8 Restaurants to Try in Belfast for a Yummy Experience!

Is this your first time in Belfast?! It would help if you planned how to spend your vacation in this beautiful city. Besides tourist attractions, your itinerary should include places to dine. Food is always part of the joy of a trip to a foreign country. The menu is the keyword here!

At least this time, you won’t have to go with the global fast food chains. After all, a McChicken or some McNuggets from McDonald’s are the last you could ask for in a city famous for its signature dishes. While in Belfast, you must sample some of its traditional flavours with contemporaries. It would help if you tasted the most popular dishes and beverages to complete your travel experience.

This article will give you a glimpse of what you should eat while in Belfast. You will also find a review of the best restaurants you should not miss during your stay.

Eating in Belfast

Belfast’s cuisine is super tasty. Its unique recipes have become characteristic of the city and have been given the thumbs-up by the majority of visitors. If you have a different opinion, that would probably be because you have not had authentic Belfastian treats yet.

Irish Stew

If you are in Belfast and have not tasted its water-mouthing Irish stew, you have lost the whole foodie experience. This dish is a tradition of Belfast, and if you go through reviews, you will find it on top of the list of best-ranked Belfastian dishes.

Ulster Fry

The Ulster fry is another local dish that you must try while in Belfast. Sausages, fried eggs, and bread are baked with beans and mushrooms and served for a yummy breakfast that will make the rest of your day.

Potato as you go

An excellent side dish would surely be the Irish champ. It is a mixture of chopped potatoes, scallions, butter, and milk, whose texture is similar to mashed potatoes. It is served with your main dish of choice. It is one of many Belfastian recipes with potato as their primary ingredients, such as potato pancakes and potato bread farl. Make sure to try them as recommended morning dishes.

Fifteens

Have you had your meal? Now is the time for Belfast’s most traditional dessert—“Fifteens.” This is a Northern Irish cake whose recipe contains 15 of each of the ingredients, such as cookies, marshmallows, cherries, and coconuts. That’s why it is called “Fifteen,” and it is served with a cup of tea, much to your relaxation.

What are the Best Belfast Restaurants to Dine in?

Belfast is the place to enjoy a meal. However, numerous restaurants make it difficult to pick the best place to pamper your stomach. This article will help you shortlist your breakfast, lunch, and dinner dining-ins. Here’s the best of the best in Belfast!

The Muddlers Club Restaurant

Scrolling down their website, precisely under the “About” section, you will find a list of awards obtained by The Muddlers Club, which is considered somewhat new.  The awards date back to 2015, when The Muddlers Club landed the “Best Restaurant Antrim, Irish Restaurant Awards”.  In 2016, it was granted the “Best Restaurant, Ulster Tatler Award”; in 2018, it got the “Commendation Irish Food and Wine Awards”.  Finally, it was awarded one Michelin Star by The Michelin Guide for Great Britain & Ireland in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.

This must have given you an idea about the food quality you are into. In this restaurant, you will find classic dishes with modern seasoning. The menu is both tasting and vegetarian. So, you will find a dish to your liking. Not just that! They have an open kitchen, much like a theatre, through which you can watch your meal prepared right before your eyes.  This also is part of the experience at The Muddlers Club Restaurant. You can find them in Unit 1, Warehouse Lane, Belfast.  

Holohan’s Pantry

This is where you can experience the taste of the traditional Irish cuisine. Everything here is top-rated, from the location in the heart of Belfast to the authentic Irish foodies and reasonable service prices. The interior design adds to the classic nature of Holohan’s Pantry.

They serve dishes that take on traditional Irish meals. This family-owned restaurant’s menu includes steak sandwiches, salads, fish, and soup. But they are best known for their “boxty” – a potato and buttermilk dish. They have an “early bird” and a “breakfast” menu coming soon, so you might also want to try that.

This restaurant also offers an online booking service through its “Book a table” page. Simply select the date and time, and they will be ready to welcome you to the warm atmosphere of their comforting two-storey Victorian house.

You can find Holohan’s Pantry at 43 University Road, Belfast. They are close to Queen’s University and next to Villa Italia. Make sure not to go past it while you are still in Belfast.

Darcy’s Belfast

This is another family-run restaurant that serves classic dishes. Their mains include Irish Chicken, Irish Ham, and Irish Stew. With some tweaks from the present, traditional dishes have top-notch local ingredients that will keep your appetite up.

Located in the heart of Belfast, Darcy’s menu also features fish and vegetarian dishes. There is no doubt about it; you will find your craving in the fantastic ambience of this traditional eatery. You can find them at 10 Bradbury Place, Belfast.

OX Belfast

Overlooking the River of Lagan, this restaurant pays excellent attention to vegetables and fruit, serving them as mains on their menu, including fish and meat. That’s why it is trendy among vegetarians.

Awarded a Michelin Star, OX Belfast would be a top gastronomic experience after you have had your aperitif at the cave next to it, the “Cave by Ox”. It is open for lunch and dinner from Thursday to Saturday. On Wednesdays, only dinner is served. You can find them at 1 Oxford Street, Belfast.

Molly’s Yard

This award-winning restaurant has been in the business since 2005. Molly’s Yard got the “Best Newcomer Ulster” award from the Restaurant Association of Ireland three months after their inauguration.

Choosing to dine at Molly’s Yard, you should arrive with an empty stomach to have your significant share of refined Irish dishes containing local beef, venison, and seabream produce. Besides the tasting menu, this restaurant has many vegetarian options on its vegan menu. A menu for children is also available at Molly’s Yard. And guess what? Dogs are allowed to their outdoor dining area. This place sure has its guests covered.

It opens Monday through Saturday and closes on Sundays. You can find them at 1 College Green Mews, Botanic Avenue, Belfast.

The Dirty Onion & Yardbird

Now that’s something to see!! Housed inside Belfast’s oldest building, which was constructed in 1780, the Dirty Onion is a modern take on traditional Irish pubs. You will enjoy live music as you have your drink inside this low-ceiling place, whose courtyard stretches out to Hill Street. 

Upstairs is Yardbird, a rotisserie chicken restaurant. Here, you will order your chicken and watch it being cooked before your eyes. The menu is not big, but the taste is out of this world!! Their chickens are marinated in lemon, buttermilk, and paprika for 24 hours before they are cooked and served to guests. It will be like so much yummy in your tummy!! 

Bookings are allowed for up to 6 people per table. Otherwise, Yardbird operates on a first-come, first-served basis. It is open all days of the week from noon to 11:00 p.m. and is located at 3 Hill Street, Belfast.

Granny Annies

Here, you will enjoy your meal in the company of live music playing seven nights a week. It is a family-operated restaurant with a tempting gastro menu and fresh local produce.

Served with love, lunch could be ordered all day from noon onwards. Granny Annies also serves traditional roasts on Sundays. A children’s menu is also available here.

Big Granny’s Fry is served for breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Fridays to Sundays, and the a la carte menu is served from 3:00 p.m. till late at night. The restaurant’s beautiful décour and cosy atmosphere will make you feel as if you are really at your granny’s. It is an Irish trad in every sense of the word.  You can find them at 81 Chichester Street, Belfast.

The Ginger Bistro

Voted the best restaurant in Northern Ireland, The Ginger Bistro of Belfast serves lunch pre-theatre and dinner with homemade bread that makes dishes tastier. It is the place where you can have a good Irish meal from their local and classic cuisine.  

In addition to the mains and sides, The Ginger Bistro serves homemade puddings for dessert. Their menu has plenty of options for after-dinner drinks or green bean coffee.

The Ginger Bistro is open on Wednesdays through Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and Tuesdays. Reservations are recommended for dinner. The Ginger Bistro is located at 68/72 Great Victoria Street, Belfast.

Dining in Belfast is so Much Fun!

Yes!!! Belfast is a city with a good taste for food. The eating experience here is like no other place, and the local ingredients are premium. Good hospitality defines almost every restaurant in Belfast and attracts many diners. Eating in Belfast is an excellent experience from booking in to booking out.