Places to eat in Belfast

Where better to begin than with Belfast’s duo of delightful Michelin Star restaurants. First off is OX. This sublime 40-seat restaurant overlooks the River Lagan from a brilliant location at No. 1 Oxford Street. Expect a tantalizing two-hour tasting menu using seasonal vegetables and only the finest meat and fish. It’s owned and run by a chef-sommelier pair of long-time friends who met while working in restaurants in Paris. It’s not as formal as most Michelin Star restaurants, but the food is serious business.

Deanes Eipic is Belfast’s second Michelin Star restaurant and the pinnacle of a trio of brilliant eateries owned and run by Belfast’s most celebrated chef, Michael Deane. Eipic offers innovative, exceptional tasting menus in an elegant and refined setting. It’s fine dining and probably not an everyday option. Deanes Meat Locker is a grill restaurant that’ll knock your socks off, while Deanes Love Fish is all about fresh seafood and shellfish. You’ll find all three sharing the same stylish home on Howard Street, barely more than a five-minute walk from our Alfred Street hotel.

As well as their coveted stars, Michelin also awards Bib Gourmands to small restaurants which offer exceptional food at great value. Another of Michael Deane’s restaurants, Deanes at Queens, has a Bib Gourmand for its delicious bistro-style dining and beautiful terrace in the University Quarter.

Belfast’s other Bib Gourmands can be found at the brilliant Home on Wellington Place, the enormously popular James St on James Street South, in Holywood at Fontana and – perhaps our favourite neighbourhood restaurant in Belfast at the moment – Noble.

The Michelin Guide isn’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to great restaurants in Belfast. The Muddlers Club, for example, is an industrial-styled and exceptionally tasty bistro in the shadow of St Anne’s Cathedral on Warehouse Lane.

Holohan’s Pantry is a family-run bistro in the University Quarter with a traditional menu of proper Irish food using only the best local produce. Holohan’s at the Barge is their other equally-excellent eatery moored near Waterfront Hall – one of your best Belfast entertainment picks.

Yügo is a seriously-stylish Asian fusion restaurant with great vegan options on Wellington Street. Try the pho, it is absolutely phenomenal. If creative Asian eats are your bag then you’ll also want to visit Jumon on Fountain Street for the best Laksa outside Malacca.

The Ginger Bistro is another hugely popular restaurant with a stylish setting around the corner from Great Victoria Street station. Lastly, Made in Belfast has two cool and casual restaurants, one on Wellington Street near City Hall, the other on Talbot Street in the Cathedral Quarter. Both utilise the best of local produce across some properly delicious menus. Try the crispy pork belly, or the venison pie, or the chicken supreme, or anything for that matter!

Maggie Mays on Botanic Avenue is a family-run cafe chain with an easy-going attitude to mealtimes. You can order all-day breakfast, all-day dinner, and if you’ve been ticking off our Belfast nightlife recommendations you’ll enjoy the fact dishes are ordered based on their hangover-curing ability.

Established Coffee does the best coffee in Belfast, no questions asked. There’s also a delightful menu of breakfast, brunch and lunch options including an especially-delicious chorizo hash. Harlem Cafe on Bedford Street is up there with the coolest cafes in Belfast. It’s great for charcuterie and sharing plates.

Lastly, if you’re thinking of ticking off the many Belast activities around the Titanic Quarter, remember to call into The Dock Cafe when you get peckish or fancy a cuppa. It’s unlike anywhere you’ll have eaten before. You can take your pick of tea, coffee, soup, scones, cakes and tray bakes. That sounds normal enough, but what sets The Dock Cafe apart is that it’s an “honesty box cafe” run by volunteers. There’s no till, you just pay what you want when you leave.