The Best Restaurants in Belfast

This aptly named restaurant offers something different – and more than a little playful – to the Belfast dining scene. Found in the same neighbourhood as Queen’s University, it’s easiest to identify when the front door is festooned with flowers. Chef-Owner Gemma Austin has brought the fun and creativity of children’s imaginations to her restaurant, serving afternoon teas and an evening tasting menu with a healthy dose of theatricality. Gemma oversees not just the kitchen but the décor too, which changes regularly with the menu. Despite the great fun to be had, there’s nothing frivolous about the cooking, which makes good use of quality ingredients in well-flavoured and innovative dishes.

Despite no longer having a no-menu concept, there’s still an enticing air of mystery around dining at Blank. Their signature tasting menu is presented as a list of ingredients, in no particular order, that will appear during the service. Diners are given no clue as to when or how ingredients like Mourne Mountains lamb and Irish truffles will appear, just their place of origin. What you can be sure of is ambitious dishes based on fine produce, with the well-drilled and knowledgeable team on hand to make the experience run as smoothly as possible. For those who like a little more control over what they're eating, an à la carte is also available at every service except Saturday night.

Over on the east side of the city, in the suburb of Ballyhackamore, sits this deservedly popular neighbourhood bistro with a lively atmosphere. It’s open all day and offers a selection of wide-ranging menus, including vegan options, a children’s menu and special deals for a host of occasions. The enthusiastic team run the place with aplomb and seem to be having as much fun as the diners. Add in the flavoursome cooking and you can see how this would quickly become your go-to for any sort of celebration.

The gastronomic landscape of Belfast owes a great debt to Chef Michael Deane. His numerous restaurants offer something for every taste and a variety of budgets. This is one of his simpler offerings, which delivers consistently enjoyable food with an appealing price tag – making it a worthy recipient of a Bib Gourmand. Located, as the name suggests, by Queen’s University Belfast, it's a spacious yet bustling modern brasserie offering refined dishes and big flavours. Meats cooked in the Mibrasa charcoal oven are a feature of the menu, but it may well be dessert that sticks in your memory. If panna cotta is on the menu, be sure to go for it.

You’re spoilt for choice at this smart and trendy brasserie, whose name translates as ‘I eat’. Another of Belfast's Bib Gourmand restaurants, dishes here are good value and perfect for sharing. The cooking is internationally influenced, but Spain reigns supreme with the likes of paella, patatas bravas and pan con tomate all making an appearance. Many dishes also come from the Bertha oven, where they are cooked over apple or pear wood. The fun doesn’t stop at the food, with cocktails aplenty complementing a range of tequilas and a sensibly priced wine list. Warm and welcoming service helps to contribute to a lively buzz. To best soak up the atmosphere, grab a seat at the long kitchen counter in the heart of the action.

Just round the corner from EDŌ, this upbeat restaurant benefits from a smiling team who provide a wonderfully warm welcome. The cheery feel is enhanced by a plethora of foliage decorating the room, along with work from local artists and a good buzz to the atmosphere. The cooking itself has a rustic edge and delivers bags of flavour thanks to the well-sourced ingredients. The extensive menus not only offer plenty of choice but also cater well for a range of diners, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options available.

Any discussion of the Belfast dining scene wouldn’t be complete without mentioning local chef and restaurateur Niall McKenna’s long-standing modern bistro. He’s employed several chefs over the years and knows how to adapt and react to the times. There’s a pleasant buzz in the air which fits well with the exposed brickwork and high ceiling. Steaks cooked on the Josper grill are likely to go down well, but the kitchen is equally adept at fish dishes. If you’re partial to a whiskey, then there’s a fair few to choose from.

Just three minutes’ walk away is The Fitzwilliam Hotel Belfast, which is recommended by Michelin.

Stephen Toman worked with some of the best chefs in France before returning to his home city of Belfast to open what is now one of its finest restaurants. Holding a Michelin Star since 2016, OX is a stone’s throw from the River Lagan and offers an understated yet wholly enjoyable experience. Stephen’s cooking is wonderfully refined, with flavours and textures all perfectly balanced, and his dishes are often more complex than they initially appear. Vegetables, in particular, are treated with great respect. The adjoining OX Cave is an ideal place to enjoy a glass of wine chosen by Sommelier and Restaurant Manager Alain Kerloc’h, who Stephen met during his travels in France.

Another of Belfast’s Michelin Star restaurants, The Muddlers Club is named after the secret society that used to meet here in the back streets of the city’s Cathedral Quarter over 200 years ago. One wonders what they would make of the place now, with its industrial style and skull-based décor. You can bet they’d appreciate the food though. Chef Gareth McCaughey’s cooking looks to the classics for the base, adding restrained modern touches. He also champions quality local produce and doesn’t overcomplicate things in unfussy, honest and hearty dishes. Your dessert may well be the highlight, which is no surprise given Gareth started out as a pastry chef.

Staying the night? The Merchant Hotel is just a few steps away.