Dine on chocolate frogs and butterbeer ice cream at the whimsical A Peculiar Tea

Chef Gemma Austin is the mastermind behind A Peculiar Tea – you may recognise her from Great British Menu, and being a Best Chef Ulster nominee. Bringing her desire for an escape from reality and the stresses of adult life to real life, she opened up A Peculiar Tea on University Road in central Belfast. Her love for children’s wild imaginations and creativity led her down a path of incorporating that same whimsical curiosity to create themed menus on a rotating basis. Now, A Peculiar Tea is bringing in diners from near and far to get a taste of the fanciful feasts on offer.

The eatery is a breathtaking sight in and of itself, as if you’ve just stepped foot into a book of fairytales. The front door is adorned with a flower archway as you enter, with storybook murals of a Mad Hatter’s tea party, ornate indoor trees, and a plethora of Easter Eggs from your favourite children’s books. With each themed menu, dutiful care is taken to match the space to the theme, which in the past has included signs to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Halloween decorations draped across the ceilings, and candy trees straight out of Willy Wonka’s factory.

Each visit to A Peculiar Tea is a dive into a new storybook. The restaurant’s themes, which change every 8-10 weeks, are nothing short of magical, drawing inspiration from the chaos of a Roald Dahl tale or unraveling the culinary mysteries tied up in a game of Cluedo. The menus also focus on ‘fun dining’, so forget the stiff and stuffy atmosphere of traditional fine dining, every meal at A Peculiar Tea is an event. The waitstaff, attentive yet unobtrusive, play their parts perfectly, guiding you through each course with professionalism and whimsy, giving each diner their own theatrical show alongside their meal.

Daytime visitors can indulge in their famous afternoon tea, transforming simple scones and sausage rolls into edible works of art. While evening diners are treated to a six-course tasting menu full of inventive dishes and special surprises. Every plate arrives as perfect as a painted canvas, bursting with colours and textures, and often with an interactive element.

Recent dishes have included truffle fried chicken on a homemade spiced waffle topped with parmesan, sous vide and barbecued monkfish with ricotta gnocchi, spring veg and wild garlic velouté, short rib with a daikon salad and buckwheat noodles in an oxtail broth, and a vegan linguini with confit mushrooms, wild mushroom sauce and cep powder.

It goes without saying – A Peculiar Tea knows a thing or two about desserts. Past incredible inventions have included their Magic Mushroom made up of caramel and tahini mousse, cherry mousse with cherry brandy insert rested on chocolate soil, and pistachio sponge accompanied with cherry sorbet, as well as their beloved Harry Potter-inspired trio of desserts; a chocolate frog with banana miso caramel and a banana mousse, a Snitch made with choux pastry, tahini mousse, hazelnut praline, and treacle tart with butterbeer ice cream.

However, it’s not just the food making your experience so magical – A Peculiar Tea has a bespoke cocktail list alongside each themed menu, bringing magic potions and elixirs from so many books and movies to life. Think Bacardi Añejo Cuatro, mango, lime, and breakfast tea reduction served up in a stemmed tea cup, or a Cheshire Cat inspired-number made up of Jose Cuervo Tradicional, Velvet Falernum, lime, dragon fruit, red jalapeños, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. Simply delicious and oh so fun!

A Peculiar Tea is open Wednesday to Saturdays, with afternoon tea served from 12pm and the tasting menu served from 5pm. You’ll find them at 44 University Road, Belfast BT71NJ. So, for a taste of childhood imagination, be sure to book your table!