Eating Out in Belfast City

Where to eat?

Belfast is a large and busy city with a huge range of places to eat. It is particularly strong on cafes, bars and restaurants charging low to mid range prices for some really interesting food.

At the higher end Belfast is blessed with some remarkable chefs, notably Michael Deane and Paul & Jeanne Rankin, known for their innovation, energy and not least their eye on the market - they don't confine themselves to a wealthy clientele but have cafes or brasseries where even those on a modest budget can enjoy their superlative food.

St George's Market, Belfast Photo by ZMBNow that peace has broken out in Belfast, following years of it havinga somewhat exagerated reputation as dangerous place to visit, it isbooming and has an ever more vibrant nightlife going on. There are newplaces opening all the time and it is a really wonderful place to beright now

St George's Market is foodie heaven every Friday, when the restored Victorian Market place is filled with stalls selling everything from fresh seafood, organic meats and vegetables straight from the soil to gourmet coffee, Spanish tapas and home baked treats. It's the perfect place to pick up the makings of a gourmet picnic, or just graze from the stalls selling freshly cooked hot food.

Eating Out in Belfast on a Budget

Shoppers in Belfast city are well aware of the simple well prepared dishes served at the Hawthorne Coffee Shop ( 44 28 9038 4705), located rather improbably in a Furniture store, Fulton's in Boucher Crescent. Go early at lunch time, there will be a crowd.

Foo Kin Noodle Bar (44 28 9023 2889) on Bradbury Place has an 'all you can eat' lunch and dinner option which is excellent value - especially for students who get a discount on showing a valid student ID. Gourmet it isn't, but it's hot and tasty and will fill you up for a surprisingly small amount of money.

The John Hewitt ( 44 28 9023 3768) pub beside St Anne's Cathedral serves food that is a cut above average in a lovely traditional pub. Eat to a jazz accompaniment on Friday evenings.

Bishops Chip Shop at Bradbury Place with its marble tables and open fires doesn't look like an ordinary chipper and its food is filling, tasty and cheap. Have the cod with mushy peas! If money is really tight, get a take away. Eddie Spence's on Beersbridge Road has been serving the locality since 1921 and has a devoted following. It's a traditional chipper, where the fish is cooked fresh to order and proper chunky chips are cut on the premises (these things matter you know!)

Clements ( 44 28 9024 9988) on Donegal Place is a branch of a coffeehouse chain that is always reliable and serves very good soup and panini at lunch time. And great coffee of course. There are several other branches around the city.

Middle Range Restaurants in Belfast

Nobody should visit Belfast without going to the famous Crown Liquor Saloon ( 44 28 9027 9901) in Victoria St at least for a drink, but they also serve good value food at lunch time, with a range of simple but hearty dishes. The sausages with mashed potato (Bangers & Mash) are yummy. The surroundings are simply wonderful - genuine Victorian bar furnishings in a listed building. Pricey though, for what it is.

The Cayenne Restaurant ( 44 28 9033 1532) on Shaftsbury Square is the flagship restaurant of celebrity chefs Paul and Jeanne Rankin, and serves interesting food in very cool surroundings. The set dinner menu is exceptional value.

The Rankins' Rain City Cafe Grill ( 44 28 9068 2929) on the Malone Road, an expensive Belfast suburb, is a sort of upmarket American diner with a great atmosphere and above average food for the price.

The Water Margin ( 44 28 9032 6888) is a huge Chinese restaurant on the Ormeau Road, located in a converted church and always crowded at weekends. The menu is mind bogglingly huge and varied, with everything from standard Chinese restaurant fare to some really unusual and interesting dishes. You will find plenty of Chinese people dining here, always a good sign.

Villa Italia (44 28 9032 8356) on University Road is always packed with happy regulars enjoying authentic and well prepared Italian food in a lively and unpretenious athmosphere. It's sister restaurant, Scalini (44 28 9032 0303) on Botanic Ave is just as good.

A big bustling place in a converted Whiskey store in Hill St, Nick's Warehouse ( 44 28 9043 9690) has both a wine bar serving mid-priced food and a more expensive restaurant. There is wide use of local and artisan ingredients, an ever changing and excellent menu and as you would expect a very good selection of well priced wines.

Ginger (44 28 9024 4932) on Great Victoria Street takes it's name from the red har of it's chef/owner and serves a varied and interesting menu where seafood has a central place. The athmosphere is cool and laid back, the love of food evident - anyone who can not only think up a dish like Spiced Squid and Melon with Chili but make it taste sensational has a special talent! It sneaks into the middle range by dint of it's exceptional value early bird menu - eat later and you are definitley into higher end prices.

High End Dining in Belfast

Restaurant Michael Deane ( 44 28 9033 1134) on Howard St is Belfast's only Michelin starred restaurant and the place to go for serious foodies. The food in innovative, memorable and perfectly prepared. It is also expensive, but for those whose budgets won't stretch so far Deane's Brasserie downstairs is a lower priced and excellent alternative. Some people gripe about unfriendly service here, we've never found it so.

James Street South ( 44 28 9043 4310) is a cool and sophisticated restaurant on, you guessed it, James Street, with an exciting menu using excellent ingredients and very creative cooking. They are particularly good at creating interesting vegetarian options, often a weak spot for high end places. The pre-theatre dinner menu is extraordinarily good value. Highly recommended.

The Harbour View Restaurant ( 44 28 9023 8823) at Lanyon Quay is quite an expeience. The Teppinyaki chefs will stir fry your food at your table over flaming grills - a performance not to missed. The food is terrific, stir fried meat, vegatables and seafood of the highest quality and the surroundings are opulant, even decadent. Surprisingly for an Oriental restaurant there is a particularly fine wine list. Don't miss the tempura!

Your Comments

Please note: To prevent spam all comments are moderated. Promotional or advertising comments will not be published. If you want to ask a question or start a discussion rather than post a comment, please so so in the forum. Thank you!