Stranmillis village in south Belfast has welcomed a new restaurant to the neighbourhood, El Chapo, by the team behind the successfully popular Boston Grill in Lisburn.
El Chapo has taken over a prime ground floor location transforming what was the Birdcage eatery into a new restaurant specialising in tequila, tapas and tacos bringing 10 jobs to the area.
The restaurant interior décor comprises striking bright neon signage alongside vibrant street art in a dimly lit cave like setting serving firm favourites of tacos, quesadillas, chimichanga and burritos alongside pan fried scallops, stuffed jalapeno poppers and chipotle pulled pork.
BBC Good Food magazine recently reported Mexican food was voted the most popular cuisine among their readers and with more Mexican cantinas popping up across the province consumers are now au fait with understanding and appreciation of Mexican dishes and ingredients.
Proprietor Robert McGregor said, “When I first got the keys of the restaurant, I really stripped it back and started designing the colour scheme building it up from scratch.
“I had been looking for another restaurant location, a year after we opened our first restaurant, Boston Grill in Lisburn. We had considered opening a second Boston Grill, but being a big fan of South America and Mexico we thought this style of restaurant would bring something different to the current offering in the Stranmillis area.
“Alongside our executive head chef Andrew Logan and head chef Phil Clasper we’ve really enjoyed putting together the El Chapo menu which will change seasonally. Tequila is rising in popularity as consumers move away from shots and look to drinking tequila in premium serves with mixers and in cocktails and we’ve sourced some really special tequilas for our drinks list. The restaurant has a lively vibe that will appeal to students, young professionals, families and theatre goers to the nearby Lyric”.
Associate Director at GVA NI, Liam McAuley, who negotiated the letting commented, “It’s great to see such an exciting new restaurant open in the vibrant Stranmillis area creating new jobs and providing investment in a sector of the market which continues to go from strength to strength”.
EL Chapo is now open and serving throughout the day from lunchtime into the evening seven days a week at 92 Stranmillis Road, Belfast. www.elchapobelfast.com
Related: Best Food & Drink in Belfast: Restaurants, Cafés and Pubs Worth the Trip
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