfast and I’m very excited about investing time and experience into this project,” he added. “I know it’s going to be successful and there’s a lot of interest in it.”

Novelli is a former European Chef of the Year finalist representing Great Britain. He is a recipient of the prestigious Egon Ronay Dessert of the Year award and he was voted Chef’s Chef of the Year by his peers. His Novelli Academy has been voted one of the top 25 cooking academies in the world and he still performs his own demonstrations there.

When the City Quay’s restaurant opens next March, said Novelli, it will reflect his passion for the Mediterranean style of cooking:

“The place hasn’t been finished yet, but the restaurant will be on the third floor, it’s going to look fantastic,” said the chef. “When I first visited the site, there was nothing there, but now you are able to get a sense of what the place will look like, what the capacity of it is going to be and what will be on offer.

“It’s going to look unique, it’s going to have lots of natural light and I think people are going to be very drawn to it. I am working through the process now, I’m working on the recipes and what I really want to do is give this my best shot the first time around and then move on from that.”

Novelli revealed that he will be back in Northern Ireland in June this year when he will be meeting with local producers and beginning to establish supply lines for the new venue

“I’m going to be working with a brand new team in the front and back of house and that’s very exciting,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to a great exchange of ideas, it’s a wonderful opportunity for us to put our stamp on something in this area. I’m French of course, but I feel very fortunate to be involved in this project and very excited about what is ahead.”

City Quays will be a mixed-use project that will also provide grade A office space, retail, cafes and new residential accommodation in a key, city centre waterfront location.