GLASGOW-based restaurant chain Six by Nico has shown Scottish diners the sky’s the limit as bosses flew 70 loyal customers out to Belfast to try out the new branch.
As the innovative company goes from strength to strength, chef Nico Simeone said he has always recognised his loyal customers are a vital part of the brand’s successful journey.
To prove he would go the distance to thank his most loyal patrons, Nico chartered a flight from Glasgow to Belfast early on Tuesday morning to show dozens of lucky diners what they helped him build, with five of the couples having landed a spot after winning a competition.
The Evening Times was lucky enough to bag a seat on the “Fly by Nico” flight as it jetted off from Glasgow Airport for George Best Belfast City just after 8.30am, giving all passengers on board the first chance to see the Six by Nico restaurant brand’s new Northern Irish location.
Each guest was given a special, branded Six By Nico hoodie and was treated to the six-course “chippie” menu rebooted for a new Irish audience, alongside paired wines with each course.
Diners tucked into chips and cheese, fish finger sandwiches, fish supper, smoked sausage and deep fried Mars bar, all classic chippy favourites but with a distinct, fine-dining twist.
The Glasgow diners at the Belfast launch
Nico himself was rustling dishes up in the kitchen with many of his Glasgow staff and was only too happy to come out and chat with his customers before they left and headed back into Glasgow for 5pm.
Six by Nico Belfast is the third addition to the growing restaurant brand’s portfolio, taking Nico’s conceptual restaurant idea out of Scotland for the first time and placing it in Belfast’s bustling Cathedral Quarter.
The 74-cover restaurant will officially open this Friday (March 8) and over 5,000 reservations have been made in advance of the doors opening.
Nico said: “It’s an exciting time for Six by Nico restaurants.
“Belfast is the perfect location for our next venture and I couldn’t think of a better location than the vibrant food and drinks scene of the Cathedral Quarter.”
As reported by the Evening Times previously, a £500,000 investment pumped into the project will bring the introduction of a pioneering revolving culinary hub as, every six weeks, Nico and his team “reinvent the wheel” by serving a brand new six-course tasting-menu, each one themed upon a different place, memory or idea.
Drawing inspiration from both home and abroad, Nico and his team will combine different ingredients, flavours, and dishes to bring memories and stories creating a brand-new dining experience every few weeks.
Left to right: Phil MacHugh, Victoria Martin, The Gentlemen Select blogger Peter, Nicola Mimnagh, the Evening Times' Aftab Ali and Jess Tedds
With the launch comes exciting new job prospects and there are plans in place to create 40 news jobs in the local area as it opens this week.
Nico added: “We are very excited to bring an unforgettable culinary experience to Belfast.
“I have visited the city and I grew up with an understanding of the strong Ulster Scots connection.
“Belfast is the perfect location for our next venture and I couldn’t think of a better location than the vibrant food and drinks scene of the Cathedral Quarter.”
For all your breaking Glasgow news, click here, or head to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here