Carriages celebrates 25 years as the place to eat

The award-winning Larne restaurant marked the landmark anniversary on Thursday 18 October by laying on a menu with mouth-watering prices from 1987.

Owner Ignatius McAlonan took inspiration from the year he first opened the doors to create a hugely-popular and iconic dining institution in the town.

Carriages famously started as a pizzeria and to this day customers continue to come back for a delicious slice of the famous Italian dish.

Explaining the restaurant’s recipe for success and how it has managed to flourish in the notoriously difficult industry, Ignatious simply said: “Our food is always A1 and the pizzas are just top of the range. Nobody can compete with them. We’re the biggest seller of pizzas in Larne and they’re just beautiful.”

As Carriages began to grow it quickly expanded its menu to include traditional Irish cuisine and now serves freshly cooked steaks, cured gammon and king ribs.

The train-themed restaurant comes complete with original train seats and windows.

It also has railway carriage booths and a function room.

The walls are adorned with train-themed posters and art.

The family-run, fully-licensed restaurant uses locally-sourced food and grow its own salads in the Bistro Garden.

As a true recognition of the high quality of Carriages’ food, it received the prestigious Taste Of Ulster award in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Its top chefs were also honoured to be invited to give a demonstration at the Balmoral Show at the Kings Hall in Belfast in 2010.

The team of chefs cure all their own bacon on the premises, age their own steaks and make their own corn beef and sausages.

Some of the staff have been working in Carriages for as long as 18 years, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Also with four self-catering apartments, visitors can spend the night.

But what are the culinary delights, all at very reasonable prices, that you can savour when you make a stop at Carriages?

Well for starters you can begin with classic garlic bread, stuffed mushrooms or Alan’s Prawn Cocktail.