Eating out in Belfast

[chml]

Hi, we're over in Belfast weekend after next and as I was just wondering if anybody had any recommendations for places to eat? Pretty much any type of cuisine and (relatively) relaxed about budget.

Thanks

[BelfastBlack]

The most popular bars and restaurants are dotted around the Cathedral Quarter (Talbot St to Waring St) and the city centre.

Restaurants:
Made in Belfast. They have three locations with a relaxed atmosphere and very good, normal food
Ox. Michelin star restaurant and unlikely to get a booking at short notice but you never know.
Mourne Seafood Bar. They serve fish.
Holohan's at the Barge. It's a converted barge on the river so strap on your sea legs.
James St. South.
The Muddlers Club
Anything at The Merchant hotel is £££.

Bars:
Duke of York
The John Hewitt
The Spaniard. Located opposite The Merchant Hotel you might spot a recognisable face in here.
The Dirty Onion
The Crown Bar. National Trust owned and a top tourist trap but no more expensive than anywhere else.

Lunch:
Boojum. Get a burrito and you won't be disappointed.

[chml]

Perfect, Mourne/Muddlers/James St South look like a good shout - the missus is from Carrick but I don't think she's been to those places

Thank you

[Ciaran]

The Muddlers Club is very good although getting a table could be an issue as it gets booked up fairly quickly.

James St South have the fine dining restaurant then the bar and grill - to be honest my preference is the bar and grill for their steaks.

The Garick Bar has a great selection of beers, it's right beside Boojum on Chichester St.

Other restaurants worth mentioning - Mumbai 27, Ginger Bistro & Howard St.

Have a good time.

[chml]

Mourne only have 5pm reservation available which is too early for us... booked into James Street South although the Bar and Grill looks good as well - is James Street South the one one the corner with the tall windows?

[chml]

Mourne only have 5pm reservation available which is too early for us... booked into James Street South although the Bar and Grill looks good as well - is James Street South the one one the corner with the tall windows?

[BelfastBlack]

You're probably thinking of Deanes which is on the corner. It's a street over from James St. South.

[ooo000ooo]

Basement on a Saturday afternoon for some traditional music while your Boojum is digesting.
Tipsy Bird isn't a bad spot for a few drinks in the evening, live music is piped upstairs but not too loud that you can't talk over it.
Spoilt in Belfast for places to go these days.

[talksthetorque]

Another recommendation for the Bar and Grill at James Street South. Smart enough without being stuffy, and good service.

[UnclePat]

chml said:

booked into James Street South although the Bar and Grill looks good as well

James Street South is very good. A notch below the likes of Michelin Star holders Deanes & OX, but not far behind - the service is more polished in those other places. It's more of a refined, white tablecloth, fine dining sort of place, although nowhere in Belfast is that massively posh/staid, we don't really overly go for uptight places. The Bar & Grill is my pick as it's more relaxed, with New York-style brick walls and specializing in steaks from their Josper Grill, plus excellent dessert cocktails. Not fine dining though, so maybe lacks that 'special' edge if you're after an occasion.

Personally, I really like 'Howard Street', which has a slight Asian influence. Again, bare brick walls, relaxed kind of place, but great value food that more than holds its own with the big boys in terms of quality and yet is more relaxed for a night out.

If you're going to James Street South and your missus hasn't been in Belfast for a while, there's a new-ish set of bars a few mins walk away, around a 'China White' club, all in the same building (near the old Technical College, now demolished) nearby called 'The Sweet Afton', 'Rita's', and 'The Perch'. The latter is a rooftop bar (I know, I know - baltic Belfast in October, bring a big coat) which offers something a little different for Belfast and is accessed via a Doorman-attended lift along a corridor with piped bird sounds. Unfortunately, tends to attract posers, but if your missus likes the fancier end of things, she'll probably like that.

For bars, as stated above, the Cathedral Quarter is the main nightlife hub - one cobbled street with about 7/8 top-class and different bars along it. The Merchant is worth it for a £10 cocktail, or Berts Jazz Bar (funnily enough, they do live jazz...). The Spaniard is one of the tiniest bars around, festooned with religious iconography - a sweat box but with real quirky character. The Harp Bar is utterly fantastic for live music. The Dirty Onion is an old Whisky Warehouse that looks impressively rustic inside & out. The Duke of York is a terrific old-style boozer with copper tabletops and a flower-lined alleyway with benches outside that gets rammed in warmer weather.

For more informal lunches, then as suggested, Boojum is a Mexican burrito place that's a bit of a cult in Belfast. There's three of them and all will serve you excellent, fresh, very informal Mexican fare for around £6. There's also a couple of American BBQ places called Bubbacue that are more expensive, but the owners started the Boojum chain before selling it and really know how to prepare meats. Harlem Cafe is a quirky little place near James Street South that has traditional style food in a trendy, eclectic decor (the really lovely but slightly eccentric owner rents out stuff as film props etc.). Home Restaurant does healthy, fresh food - but don't let that put you off, it's very tasty. Also, another vote for Ginger - it's a gem.

If you want shopping & chain eateries, then the Victoria Square complex will please your wife. When you get tired of shops, then head to the Ivory bar on the top floor for a drink outside overlooking Belfast. There's also a (free) viewing dome at the top of Victjoria Square for a 360' panorama of Belfast. Avoid the Odyssey/SSE Arena - there's nothing worthwhile out there.

Enjoy!

Edited by UnclePat on Saturday 30th September 18:16

[chml]

Thanks for the detailed reply I'm going to stick with James Street South this time as I think with our anniversary meal coming up it will be a good shout - we are over in NI quite a bit but normally we are eating out during the day or somewhere in Carrick so it will be nice to have something a little different to our usual experience. We're only over Friday until Monday but will be heading back to St. Georges Market on Sunday AM for a filled soda to soak up the night before at some of the bars mentioned

[drfrank]

Belfast is a great city to visit with great bars and restaurants.

My recommendations:

-OX - Michelin starred, very easy atmosphere, great food

Merchant Hotel - restaurant is little more formal as is the food (good but not exactly cutting edge)

Deanes - Brasserie style, good food, cooked really well.


If you have never been to Belfast before, you are in for a real treat.

[BlueHave]

The Spaniard from memory is basically a bar under the stairs in someones house.

[chml]

We are in Belfast every couple of months but this will be the first time we are having a 'nice meal' out. I'm definitely adding some of these suggestions to our future lists though!

[chml]

I've just come across Michael Deane in Belfast on TripAdvisor. Any thoughts on this place, either Meat Locker or the Fish one? Thanks

[chml]

Just to revisit this - went to James Street South on Saturday and was absolutely blown away by the food. Crab, followed by beef and then the cheese board along with a nice bottle of Malbec. Went down a storm with the missus as well which always helps.

Only slight criticism is that the service was a little rushed but we held off on the dessert for a little while so that we could enjoy it a little more. We then went onto some bars but I'll be damned if I can remember which ones after several drinks too many!

Thanks for the recommendations though, it's much appreciated.

[UnclePat]

Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for updating as to how you got on

[skeeterm5]

Try heading just south of Belfast to Balloo House in Killinchy, the chef there is Danny Miller and imho the best food in NI.