FAQs
What can we expect when dining at Belly?
Because of our name, there is often a misconception that we only serve meat. At Belly we always try to balance our menu between meat, seafood and even vegetarian dishes.
We serve a set menu - comprised of local ingredients - which we change on a monthly basis. We refuse to serve fish that arrived on a plane, and even our parmesan is produced locally. We have a curated wine list of local wines.
You can expect some dishes that might test your boundaries, but we always balance our menu so that everyone will enjoy the experience.
We seat everyone at the same time so that the chefs can focus on preparing each course in turn. They finish entirely with one course before devoting their attention to the next. So arriving on time is very important.
Why do you charge a deposit?
The first thing to know is that we are a tiny “family” business. Belly is not just a passion project, but a business that puts food on our tables. With only 30 seats, it is very important to have them all filled. Our concept does not work without a full restaurant.
Having only 30 seats also allows us to prepare your food with all our attention and focus. If we have empty seats, we lose money. The deposit is there just to offset a portion of our losses in such a case; we still miss out on the full amount, beverage sales, tips etc.
Think about this: in a 30-seater restaurant, if one person does not show up every day over the course of one month, we lose an entire day of trading.
Do please note that if you let us know in advance that some of your party has dropped out, we will always make an effort to fill the seats from our waiting list and will then happily refund the deposit. Unfortunately, if we are unable to do so, we feel it is reasonable to keep the deposit in order to cover our basic costs. A “no-show fee”, if you will. Not letting us know at all means that we do not have an opportunity to fill that seat and as such the “no-show fee” will automatically be applied.
What happens when I arrive late?
We generally have three chefs in the kitchen cooking a multi-course menu for 30 people. We seat everyone at the same time so that the chefs can focus on preparing each course in turn. They finish entirely with one course before devoting their attention to the next. This is to benefit your dining experience.
If guests arrive late, their food needs to be sent out separately. This takes focus off the next course and our other guests. This doesn’t seem fair to the guests who did arrive on time. They deserve our full attention.
We might rush you through the first courses if you arrive late, or you might miss out on them entirely, depending on how late you arrive.
Think of our kitchen as a theatre of food. We can’t hold the curtain. The show must go on.
Are you able to accommodate all dietary restrictions?
We are able to accommodate some dietary restrictions, but with just three chefs and a fixed tasting menu, it is unfortunately impossible to cater for every possibility. Á la carte dining does allow for this but with our concept, the cooking of a whole new menu for one person just isn’t practicable.
Do please remember to let us know about your dietary restrictions before you arrive at Belly. We prepare certain elements of your meal prior to your arrival – is not always possible to accommodate last-minute requests.
Lastly, we would love our guests to come with an open mind with regard to pre-existing food preferences. We all have food or ingredients that we prefer – and others that we normally dislike. But we firmly believe that with careful preparation, cooking and seasoning we may just be able change your mind about these preconceptions. Please give us the opportunity to try.