The White Horse Hotel
The menu at the White Horse Hotel is bursting with cosmopolitan flavours and innovative dishes, all underpinned by local, seasonal produce. Derry woman Selina Horshi grew up helping out at the family-run hotel, so returning to work there after 15 years in England was a homecoming in every sense of the word. The city has changed a lot since Selina left at the age of 18, and the menu from head chef Umesh Aggarawal and his team fully reflects this. There are best-selling mini ribs with Lo & Slo sauce, wheaten bread made with Northbound Beer (brewed just down the road), fruit crumble from the hotel’s bountiful apple trees, and cocktails using fresh mint from the garden.
Selina’s father Issam hails from Lebanon, and the family would return to Ireland from visiting relatives with vine leaves, herbs and spices in their luggage. There are plenty of nods to the Horshis’ heritage in the White Horse Hotel – with Daffy’s Lebanese mint gin on the drinks menu, and tabbouleh salad in the summer (with homegrown parsley and mint). “It’s a really exciting time to be back,” says Selina. “Derry has progressed so quickly; it doesn’t take itself too seriously, but the food offering in this city – from Michelin-recommended to Thai street food – is so great. It unites people and becomes embedded in the memories of locals and visitors alike.”
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