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$$$ | Central District |
For 25 years, Michael Deane has been the leader of the Belfast culinary pack, and his flagship operation has three distinct restaurants in one building. The Meat Locker is a beef-driven grill room and steak house; Eipic is an upscale, one–Michelin star restaurant and opulent champagne bar serving a variety of multicourse menus; and Love Fish is a less formal seafood restaurant with a Hamptons vibe. The Meat Locker is inspired by London's Hawksmoor steak-house chain. Menus come on meat hooks, while a "salt wall" is used for dry aging locally sourced beef. In the extension is the Eipic (Wednesday to Saturday evenings, lunch Friday), a classy round-table, 30-seater restaurant and champagne bar serving a variety of multicourse menus featuring venison, quail, or halibut; lunch costs either £30 or £45, and dinner £70. Running beside these two eateries, in an elongated conservatory, is the seafood restaurant Love Fish. A bright atmosphere with Brentwood steel chairs and local artwork dominate here. Lunchtime staples include fish-and-chips, roll-mop herrings on toast with chips, smoked mackerel salad or an open prawn sandwich, with main courses starting from £6.50. The Deanes empire also includes Deanes Deli Vin Café in Bedford Street, Deanes at Queens in the university area, and Deane and Decano on the Lisburn Road (check website for details).
28–40 Howard St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 6PF, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Locally sourced beef at the Meat Locker
- Elegant food at Eipic
- Great value seafood at Love Fish
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Eipic closed Sun.–Tues.; Meat Locker and Love Fish closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$ | Central District |
A cut above the average fish-and-chips restaurant, award-winning Fish City serves sustainably sourced seafood including Carlingford oysters, cod, scampi, and other treats. For non-pescatarians there are vegan and vegetarian options, too.
33 Ann St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 4EB, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Fish City Kiev
- Fisherman's curry
- Gourmet burgers
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$$ | Cathedral Quarter |
This self-styled "restolounge" in the happening Cathedral Quarter is one of Belfast's buzziest bistros and is especially popular with weekend brunch lovers (10:30--12:30). Decorated in a giant mishmash of vintage lamps and fabrics, 1950s collectibles, and drawings from local artists, this outlet follows the Cuisinart school of restaurant design, mixing and matching all sorts of antiques and upcycled objects, including a ceiling covered in glossy magazine photographs. It's truly one of Belfast's most eye-popping decors. The typewritten menu, set on clipboards, showcases seasonal and retro dishes, specializing in steaks best downed with fab cocktails such as the Jaw Breaker with Jawbox gin, ginger, lemon and lime, and homemade honeycomb. Start with whipped goat cheese or delectable tomato jam and Guinness wheat bread.
23 Talbot St., Belfast, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Chimichurri steaks on sourdough with patatas bravas
- Hake with green olive gnocchi and nduja
- Weekend brunch is a winner
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$$$ | Central District |
You’d be hard-pressed to eat this well, for so little money, in such relaxed surroundings anywhere else in Northern Ireland or indeed the whole island. Lunches are either two courses (£30) or three (£35) with choices such as smoked Armagh goose, wild wood pigeon with figs and salisfy, or halibut and lemongrass, and to cap it all, views through the large windows stretch over the River Lagan to the glowing 56-foot-tall Ring of Thanksgiving beacon by the Scottish artist Andy Scott. Dinner entrées—unadulterated with butter or cream—could be châteaubriand, wild venison, or cured river trout. The six-course seasonal tasting menu costs £65, or £95 with wine, while the four-course menu is £50, or £85 with wine. They are served for dinner on weekends with European wine pairings to each course, from the amuse-bouche to the white chocolate parfait. In the Ox Cave next door, you can enjoy light bites from a charcuterie, cheeseboard, (try the Boyne Valley Blue or the triple cream Ballylisk) and other nibbles with live music every Saturday from 9 pm.
1 Oxford St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 3LA, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Multicourse tasting menus
- Delicate white chocolate parfait
- Top-quality seasonal ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$$$$ | Central District |
The Grand Central Hotel's first-floor brasserie is a bright, stylish space and a favorite rendezvous for well-heeled locals, especially on weekends. Entrées lean towards modern Irish treatments of local surf-and-turf dishes, but there are tasty vegetarian options, too.
9-15 Bedford St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT2 7FF, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Rack of Mourne lamb
- Roast monkfish
- Tender sirloin steaks
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$$$ | Cathedral Quarter |
Inside the lavish Merchant Hotel, beneath the grand dome of this former bank's great hall and Ireland's biggest chandelier, find the perfect setting for a memorable dinner of adventurous European fare. Exceptional dishes include wild Irish venison loin, lamb saddle, or, for vegetarians, pappardelle pasta with black truffles and olive oil. First-class service in truly opulent surroundings makes this restaurant worth a detour. The two-course dinner is £25 and three courses are £29.50 and are an exceptional value, considering the surroundings. There's also a nine-course tasting menu at £90 with wine or £70 without. Afternoon tea is also a specialty with vegetarian, gluten-free options. Vegetarian and vegan options such as artichoke royale, wild mushroom ristotto, and roasted cauliflower steaks feature on dedicated plant-based lunch and dinner menus.
35 Waring St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 2DY, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Halibut with lobster mousee
- Thornhill duck breast
- Kilkeel crab with green apple, celeriac, and imperial caviar
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$ | Central District |
Halfway down a narrow lane is the 19th-century Morning Star, one of the city's most historic pubs, first built as a coaching stop for the Belfast-to-Dublin post. There's a traditional bar downstairs and a cozy velvet and wood-panel restaurant upstairs serving locally sourced food. On the menu you might find venison and game in winter, lamb in spring, and grilled haddock or roast Antrim pork in summer. Also notable is the steak menu; you'd be hard-pressed to find a larger assortment of aged cuts, and they are enormous: sizzling steaks, some up to 42 ounces, arrive at the table in red-hot cast-iron skillets and are served with a flourish by the friendly staff.
17–19 Pottinger's Entry, Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 4DT, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Grass-fed beef from family farm
- Local mussels
- Artisanal breads
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$$ | Central District |
Taking its name from the eponymous first-class café on RMS Titanic, Café Parisien divides itself into a downstairs creperie and a stylish upstairs restaurant in a landmark six-story sandstone building opposite City Hall. Choose from an array of savory or sweet crepes and galettes or head upstairs for main courses at lunch or dinner, which may include beef bourguignon or bouillabaisse, the celebrated stew of Provence. At £19.95 the two-course lunch menu du jour is expensive but worth it for the views.
Ask for a terrace table (the halogen heaters keep you warm on a chilly day) from where you can watch the progress of city life and cradle a digestif.
1–3 Donegall Sq. N, Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 5GA, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Cod fillet, mussels, and white bean cassoulet
- Hot smoked salmon omelet
- Vegan beetroot rosti with tofu and pickled vegetables
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.--Wed.
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$$ | Cathedral Quarter |
The small dishes known as cicchetti, beloved of Venetian bars and a counterpart to tapas, draw the crowds to Coppi in the ever-popular Cathedral Quarter. Named after a world-champion Italian racing cyclist, Angelo Fausto Coppi, it serves flavorful Mediterranean cuisine amid modern industrial decor. Entrées include dishes such as risotto and mushroom puff, the traditional Roman specialty pork scallopine with mushrooms and spinach, or the staple porcini mushroom ravioli with duck ragù. For cicchetti dolce, the tiramisu is deliciously light, and it's no surprise that Italian wines feature prominently. Eat at the counter on high chairs or at cozy booths with rustic wooden tables.
St. Anne's Sq., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 2LR, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Huge T-bone steaks
- Venetian-style pizzetta (mini-pizzas)
- Best tiramisu in town
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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$ | Cathedral Quarter | Coffee
In a world of behemoth coffee chains it is heartwarming to find an independent store with a funky vibe serving freshly ground beans from plantations in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Right in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, this unpretentious café with its minimalist surroundings, communal wooden tables, and cement floor attracts a crowd of MacBook and smartphone lovers, as well as those gasping for a caffeine hit. Most popular are filter coffees, and the barista's choice may include espresso tonic with lemon and lime, or honey, cardamom, and cortado. Nourishing bowls of honey and coconut porridge are served until noon, while buttermilk pancakes, salt beef sandwich, or bubble and squeak are on the lunch menu. A tempting array of ever-changing snacks includes flapjack, cornflake cookie, or cinnamon swirl. Sunday is pie and drip day featuring apple crumble, peanut butter fudge, or cherry pie.
A place to linger where latte art has risen to a new level---but be aware that food service stops at 3, by which stage the café can resemble a computer lab.
54 Hill St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 2LB, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Espresso filter coffee
- Luxurious cinnamon swirls
- Cool place to hang out
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$$ | Central District |
The mainstay of this classy city-center big hitter with an epic reputation is County Tyrone sirloin, rib eye, or beef fillet steaks as well as prime cuts including enormous Tomahawk steaks (for two) cooked to your liking on a charcoal grill. Based in a former linen mill, exposed brick walls and leather banquettes set the scene for a terrific meal. For an appetizer, try the Kilkeel crab and chili linguine or smoked eel and duck egg. Popular lunch choices may include blue cheese salad with candied walnuts or roast monkfish, while the two-course pre-theater menu (4:30--6:30) is a good value at £19.50. Evening staples of steak, fish, pork, and chicken are served with the Comber potato, characterized by its sweet, buttery flavor and harvested earlier than other potatoes; May and June are peak months to enjoy them. Such is their importance that they have been given a European designation of protection. Wash it all down with a choice of classic dry reds from the vineyards of Burgundy or Loire Valley favorites such as Sancerre or the smoky gunflint-flavored Pouilly-Fumé.
21 James St. S, Belfast, Co. Down, BT2 7GA, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Charcoal grill chateaubriand and tomahawk steaks
- Seared scallops and Irish pork belly with cauliflower and apple
- Irish cod with shaved fennel and pea puree
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$$ | Central District |
Connoisseurs of fresh fish and shellfish love Mourne Seafood, hidden down a side street and established as a firm favorite. Mussels are from Strangford Lough while oysters are sourced from shellfish beds in Carlingford Lough. Fresh seafood comes direct each day from the local ports of Annalong and Kilkeel and depend on the day's catch. The hake, accompanied with bouillabaisse potatoes and broccoli, and sea bream are done to perfection, but the standout dish for many is the seafood casserole with tomato sauce, fennel, thyme, and garlic served with focaccia. To complement your meal, try a bottle of Belfast Black or Maggie's Leap made by Whitewater Brewery in Kilkeel, or the locally made Shortcross gin. You can also eat and drink alfresco at the Shack, the Mourne's new open-air dining annex.
34–36 Bank St., Belfast, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Tuscan prawns
- Lobster burger
- Beef-dripping chips
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$ | Central District |
Living up to its Maori name---Ora means "life"---this airy tapas restaurant specializes in hot and cold small plates such as crab claws, Manchego Caesar tacos, or chicken, chorizo, and buffalo mozzarella fritters. More substantial dishes are spiced glazed pork, braised shiitake, and barbecue mushroom, or a cumin roasted cauliflower curry. Dessert highlights include homemade trifle, baked meringue, and a whiskey crème brûlée. Cocktail lovers plump for Irish Goodbye, made up of Roe & Co. premium-blended Irish whiskey, passion fruit, and soda, and Cocchi Americano, a quinine-laced aperitif wine.
12 Great Victoria St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT2 7BA, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Sharing plates of meat and seafood
- Whiskey crème brûlée
- Great cocktails
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.--Tues.
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$$ | Cathedral Quarter |
The Merchant Hotel's lively gastropub combines all the decorative charms of a traditional Belfast watering hole with a great choice of ales, wines, and whiskeys, and a menu that blends old-school favorites with imaginative modern fusion twists.
16 Skipper St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 2DY, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Smoked cod chowder
- Slow-braised lamb shoulder
- Signature chicken curry
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$$ | Cathedral Quarter |
Though its name is derived from a revolutionary secret society that met here 200 years ago, there is nothing exactly covert about the Muddlers Club restaurant, beyond the fact that it is hidden away in a historic back alley and kind of hard to find. Fashionably unfussy, the succinct menu showcases blackened Mourne lamb, sea trout with Caesar salad, turbot, crab bisque, and pasta all artfully arranged. They also have a six-course seasonal tasting menu (£60) with wine pairing an additional £40, as well as a vegetarian tasting menu. For dessert, the divine plum chocolate and coconut ice cream is rich and faultless as is the chocolate, passion fruit, and dulce de leche.
1 Warehouse La., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 2DX, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Wicklow venison
- Salt-aged beef short rib and bone marrow
- Chocolate, passion fruit, and dulce de leche dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$ | Central District |
Housed in an elegant former newspaper building in Belfast's historic Cathedral Quarter, the Northern Whig is spacious and stylish. From Thursday to Sunday evenings, one wall slides away so you can watch a jazz band, or a DJ playing funk and pop. The food is brasserie-style—not astonishing, but good. The environment, wine and gin selection, and cocktails such as Perfect Storm (rum, ginger beer, and Angostura bitters) or French Martini (pineapple juice, vodka, and raspberry liqueur) are the main draws, though.
2–10 Bridge St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 1LU, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Brasserie-style food
- Traditional wooden bar
- Cocktails
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$$ | Cathedral Quarter |
The humble chicken is the raison d'être of Yard Bird, on the site of a linen warehouse built in the 1750s. Start your visit with an aperitif in the Dirty Onion bar downstairs (ask the bartender about the pub's name), which retains the original, evocative tree-trunk-size beams, bare floors, and walls of the 18th century. Free-range chickens, marinated overnight in lemon, buttermilk, and paprika are cooked on the rotisserie, then cut in half and shared between two. From Sunday to Thursday there's a special deal, with whole chicken and a half carafe of wine for two (£26). Return to the Dirty Onion for a nightcap; with its smoky turf fire, timber decor, and craft beers from Europe and North America, it has a "speakeasy" feel, with live traditional music most nights, except Thursday (bluegrass night) and weekends, when acoustic groups take over both inside and out.
Every Saturday at 4 pm, two local musicians lead the Belfast Traditional Music Trail, a 90-minute walking tour through cobbled alleyways and into private bars in some of the city's oldest buildings. The tour assembles outside the Dirty Onion and tickets cost £15.
3 Hill St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT1 2LA, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Tender rotisserie chicken
- Fast service
- Authentic pub with live music
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$$ | Central District |
Offering a blend of Asian fusion, the standout dishes at Belfast's finest Japanese restaurant are the sea bass and sole, or the Zen monkfish. Among the discerning diners who frequent this lively spot, the delicious assorted mushroom teppanyaki is also a big hit, as well as the sushi and sashimi. Choose between wooden booths or—if prepared to hunker down on the floor Japanese-style—the traditional dining area; or opt for a discreet table for two divided by beaded curtains. Finish with a Japanese malt whiskey: Nikka Black is smoky and mellow and rounds out the perfect dinner.
55–59 Adelaide St., Belfast, Co. Down, BT2 8FE, Northern Ireland
Known For
- Sea bass and sole
- Carlingford oysters
- Sushi and sashimi
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.--Tues.
