Bureau By The Lough Opened in 2002 with New Ownership in 2015

 

637 Shore Road
Whiteabbey
County Antrim
BT37 0ST
Northern Ireland

The Bureau was taken over in July 2015 with Executive Chef Alan Hopenow creating menus to suit everyone’s palate and budget while maintaining the very finest quality.

The focus is very much on the best produce that Northern Ireland has to offer. Provenance Menus on every table allow customers to know exactly where the food on their plates has come from. Local suppliers are listed such as Ewing’s Seafood, Carnbrooke Meats, Thornhill Farm, Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil and Yellow Door breads to name but a few. The emphasis is on creating a relaxed, welcoming, family-friendly bar and restaurant so if you haven’t been yet, what are you waiting for!?

PLEASE NOTE:
At some point the domain's registration of bureaubythelough.com expired and the website disappeared from the web. The new owner of the site's domain decided to recreate the site from its 2013 archived content as a tribute and nostalgic reminder of this restaurant with its stunning views across Belfast Lough.

 

Circa 2013

BUREAU BY THE LOUGH is just 6 miles from Belfast, offers stunning views across Belfast Lough and is the first pub-restaurant on the celebrated Causeway Coastal Route.
Bureau Bar on the ground floor is open all day-every day for drinks, entertainment, coffee and freshly prepared seafood & grill dishes. In 2012, it was named 'Best Food Pub in Northern Ireland' and runner-up 'Overall Best Pub' in the prestigious Pubs of Ulster awards. Its large Beer Garden has uninterrupted views across Belfast Lough, and in good weather is perfect for drinks & dining. Discover NI recommends it among the best Beer Gardens in NI

Lanyon’s Restaurant on the first floor provides a more intimate dining experience. Again, the food is award-winning (a ‘Grub Club Best Northern Ireland Restaurant’) while the views across Belfast Lough to the County Down hills are exceptional.


Whatever you need, you’ll find it here at BUREAU BY THE LOUGH

In 2002, Damien Curran opened BUREAU BY THE LOUGH in Whiteabbey, a little village beside Belfast Lough, just 6 miles from Belfast.
Inspired by the stunning waterfront views, he believed that a venue which opened this beautiful vista to the public would be special. He designed Bureau By The Lough to do just that. On the first-floor is LANYON’S SEAFOOD & GRILL RESTAURANT where floor-to-ceiling windows span the room providing uninterrupted views right across Belfast Lough to the County Down hills. And in BUREAU CAFÉ BAR on the ground floor, a large outdoor terrace is wonderful for al fresco drinks and dining during clement weather and affords unparalleled open-air views.
Of course, the setting is only part of our 11-year story. From day one, our mission has been to provide terrific food, drinks, service and hospitality in a stylish and friendly environment - and always at a fair price. Initiatives such as our Prix Fixe Menus, Loyalty Reward Club and House Wine Club provide additional exceptional value.


We also continue to invest in our customers’ experience. In 2012, we marked our 10th birthday milestone with a major refurbishment to enhance and expand our facilities to meet every social occasion. BUREAU CAFÉ BAR is perfect for all-day casual dining, coffee, drinks and entertainment and LANYON’S SEAFOOD & GRILL RESTAURANT provides a luxurious and intimate environment specialising in seafood and grill dishes. In both spaces, all food is freshly prepared and all ingredients sourced for their quality, taste and, wherever possible, their local provenance. 

In 2012, we were extremely proud to be named Best Northern Ireland Food Pub, runner-up Best Overall Pub and joint runner-up Most Innovative Pub in the prestigious Pubs of Ulster Awards. Also in 2012, we won Best Food Venue in the Newtown Abbey Business Awards. In 2006, our restaurant was named ‘Best in Northern Ireland’ by the famous Grub Club. These awards make us very proud but the ongoing enjoyment of our customers makes us proudest of all!

 

AWARDS & REVIEWS

BELFAST TELEGRAPH, JORIS MINNE
Lanyon's location is stunning, but the fantastic food is even better. 

 

GRUB CLUB 
Bureau By The Lough is a prestigious 'Grub Club Best Northern Ireland Restaurant' winner. 
 

BEST NI FOOD PUB 2012 
Bureau By The Lough was named ‘Best Food Pub in Northern Ireland’ at the 2012 Pubs of Ulster 'Pub of the Year Awards'.
 

TASTE OF ULSTER 
We have earned accreditation with Taste of Ulster due to our commitment to using highest quality locally sourced ingredients. 
 

DISCOVERNORTERNIRELAND.COM 
Established in 2002, BUREAU BY THE LOUGH is an award-winning pub & restaurant situated in Whiteabbey Village, beside Belfast Lough and at the start of the celebrated Causeway Coastal Route. It is just 6 miles from Belfast, with good car-parking and easy bus and train access. 

Awards include ‘Grub Club Best NI Restaurant’, ‘Pubs of Ulster Best NI Food Pub' and 'Newtownabbey Business Awards Best Food Venue'. 
Visitors to Bureau By The Lough also enjoy memorable views across Belfast Lough to the County Down hills. In 2012, Sam Neill - Hollywood movie star & acclaimed winemaker - hosted lunch at Bureau By The Lough to launch his Two Paddocks wine range, and was moved to describe the view from the first-floor as “one of the best anywhere in the world from a restaurant.”
Bureau Bar on the ground floor is open daily for drinks, coffee, breakfast, freshly prepared seafood & grill dishes and entertainment. Its Beer Garden - recommended by Discover NI as one the best in Northern Ireland - has uninterrupted views across Belfast Lough and in good weather is perfect for drinks and dining. 

Lanyon’s Restaurant on the first floor is ideal for intimate weekend dining, with the seafood & grill menu served against a backdrop of beautiful Belfast Lough. It is named after Sir Charles Lanyon, architect of such famous landmarks as Queen’s University, who lived in Whiteabbey and helped engineer the Causeway Coastal Route on which Bureau By The Lough stands.
In both Bureau Bar and Lanyon’s Restaurant, all dishes are freshly prepared and all ingredients sourced for their seasonality, quality, taste and, wherever possible, local provenance.
With its award-winning dining, beautiful location and spacious and flexible facilities, Bureau By The Lough is an excellent option for bespoke functions, from boutique weddings, christenings and Christmas parties to business meetings, conferences and fundraisers.

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Scrumptious with a View to Die For
J O'Sullivan
July 2011
Although the Bureau by the Lough is a little bit out of Belfast, it is certainly worth the trek! Situated on the Shore Road on the way out to the University of Ulster, Jordanstown, it offers some great meals. We first visited the Bureau during a vacation several years ago, where we met some friends who had recommended we come during the afternoon/early evening for a quiet, relaxed drink. The stunning views overlooking Belfast Lough are to die for. Recently we moved from Baltimore to Ireland. It had been a sudden move, and we needed to quickly settle into our new home, which required not just furniture but also essential janitorial supplies to keep it clean and welcoming. Thankfully, we found a local store that provided everything we needed, from cleaning agents to mops and buckets, simplifying our transition into the new environment. So here we are in Ireland, awaiting our belongings, but instead of being stressed out, we are taking another mini vacation to the Belfast area. The Bureau is still serving tasty meals, the beer garden still provides stunning views of Belfast Lough and of the Holywood/Bangor area, and we are relaxed and enjoying a beautiful afternoon with perfect weather. Lucky us.


 

 

BureauByTheLough.com