No-one needs a plethora of reasons to visit Northern Ireland, what with the Causeway Coast being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (not to mention the legendary home of the giant Finn McCool) and the splendour of the Mourne Mountains – but here’s 10 top notch ones anyway. We’ve rounded-up Belfast’s top restaurants (according to our 2016 survey) and we’ve got some insider tips on eateries not yet rated in the guide…
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It’s still early days, but this city-centre two-year-old – from two chefs who met at the iconic L’Arpège in Paris – is already well-recognised for its “marvellous” cooking, “unassuming” service and “funky” wines; in many reporters’ view, it’s “easily the best restaurant in Belfast”.
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“A charming fish restaurant with a fishmonger at the front”, where the cooking is “very inventive and unusual” and “not rapaciously priced” (“wish they’d told me how cheap the lobster was before I ordered something else”!)
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“Very tasty small dishes and well-balanced mains” win plenty of fans for this Cathedral Quarter Italian; even a reporter who finds it “too dark” (“you can hardly read the menu”) concedes that it’s “otherwise excellent”.
£38
“It’s hard to get better value” (especially at lunchtime) than at this trendy but casual Italian in Ballyhackamore Village; “there’s a great variety of dishes – you can choose something different every time!”
£38
“Staff are so friendly, and the food is superb (presentation is second to none)”, at this stylish and accomplished Japanese – a local fixture of over a decade’s standing.
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In the Cathedral Quarter, this small, bare-walled newcomer is proving a very welcome addition to the City, winning consistently high ratings for its contemporary cooking, with many items cooked on a charcoal grill.
Bar & Grill at James Street South, Belfast
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“Grilled meat is the thing here and other dishes are really sidelines”. If that’s what’s required though this central haunt – where much of the cooking is from a Josper grill – is just the ticket.
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Opinion remains a little up-and-down on Niall McKenna’s fine dining venture; while fans say that it’s “consistently good in all respects”, others feel the experience was “not what was expected after the refit”.
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It may not elicit much in the way of commentary, but those who do comment on it are demonstrative in their praise for this airy, seafood-centric venue in a Victorian riverside building near Waterfront Hall.
Okay it’s not quite in Belfast, but if you’re travelling that far anyway why not go a little further? Bangor is only 20 minutes from the country’s capital by train or car and The Boat House is a restaurant well worth visiting. It was the first Northern Irish restaurant to be featured in The Sunday Times Top 100 UK Restaurant List last year (at number 50).
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“It has to the best restaurant in Northern Ireland by a long stretch!”; this “old harbourmaster’s building at the marina” – “owned and run by two Dutch brothers” – has been sensitively restored, and wins the highest esteem for its “understated” and “professional” approach, and its “eclectic” cuisine “taking a serious approach to the use of organic local produce”; “interesting wine at really good prices” too and a well-stocked gin bar. Top Tip – “great-value tasting menu”.
A BELFAST INSIDER’S TOP 5 TIPS
For a brilliant brunch – General Merchants
Belfast gets a taste of the Antipodean brunching attitude with this new café not far from Stormont. It’s got all your Aussie faves like smashed avocado and flat white coffee, alongside Northern Irish bacon and sourdough bread. It becomes a very decent little BYO restaurant at night.
For a cheap and cheerful lunch – Boojum
Grab a quick, tasty lunch at this much-loved Mexican cantina, now with two locations in Belfast – one in Botanic Avenue near Queen’s Uni and the other in Chichester Street close to City Hall. Authentic burritos are the big pull here, but you’ll also find tacos, salads and nachos.
For the best dim sum in the city – Lee Garden
This bright Chinese restaurant near Queen’s and Sun Kee fight a close battle when it comes to Belfast’s best dim sum, but for our insider Lee Garden just edges it. All their steamed buns and dumplings are priced between £2.80-£4 so it’s a bargain too.
For the spiciest wings you’ll ever eat – Bubbacue
Serving slow-cooked BBQ from the Deep South, this daytime and early-evening operation near City Hall has made quite a name for itself as a purveyor of punishingly spicy chicken wings. They’re laced habanero powder, homemade naga chilli sauce and a few more chillies thrown in (just in case that wasn’t enough). We challenge you to finish a portion.
For a sophisticated cocktail – The Merchant Hotel
Housed within a former banking hall, The Merchant is Belfast’s ritziest destination for drinks (or a night’s stay). The attached Bert’s Jazz Bar is a lively spot serving great cocktails, but there’s also a quieter hotel bar in which to enjoy your libations. Recline on their plush seating and peruse the encyclopaedic cocktail book. From £9.95.
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