The Dirty Duck

I went for dinner with a friend to the Dirty Duck this evening-​a Thursday night– and the place was packed! We saw there were no seats left downstairs (the bar area) so we went upstairs (more of a restaurant setting). The waitress told us that because we hadn’t booked, we wouldn’t be able to get a seat. We thought we might have to leave but decided to wait downstairs until a seat became available there. Lucky enough we were able to get back upstairs about ten minutes later! I’m so glad we did because the views over the water are amazing! I ordered the chilli nachos which was nachos with chilli beef, cheddar cheese, guacamole, crème fraîche, salsa and jalapeños. You can get a small portion for £5 or a larger portion for £8.75. I went for large and glad I did! My friend went for the Portavogie Scampi with chips which cost £13– both very happy with our mains! We were very tempted by dessert and both choose the special cheesecake of the day, Lime & orange served with sorbet! Delicious! What a refreshing way to finish. Our whole bill came to just under £40. A great little bar in a gorgeous setting!

It would appear I reviewed the Dirty Duck in 2010 and only gave 4 stars? Well, a lot of time has passed since then and in that time I have visited the Dirty Duck countless times where I have received much better than 4 measly stars!
Around the time of my last review I began working not far away, and the Dirty Duck became a regular lunchtime haunt for us.
The restaurant is super popular so you couldn’t just show up and be guaranteed a table, especially on Friday lunchtimes, so ringing ahead is advisable!
They are in an enviable position on the promenade in gorgeous Holywood, and it is a fantastic place to sit outside on a fine day to enjoy your drink and the sea air.
Their menu doesn’t change. It doesn’t need to, you can’t change perfection! My number one favourite dish is the Desperate Dan. Sausages, honey glazed bacon chop with creamy champ & gravy, with amazing chilli con carne covered in melted cheese!!! Delicious doesn’t even cover it.
If you’ve not been to the Dirty Duck you need to go ASAP!

The Dirty Duck could possibly be my favourite place to eat. I’ve been three times now and I couldn’t fault a single thing. The restaurant is upstairs but you can also order food in the bar downstairs.
I’ve tried the fish and chips, the seafood chowder, the crab claws and the seafood platter — every single meal was outstanding and the deserts were delicious. (The sticky toffee pudding is like heaven on a plate)
The bar/​restaurant looks over Hollywood beach and the views are amazing. If your lucky enough you might even get a seat beside an open fire.
The staff are great here — nothing seems like too much hassle for them!
Don’t take my word for it, check it out! You will not be disappointed!

Loved nearly everything about this place. The view was amazing!!! The food was out of this world, the price was brilliant to the only thing that let it down was staff they served the food then vanished not to be seen again until we asked for the bill. But apart from that it was amazing!!!

This was my first time in The Dirty Duck and I certainly was not disappointed. The bar/​restaurant is set in an idyllic location overlooking to water. We didn’t have a table booked but thankfully the waitress was able to accommodate us. Within a few minutes she came back with menus and also made us aware of the specials menu, including the prices.
After a long hard decision, I choose the roast pork belly, which came with vegetables, gravy and new potatoes. The presentation was fantastic and it smelt amazing. No word of a lie, It has to be one of the best meals I have never had! I didn’t want it to end and when other people were ordering I just wanted to tell them to order the pork!
The atmosphere was lovely and perfect for a family dinner for any occasion. The staff where very helpful and informative. One lady in particular, with short blonde hair, from Poland, was amazing. She knew the menu inside out and her communication throughout the restaurant/​bar was brilliant. I will certainly be recommending this place to family and friends!

It’s a while since I’ve been in the Dirty Duck so I’m currently plotting a return. I’ve only visited 3 times and each time ate downstairs in the bar. On each visit the food has been delectable, with the nachos my favourite dish. It’s a warm, cosy, friendly bar and I really want to have a meal in the upstairs restaurant which has amazing views of Belfast Lough. My current plotting involves a full Saturday outing to Dirty Duck for lunch, drinks outside in the beer garden and a Dirty Duck dinner later that evening. Best plan ever! Plus they’ve great vegetarian options…

First of all, thanks Colin for recommending The Dirty Duck! ;)
I booked a table for me and my fiancé to celebrate our anniversary. I wanted to try a new place, a place not very posh but with something extra. The Dirty Duck seemed to be a perfect spot due to the great location and the panorama.
We had a wee walk along the beach before dinner which could have been nice — but of course it started raining! Hail stones at the end of May — welcome to Northern Ireland :)))
We were lucky enough to get a table next to the windows, the view was amazing! I know it is nothing special for local people but as someone from a totally landlocked country I like to seize every opportunity just to stare at the sea. Or any kind of «big water» actually. :)
I ordered the roast duck breast (medium well) with fondant potato, spring greens, onion purée and shiraz & cherry jus. It was simply perfect. The breast was crispy outside and soft and juicy inside and went really well with all the sides especially the sweet-​sourness of the cherries. The Mr went for the battered cod and chips (what else?) and he was satisfied too.
For desserts he had the apple crumble which was the best I’ve ever tasted so far and that’s a big word because I am really a fan of apple crumble! I regret not ordering it but going for the cheesecake instead. I was a little bit disappointed as I could not really feel the white chocolate flavour and the slice I got did not look very fresh. I mean I know cheesecakes are obviously not served right from the oven but I wasn’t 100% sure it was baked on the day.
Anyway, this won’t stop me from giving 5 stars because of the mains and the quality of service. Staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful. Another extra «well done» goes for the waiters and waitresses’ listening skills. Despite my awful «Hunglish» accent they understood everything for the first time and I never had to repeat anything at all :)))

Love the Dirty Duck, particularly the downstairs bar which always has a lovely atmosphere, cosy and welcoming. Upstairs while a little more formal, has gorgeous views and there’s also a huge outdoor area for the sunny days — if only we had more of them to use it! Food superb, particularly the seafood for which they are renowned, relatively reasonably priced and excellent service — what more could you want?!

I love the Dirty Duck. Whether you are eating upstairs in the restaurant (Make sure you book as its ALWAYS busy) or down in the bar and soaking up the atmosphere, the food is always amazing and you have great views of Belfast lough with the planes flying in to land and the boats coming in to dock.
I was there last night treating my mum to a wee birthday dinner. The menu is varied with a wee bit for everyone whether you like fine dining or good old burgers or sausages and mash. I always go for the seafood as its so fresh and always perfectly cooked.
Last night we had the Seafood Sharing platter which is two decent sized spiced Thai fishcakes, Two baby gem lettuce leaves filled with shredded crab and topped with crunchy celery and tomato and a bowl of muscles in a white wine, cream and leak and ham sauce. All amazing, all well seasoned and all worked well together. Plus we shared between 3 and it was perfect in size.
For our mains we all got the specials. My mum and I ordered the Plaice with a black pudding crumb, sautéed garlic potato’s and fried green beans. Have to say it was amazing, there was a white wine and creamy buttery sauce white brought the whole dish together and the flavours were dancing on my tongue. The other half got the other special which was a sea bass linguine in a pesto style sauce with crab and muscles. It was beautiful as well, fresh tasting and lovely and light.
Finally we had our deserts, (See picture) Chocolate whiskey cake with a caramel crumb, sticky toffee pudding and a cheese board. I don’t even have to describe these, they tasted as good as they look.
The Dirty Duck is always a hit with me and I’ve never had a bad experience there. The staff are friendly, the food is amazing and reasonably priced and the location is superb. Win, Win, Win!

The in-​laws visited on May day and with nothing planned I suggested ‘s€£let’s all go to the Maypole fair in Holywood’. Bad decision, the fair was as bad as… it sounded… One shining light was the dirty duck which we found down a street off the main road (we sought refuge from the guff that was being preached/​sold on the main high street. We went for the fish and chips, not very adventurous. The food was delightful, the place was cramped. The fish was seriously good; I’m tempted to say the best I’ve had but that’s a tough call. Definitely worth the visit. Food-​on Joe

Decent spot for a few beers and some food in the sun.

Great food with an even greater view.
This pub/​restaurant suits whatever the occasion. Normally I go here with family or friends for a catch up, but I recently brought friends that were visiting the area and it went down a treat.
The menu contains a ‘seasonal’ section which varies accordingly, meaning that there’s always some surprises. In addition the fresh daily specials are always divine. In fact, ⁹⁄₁₀ times I go for the fresh fish special.
If fish isn’t your thing there are plenty pub grub type dishes like burgers, sausage and mash or an amazing venison tagliatelle (a must try).
Try and prebook a window table to really soak in the views and impress if that’s your aim.

The Dirty Duck has to be one of the nicest eating establishments that I have ever been to. The name itself makes it an interesting place to visit and the setting, overlooking Belfast lough is spectacular no matter what the weather is like!
The pub menu is very good with plenty of choice to appeal to all tastes. The seafood chowder was recommended to me and I heave to say that it was excellent, the sort of cousins that leaves a very satisfying taste that you don’t want to spoil!
The day we visited the establishment it was cold and stormy and it was so warming to be welcomed by a blazing open fire which added to the relaxing atmosphere.
Although it was quite busy there wasn’t any long waiting time to be served the staff were friendly and efficient.
I certainly look forward to a return trip and maybe when our great British summer eventually comes we will be able to take advantage of the outside area which has splendid views of The Lough!

Being the charming gentleman that I am I took a fine young lady to The Dirty Duck for a quick shandy on Sunday evening. As everyone in Belfast knows Sunday evenings are generally quite tame affairs but The Dirty Duck in Holywood was bouncing or bobbing perhaps is a better description? As soon as we got in from the cold in to the downstairs lounge I was hit with an angelic voice backed up by an acoustic guitar.
The downstairs lounge was also pretty busy, ‘regulars’ propped up the bar and a few large groups of lads sang drunkenly along with the folk singer. But this was better than other bars where the only sound is tumbleweed whistling by! I haven’t eaten in The Dirty Duck for years but I’ve heard good things. As far as a bar goes it has a friendly welcoming atmosphere and the sea views make it a great spot to sip on a Guinness and wind down after a busy week.

After a good bracing walk along the shore you are doing yourself a dis-​service if you don’t pop in to The Dirty Duck for lunch.
It isn’t the biggest bar in the world, but it is cosy, and I’m a sucker for a pub with a real fire. If you are going for food, there is good space upstairs with stunning views of the lough. Be warned though, if you are thinking of going from Friday to Sunday you better book as it’s a popular wee spot. The food itself I’d describe as hearty. My friend went for the scampi and chips and I had the burger, and there were clean plates all round.
My only complaint was that we couldn’t stay all afternoon as we had the car, but next time we might let the train take the strain as it is a two minute walk from the station. Sounds like a good plan to me.

I spotted the Dirty Duck on Google Streetview whilst in Holywood, and perceiving that it had a commanding seaside position, decided to trundle over, to kick back with my paper. My expectations were somewhere between low and subterranean, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. The Dirty Duck provided me among the most sumptuous and memorable meals of 2012. It’s a fish restaurant, and the catch is all local, I was assured. Apparently they’re all into sustainable fishing too, which is a great bonus. Large picture windows offer stunning views over the forth, and the cheery staff put me at ease quickly. The food was absolutely delicious. I plumped for a crab claw salad. Despite being a starter it was more like a small main. After and apple pie chased down with a pint of Guinness I was in another realm. Huzzah!

Ectrem schöné, auch hier sollte man in BElfast gewesen sein. toll :))

It may be that I used to work near this place, played a great round of golf after lunch here one afternoon or enjoy the area in general but I really like the Dirty Duck.
Its location is nearly perfect, right by the sea and with good parking near by in quiet, Holywood just down the road from busting East Belfast.
Not so much a bar, I think of it as more of a place to eat and relax rather than to go for a bit of a booze up. That being said, they do run an ale club and this gets you money off if you join and you can enjoy a host of guest ales throughout the month and even check out the mini festival they have in September.
The food I think is brilliant. I can’t recommend highly enough the nachos, they’re absolutely amazing. Tasty and an intimidatingly large portion. I recently took my girlfriend there for the Nachos and she loved them too.
The nachos are good value but the rest of the menu is a little bit pricey so beware of that.
Well worth a visit for a bite to eat or a few bevvies over lunch. Its right near the train station so you can leave the car at home.

Good food, good service and a nice location right by the sea. What’s not to love?
The Dirty Duck is well known locally for good really tasty pub grub and justifiably so. You can eat downstairs but go upstairs and you’ll have a lovely view of Belfast Lough as you eat, but make sure you book as it’s always busy.
There is a beer garden at the front, again overlooking the Lough, but it is always windy, no matter what the weather is like everywhere else.
So, the food. The Dirty Duck Ale House, to give it its full title, is renowned for the seafood chowder and the crab claws. Both are brilliant and I usually find it hard to choose between them. The steaks are also good, as is the battered cod and home made chips. In fact, I think you’ll enjoy whatever you choose. I think the deserts are a little too expensive at £5 each, but they are good, especially the sticky toffee pudding, but really, £5?
The children’s meals are really good value at £4.50 for two courses so that evens up the bill a bit.
Ale fans (not me then) will be thrilled to know that the Dirty Duck has its own mini ale festival every September.

The food wasn’t great and noticed people in football shirts being turned away. Bar prices were reasonable though.
The barman wasn’t too friendly and seemed kind of grumpy and décor wasn’t what I had expected either. Nothing wrong with it, but a bit worn-​looking.
The customers were a nice bunch and friendly too.

I have yet to be disappointed here and I think that a 3.5 star rating would be fairer but it just is not quite good enough to be considered equal to some of my other 4* reviews.
The menu is good and caters for most although it’s not extensive and rarely provides anything that isn’t a tried and tested safe bet. I can’t fault the service at all and the food is always very good but for the reasons mentioned it gets 3* rather than 4*.