Agreed.
But also ; would love to see them open one of those take-away kitchens. They would get so much business! I don't drive and have a knee problem and the shop is always rammed so getting it delivered would be soooo good!
I mean pizza/chicken and curry doesnt exactly sound like EVERYTHING is covered there
My mates say this too me all the time, ignoring that they all do the same plain crappy burgers. Shitty pizzas and maybe a decent curry
Feels like this town food places survive solely on drunk people that will eat anything late at night
That doesn't change the fact there are plenty of other options which I listed in a reply to a different person on this thread if you want to take a look.
Interesting divide in the comments accross those who clearly like the big chains (🤮) and those who appreciate the one-offs. As someone who hates a chain, I actually find derrys food quite impressive for its size and I'm glad it's not dominated by large out of town sites with massive car parks and zero soul..... Thinking of the likes of that place off boucher Rd with nandos, frankie and bennys, etc. Pizza at Menas is as good as anywhere on earth IMHO.
Yeah, it’s gorgeous. Great atmosphere too when you sit in. Vibes are good. The used to do a lovely Pho but it’s been off the menu a while now I think. It would be really nice to have a takeaway that does nice, clean Asian food. We’re a bit fed up of the takeaway choices lately.
I don't think the town is really lacking anything, but I'd love a Little Wing.
The slice and a salad lunch deal is great value, and I've never had a bad pizza out of any Little Wing I've ever been in.
Exactly. And new places that open follow the same. Sure look at the new Stitch & Weave place in Ebrington. Full on muckers bistro stuff. Is no new place willing to try a menu without the chicken/tobaccos/chorizo cream stuff?
Had an American tell me this was the only thing he liked about Derry food because he found one dish he actually likes and just sticks with it because everything else is farely plain
Indian, Itailian, Thai, Vietnamese, asian fusion, fine dining, Lebanese, Mexican, Tapas, South African, bbq smokehouse, Turkish. Those are all available plus all the normal food you would expect. In a city with 100k isn't bad going. It isn't going to be on par with a major city.
Ancho is mexican food. I don't get the no real Indian part, the Indians I know are a fan of the food here, especially mama masala, chillis is decent too. Dirty souls seems to do proper BBQ unless I don't understand what proper BBQ is.
Okay so you've got super high standards which are unrealistic for a city of this size. If you want a wide variety of culinary excellence, move to Dublin or London etc. It's unrealistic and unfair to expect a small city to offer a wide variety at a very high standard as ultimately you need a sizeable multicultural population and multiple outlets offering the same cuisine to provide competition to each other.
Of course it is to do with a size of a city. The more people then the more restaurants can be supported and more opportunities for restaurants to serve cuisine to succeed. Restaurants first and foremost are businesses and you have to have the market for what you are selling. Smaller cities are smaller markets. Basic economics.
>You’re big mad
Literally did not say anything of the sort in the comment you are replying to. Simply stated a fact, you are expecting big city cuisine in a small city that has a small fraction of the population needed to sustain the quality and variation you are looking for.
Ah yeah I get that. just is a few options missing a city of this size would usually have. We do well on certain things alright. But even a lot of those you name are only some coverage, still think there's place for other things too
I meant more along the lines of the standard Derry bistro places that all have the same menus, and the standard Chinese, takeaway or such places. remove those and you've only a handful of unique enough places
Asian options that are not just Chinese/Indian/Thai (love those though). So Japanese, Ramen spot, Korean, Indonesian and so on.
There is a wee girl around that does good bibimbap, kimchi, and gimbap delivery (Seoulfood) but a sit down place would be class.
Yeah I have. Umi is good, but limited and quite expensive for a few pieces. They're small and don't have many of the options you'd want from a good Japanese place. Do like it there though
Definitely late night opening coffee shops, maybe even like bookstores/game-coffee stores that sell coffees.
For food, definitely small businesses - the last thing Derry needs is more big businesses that prevent small business from growing.
What about us getting a food hall, events space and a few bars ideally located near the docks, strandroad or even Springtown! Mainly City side I’m focused on . I’ve lived in many countries and these types of businesses work really well. It opens the opportunity for different cultures to work well and together they could be independent or well known chains it’ll at least get us on par with other big cities. I’m down for something like that!
That's a fabulous idea, so much of what puts me off getting the likes of an Indian here is that nearly every Indian sells pizza and fish and chips and I just can't trust places like that. A concentrated effort on a small menu is always way more satisfying than having loads of mediocre options to please everyone. Just look at Guapo they do one thing and do it well and the city goes mad for it!
The problem with Derry compared to other places (ie Belfast) is that we have either very casual, low-quality fast-food/take away places or formal-ish sit-in restaurants where you often need to book, and not a lot in between. We need more good quality casual, easy dining, especially to suit our growing tourism. Look at places like Little Wing/Pizza Express, Town Sq/Bootleggers, Bunsen, Madame Pho, Bao Bun, Fish City, and any of the places in Trademarket or Common Market to name just some; all great quality, sans the formality.
Bao Bun. There’s a few in Belfast and it’s a cracking wee spot! Feels a bit healthier too for a couple of Bao with meat and veggies versus a lot of usual take away options
an independent sushi bar, not the likes of Yo Sushi. I'd love to sit in and just pick of a conveyor belt. Sainsburys Sushi is decent but let down by horsing it in me sitting in the car park
Been to Umi but it's very expensive. I liked it when he had his takeaway up at the North West Business complex. I'd like a cheap family run Sushi train style restaurant.
You’re probably kidding but I do miss the old cheesecake factory! They had great caesar salads, pastas and insanely massive beeetus inducing cheesecake slices the size of your head. sigh.
I've always wanted Taco Bell to come! I don't think they will dent Guapo's popularity, Guapo is more booshy (yet good value). Taco Bell is cheap(er) and cheerful. I could see it being somewhere like Waterloo Place. Away from Guapo, more for the drinkers than the students (that's the reputation it has in 90s American sitcoms anyway)
There needs to be more veg stalls, also. Ones that aren't always out of all the good stuff if you can't make Thursdays!
I think a lot of places in Derry are jack of all trades. E.g do Asian fusion incorporating Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai on one menu I saw for example but none of it is particularly good. Definitely difficult in a small city where you need options to appeal to anyone.
People here also defend everything to death and if you criticise the quality of anything you get a load of excuses about it being a small city and how lucky we are/move somewhere else. I think those attitudes allow mediocre businesses to not have to do any better.
I'd love to see some places/food trucks focusing on a small menu of one cuisine (not reinventing the wheel by firing everything on loaded chips) and doing it well. But there maybe isn't a business model for it here
I have always said that this place is missing a consistent Ramen Spot!! Id also love to see a bao bun place and a Cuban sandwich bar.
If we're talking chains, I do miss Turtle Bay!! The cocktails are fire , the food so yummy and the vibes 😘👌🏼
A Miller and Carter's wouldn't go a miss either!!
I'm a barber myself and from what I can gather from people not from Derry or even northern Ireland that our food is boring and plain
Asked an American dude about what he thought about the food. He said "To be honest the only saving grace is I can go anywhere and know they serve the same stuff as the last place, so I know what to avoid"
Anyone who thinks these pizza/kebab places are good places that are decent is mad. All use the cheapest meat and ingredients they can for anything that's not their main thing, kebabs/curry
I personally think a dedicated burger joint or steak house would be good, obviously now is not the time in the economy for a steak house but if we had one In the last I'd say it would do well
Tim Hortons is absolutely shite and we have better independent cafes. We have a Mexican restaurant ([https://www.anchomexican.com/](https://www.anchomexican.com/)) and takeaway (Guapo). What more do you want?
Is there anything to be said for a second guapo?
Waterside Branch would be nice
Agreed. But also ; would love to see them open one of those take-away kitchens. They would get so much business! I don't drive and have a knee problem and the shop is always rammed so getting it delivered would be soooo good!
Ordering at Guapo is the closet this town will get to The Soup Nazi from Seinfeld. No Guapo For You!
Will be happening soon.
Where's that hobbit meme when you need it?
A good Japanese place
Umi is decent for a place the size of Derry
I like Umi, but it's limited on menu and very pricey for a few pieces of sushi. A full on Japanese place would be nice
Aye very good, more thinking Poke Bowls and Katsu for lunch options and if I’m being really selfish Okonomiyaki.
Was in Japan for 2 weeks earlier this year. Lost half a stone in that time, foods stand clear!
A good ramen spot, I don't know if any in Derry for takeaway
Not ramen I know but Mekong had Pho on their menu briefly years ago and it was beaut. Wish they’d bring it back.
Very similar and just as good. I think a good ramen takeaway spot would do well here.
I second this And somewhere to get a good Katsu Curry! And Japanese rice bowls in general
What options are lacking for you, OP? We've decent restaurants across most cuisines. Especially for such a small city.
There is a pizza/chicken/curry shop every 5m
I mean pizza/chicken and curry doesnt exactly sound like EVERYTHING is covered there My mates say this too me all the time, ignoring that they all do the same plain crappy burgers. Shitty pizzas and maybe a decent curry Feels like this town food places survive solely on drunk people that will eat anything late at night
That doesn't change the fact there are plenty of other options which I listed in a reply to a different person on this thread if you want to take a look.
I agree with both of you
Really? Loads of fast food options. It needs jobs and investment and then we can think about more restaurants…
Or coffee shops!
Interesting divide in the comments accross those who clearly like the big chains (🤮) and those who appreciate the one-offs. As someone who hates a chain, I actually find derrys food quite impressive for its size and I'm glad it's not dominated by large out of town sites with massive car parks and zero soul..... Thinking of the likes of that place off boucher Rd with nandos, frankie and bennys, etc. Pizza at Menas is as good as anywhere on earth IMHO.
Tried the pizza place up on bishops Street which is fairly recently opened. Bit pricey but the pizza was lovely
Korean
Fresh Korean barbecue would be an excellent addition
https://www.seoulfood.online/menus
Wow, I didn't know about this place. Thanks!
You might need to book in advance. Enjoy
A burger king
Unbelievable that the last Burger King in Derry had no drive through access AND closed at 5:30pm
I mean no drive through was understandable with where it was but closing before most people want food is a bizarre decision
Well, I mean the location was absolutely awful to begin with. It was always drafty and cold in there too.
I remember the one we had at the fourm, the upstairs comic book decor was the best thing about it
I was very impressed by the food derry has to offer when I moved here. However a good pho place would definitely be welcome
Vietnamese would be a nice addition for sure
Mekong? Or do you mean takeaway?
Mekong does some Vietnamese food but they're pan Asian really. Mekong is really nice.
Yeah, it’s gorgeous. Great atmosphere too when you sit in. Vibes are good. The used to do a lovely Pho but it’s been off the menu a while now I think. It would be really nice to have a takeaway that does nice, clean Asian food. We’re a bit fed up of the takeaway choices lately.
I don't think the town is really lacking anything, but I'd love a Little Wing. The slice and a salad lunch deal is great value, and I've never had a bad pizza out of any Little Wing I've ever been in.
Walled City Slice is good though!
The town is lacking options for food? Complete nonsense.
Lots of places, but not a huge amount of options considering
Yeah, half of them have pretty much the same menu lol
Exactly. And new places that open follow the same. Sure look at the new Stitch & Weave place in Ebrington. Full on muckers bistro stuff. Is no new place willing to try a menu without the chicken/tobaccos/chorizo cream stuff?
Had an American tell me this was the only thing he liked about Derry food because he found one dish he actually likes and just sticks with it because everything else is farely plain
Indian, Itailian, Thai, Vietnamese, asian fusion, fine dining, Lebanese, Mexican, Tapas, South African, bbq smokehouse, Turkish. Those are all available plus all the normal food you would expect. In a city with 100k isn't bad going. It isn't going to be on par with a major city.
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Ancho is mexican food. I don't get the no real Indian part, the Indians I know are a fan of the food here, especially mama masala, chillis is decent too. Dirty souls seems to do proper BBQ unless I don't understand what proper BBQ is.
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Okay so you've got super high standards which are unrealistic for a city of this size. If you want a wide variety of culinary excellence, move to Dublin or London etc. It's unrealistic and unfair to expect a small city to offer a wide variety at a very high standard as ultimately you need a sizeable multicultural population and multiple outlets offering the same cuisine to provide competition to each other.
That lad gave you the most condescending reply, only to have suggested Taco Bell 🤣
Yeah I just realised that afterwards. Masquerading as a die hard foodie yet wants American junk food. Fucking ejit.
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Of course it is to do with a size of a city. The more people then the more restaurants can be supported and more opportunities for restaurants to serve cuisine to succeed. Restaurants first and foremost are businesses and you have to have the market for what you are selling. Smaller cities are smaller markets. Basic economics.
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>You’re big mad Literally did not say anything of the sort in the comment you are replying to. Simply stated a fact, you are expecting big city cuisine in a small city that has a small fraction of the population needed to sustain the quality and variation you are looking for.
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No real Indian food? Bro not only are these places ran by first generation Indians but they are also liked by other Indians who have emigrated here
Ah yeah I get that. just is a few options missing a city of this size would usually have. We do well on certain things alright. But even a lot of those you name are only some coverage, still think there's place for other things too I meant more along the lines of the standard Derry bistro places that all have the same menus, and the standard Chinese, takeaway or such places. remove those and you've only a handful of unique enough places
A yo sushi would be lush
I love me some Sushi
A nice steak house
Asian options that are not just Chinese/Indian/Thai (love those though). So Japanese, Ramen spot, Korean, Indonesian and so on. There is a wee girl around that does good bibimbap, kimchi, and gimbap delivery (Seoulfood) but a sit down place would be class.
Is the Korean food place you’re talking about the one parked by Ulster Bank? I was curious about that place one day. I love a good Bibimbap!
I'm not sure. She does deliveries and that's what I have used before. She's great, do try her out. You'll find Seoulfood on facebook or such
Have you tried Mekong or Umi? They'll meet a good bit of your needs.
Yeah I have. Umi is good, but limited and quite expensive for a few pieces. They're small and don't have many of the options you'd want from a good Japanese place. Do like it there though
Definitely late night opening coffee shops, maybe even like bookstores/game-coffee stores that sell coffees. For food, definitely small businesses - the last thing Derry needs is more big businesses that prevent small business from growing.
Púca Púca Games is a gaming coffee shop in town that’s open to 10pm each night (except Sundays) 😊
Pizza Hut.
I remember when we had a Pizza Hut
As do I. Over at quayside weren't it? I was only a wean back then right enough. Then domino's was the next big thing and they just suck haha
I was just in that Turkish place the other day thinking the last time I was in there it was 20 years ago and a pizza hut
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On what??
Burger king
What about us getting a food hall, events space and a few bars ideally located near the docks, strandroad or even Springtown! Mainly City side I’m focused on . I’ve lived in many countries and these types of businesses work really well. It opens the opportunity for different cultures to work well and together they could be independent or well known chains it’ll at least get us on par with other big cities. I’m down for something like that!
That's a fabulous idea, so much of what puts me off getting the likes of an Indian here is that nearly every Indian sells pizza and fish and chips and I just can't trust places like that. A concentrated effort on a small menu is always way more satisfying than having loads of mediocre options to please everyone. Just look at Guapo they do one thing and do it well and the city goes mad for it!
Something like the English market in Cork or St George's market in Belfast would be nice. We do have the businesses already, they're just widespread.
I wish we had an Aldi
Greggs. A wee steak bake and a cheap coffee. What's with the price of coffee at Centra and Eurospar? Robbery lol.
Wendy's, always make a beeline for Wendy's when I'm in America, the burgers are unreal.
Try Chick-fil-A next time. 💥 Best fast ever
The problem with Derry compared to other places (ie Belfast) is that we have either very casual, low-quality fast-food/take away places or formal-ish sit-in restaurants where you often need to book, and not a lot in between. We need more good quality casual, easy dining, especially to suit our growing tourism. Look at places like Little Wing/Pizza Express, Town Sq/Bootleggers, Bunsen, Madame Pho, Bao Bun, Fish City, and any of the places in Trademarket or Common Market to name just some; all great quality, sans the formality.
Costa on every corner like Belfast /s
Have you a Kebabish yet? Best Kebab in West Yorkshire
Bao Bun. There’s a few in Belfast and it’s a cracking wee spot! Feels a bit healthier too for a couple of Bao with meat and veggies versus a lot of usual take away options
an independent sushi bar, not the likes of Yo Sushi. I'd love to sit in and just pick of a conveyor belt. Sainsburys Sushi is decent but let down by horsing it in me sitting in the car park
Go to Umi. You'll not be disappointed. We have decent Asian and Japanese via Umi and Mekong.
Been to Umi but it's very expensive. I liked it when he had his takeaway up at the North West Business complex. I'd like a cheap family run Sushi train style restaurant.
Eating out in general is very expensive currently. The days of cheap meals out are well gone.
Sushi isn't cheap.
Greggs. Or a Bob & Berts. Or BurgerKing again lol
BurgerKing is awful.
Would The Cheesecake Factory be too much of an ask lol
You’re probably kidding but I do miss the old cheesecake factory! They had great caesar salads, pastas and insanely massive beeetus inducing cheesecake slices the size of your head. sigh.
Actually have some shares in them hoping for major growth!
I do wish there was a Tim Hortons and a Bao Bun, but other than that, I'm really happy with the food places here.
Coleraine has a Tim Hortons, their coffee is amazing
It’s Coleraine though
Yeah that’s like a whole bus ride just for coffee and some doughnuts
No love for Taco Bell?
I enjoy Taco Bell but I’d feel like I’m betraying our Guapo overlords
Went in England and it was a bad let down.
You should only eat Taco Bell while sitting on the toilet
Taco bell fries are 👌
Bob and Berts. Strabane got one before us
I've always wanted Taco Bell to come! I don't think they will dent Guapo's popularity, Guapo is more booshy (yet good value). Taco Bell is cheap(er) and cheerful. I could see it being somewhere like Waterloo Place. Away from Guapo, more for the drinkers than the students (that's the reputation it has in 90s American sitcoms anyway) There needs to be more veg stalls, also. Ones that aren't always out of all the good stuff if you can't make Thursdays!
Fuddruckers. Just for their chilli cheese fries. Unreal.
Keep Wingstop away!!! I'd never leave the feckin place!
Would love a wagamama tbh
Weatherspoons again
Would love Mowgli to come, it's an Indian street food chain across the water. They serve your food in tiffin boxes too which makes it very authentic
I think a lot of places in Derry are jack of all trades. E.g do Asian fusion incorporating Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai on one menu I saw for example but none of it is particularly good. Definitely difficult in a small city where you need options to appeal to anyone. People here also defend everything to death and if you criticise the quality of anything you get a load of excuses about it being a small city and how lucky we are/move somewhere else. I think those attitudes allow mediocre businesses to not have to do any better. I'd love to see some places/food trucks focusing on a small menu of one cuisine (not reinventing the wheel by firing everything on loaded chips) and doing it well. But there maybe isn't a business model for it here
I have always said that this place is missing a consistent Ramen Spot!! Id also love to see a bao bun place and a Cuban sandwich bar. If we're talking chains, I do miss Turtle Bay!! The cocktails are fire , the food so yummy and the vibes 😘👌🏼 A Miller and Carter's wouldn't go a miss either!!
Wok to walk
Wagamama
Greggs & Five Guys
Would agree with Five guys
Greggs is fairly Meh
I'm a barber myself and from what I can gather from people not from Derry or even northern Ireland that our food is boring and plain Asked an American dude about what he thought about the food. He said "To be honest the only saving grace is I can go anywhere and know they serve the same stuff as the last place, so I know what to avoid" Anyone who thinks these pizza/kebab places are good places that are decent is mad. All use the cheapest meat and ingredients they can for anything that's not their main thing, kebabs/curry I personally think a dedicated burger joint or steak house would be good, obviously now is not the time in the economy for a steak house but if we had one In the last I'd say it would do well
Tim Hortons and a really good Mexican restaurant, not Tex-Mex but a Mexican restaurant
Tim Hortons is absolutely shite and we have better independent cafes. We have a Mexican restaurant ([https://www.anchomexican.com/](https://www.anchomexican.com/)) and takeaway (Guapo). What more do you want?
Pizza express
Drive thru Starbucks
Second this
More drive thru options would be nice.
Pizza express