Vietnamese Cafe comes to Antrim’s Castle Mall

A new Vietnamese-style coffee shop has opened in Castle Mall bringing a taste of Southeast Asia to Antrim town and creating three jobs in the process.
By Elinor Glynn
Published 25th Nov 2021, 08:35 GMT
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Banh Boy Antrim will offer diners a Northern Irish spin on the traditional banh mi – a popular Vietnamese sandwich – using local suppliers to create a hearty baguette filled with flavour. Also on the menu will be TikTok favourite Vietnamese Coffee.

The 28-seater café is located on the ground floor of the shopping mall, opposite Poundland, and is the latest concept from restauranteur Gerard McQuillan who has enjoyed previous success with Freight Belfast. With a relaxed, casual dining atmosphere Banh Boy Antrim will be the first food offering to open in the centre since the Covid pandemic..

Known for his creative flair and ability to fuse street food with fine dining, Gerard McQuillan has a proven track record of transforming unoccupied spaces into cutting edge restaurants and cafés.

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Pictured (L-R) outside Banh Boy Antrim, a new Vietnamese style eatery which opened in Castle Mall on Friday is Leah Watsonn, John Smyth, owner Gerard McQuillan, Gus Henry and India McQuillan.Pictured (L-R) outside Banh Boy Antrim, a new Vietnamese style eatery which opened in Castle Mall on Friday is Leah Watsonn, John Smyth, owner Gerard McQuillan, Gus Henry and India McQuillan.
Pictured (L-R) outside Banh Boy Antrim, a new Vietnamese style eatery which opened in Castle Mall on Friday is Leah Watsonn, John Smyth, owner Gerard McQuillan, Gus Henry and India McQuillan.

Mr. McQuillan has said Banh Boy will not only provide a fun environment for people to eat and drink but it will also add a vibrant, cosmopolitan dimension to Antrim town. He said: “What makes Banh Boy Antrim so unique is that we’re putting our own spin on the sandwiches and visitors can expect to see all of their local favourites on the menu in a totally new and creative way. We are excited to begin this new venture and believe we can add to what is already a thriving café culture within the town. After months of planning and menu preparation it’s been great to finally open our doors and bring these dishes to life.”

Pamela Minford, Centre Manager at Castle Mall added, “Banh Boy Antrim is the first in what we hope is a series of exciting announcements for Castle Mall.”

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