Le Coop – Made In Belfast

Well this was better-​sweet. Was there yesterday and had the usual, tasty brilliant chicken burger and great fries, enjoyed it in the funky décor and soaked up the friendly chilled ambience.
Well that was pretty sweet, so why bitter?
Because we all enjoyed it so much we were talking about what we would all like to order next time from seeing what each other had just enjoyed. The staff member that was taking payment then informed us that the return trip would not be possible because yesterday (4^th May) was going to be their last day, the place is closing for a few weeks to be remodelled and try a different approach from the current chicken centric model.
I hope the new place will be great and I’m sure I’ll visit, but I can’t help thinking since it clearly wasn’t broke… why ‘fix’ it???

March 24^th was my first ever day that I step foot in Belfast, and I was looking for a mean, lean place to eat with a good atmosphere but not too busy. I found Le Coop, and couldn’t have add a better decision. I was greeted as soon as I walked in and taken to my table.
The menu is awesome and the décor is awesome, couldn’t fault a thing. Then the menu popped over and I was stuck for decisions! I decided to go with the boneless BBQ Rib that comes with a small side of slaw. I knew I made the right choice as soon as I took my first bite. So succulent and tasty, it just went perfectly with the slaw, I could have ate it all over again when I had finished! Then I went for their famous brasserie roasted half chicken and decided to upgrade to the fries, chicken gravy, cheese and Mayo (which is the best decision I’ve ever made). All together, the flavours were immense with the sharpness of the zesty chicken skin flavours and the gravy, cheesy coated fries made it all taste so much better.
Loves this placed and definitely recommend to first time visitors to help settle you in to Northern Ireland. Oh, and bill came to £22 which included a single whiskey and a lemonade drink. Perfect!

I decided to escape the St Patrick’s Day crowds by heading through the cobbled streets of the Cathedral Quarter and in to the chicken shack that is Le Coop. As expected it was busy but as soon as we walked in the door the chipper staff approached us and lead us to one of the only free tables.
The décor is that which you would expect in an underground nightclub with graffiti, chicken related puns and profound statements adorning the walls and ceiling. The tables are made out of chip board and the menus are presented on clipboards, there’s a rustic feel to Le Coop which helps to create a nice chilled, relaxed environment.
On to the all important food, the menu is almost entirely made up of chicken; there’s wings, burgers and some sliders. I opted for the large buffalo wings with blue cheese dip and a side of fries. I always find it a bit of mystery when ordering a ‘large basket’ as you never know how many wings you’re going to get. I usually judge by the serving staff’s reaction to the order if it’s going to be too much grub. When it came it was definitely a ‘big eat’. Served in a basket the wings were deep fried and glazed in sweet, moreish buffalo sauce — the sauce made the meal. It was thin and lightly coated meaning that it didn’t take away the taste of the chicken. This dip had a hint of blue cheese without being overbearing. The type of dip that keeps you interested until it’s finally vanished and you still haven’t quite worked out what to make of it!
Le Coop serves beers and cocktails as well as filter coffee (no flat whites here) and is a really nice destination no matter what the occasion. Diners were made up of families, teens and St Patrick’s Day revelers which I suppose demonstrates Le Coop’s versatility.
Le Coop is reasonable in terms of price — our meal came to £24 for two including coffee.
The staff are excellent, they showed nifty footwork at times to avoid giddy kids scampering beneath their feet and nothing anyone asked of them was too much trouble.

For chicken lovers! The name says it all! Pretty much only chicken on the menu (there are some exceptions for pork and vegetarian options) and everything else is to match, including the space design!
I have had several meals here, all including chicken (obviously!) and all of them were really nice! They have nice options from burgers to chicken wings but the burgers are my favourites so far! Their dessert menu is quite small but they don’t seem very interested in selling a 3 or 5 courses meal! It’s something casual and works pretty well!
The space it’s cool and funky! It’s dark (not my usual choice) but they did a good job matching all the pantone chairs, lights and paintings!
Normally a place like this somewhere else would probably be 4 stars or so but comparing to other places around Belfast this one clearly deserves more! Plus the staff totally make up for it, they are nice and attentive even when the place is busy! So keep up the good job!

We were told to make a beeline for Made in Belfast, so decided to start with their newest venture. With £3 cocktails, ribs, fried chicken and a must-​eat «hot mess» (wedges, hot sauce and sour cream) Le Coop is absolutely worth clucking about.