Belfast cuisine: pub grub to 5-star
private snugs at the Crown Liquor saloon, Belfast
Food and drink and more
For those seeking traditional Irish food, pubs, Irish stew, Guinness and oysters, and fish and chips abound. But chefs are preparing local ingredients in innovative ways. Belfast’s culinary scene has runs the gamut from pub grub to five-star dining. There are two are Michelin-star restaurants — Ox, on Oxford Street, and Deanes Eipic, on Howard Street.
cozy tables at a Belfast pub
If you like, your food and drink can be enjoyed in one of the grand historic buildings that date to the golden age when Belfast industries like linen production and ship building were the best in the world.
The Crown Liquor Saloon (1876) on Great Victoria Street is one of only two UK pubs owned by the National Trust. It was built as a Victorian Gin Palace with elaborate mosaic tile designs, and woodwork carved for the Titanic’s sister ship, Britannic.
The Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast, Northern Ireland
The stained glass windows and enclosed booths or “snugs” are designed for privacy and a cozy ambience.
Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast
Caroline Wilson’s guided Belfast Food Tours are a good way to sample dozens of different foods and drinks in top venues around the city.
seafood platter, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Old Bushmills sign, Belfast, Northern Ireland
champ at a pub, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Irish coffee. Belfast, Northern Ireland
The most authentic way to start the day is with a hearty Irish cooked breakfast—fried bacon, eggs, the sausages known as black and white pudding, tomato, beans, mushrooms, soda bread. Or try some porridge topped with honey and whiskey.
black and white pudding & mushrooms,
breakfast bacon and sausage
soda bread
For the freshest of seafood, perhaps a traditional favorite like Guinness and oysters, try Mourne’s seafood.
Guinness and oysters, Mourne’s Seafood, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Mourne Seafood, Belfast
Experience 5-star dining at the luxurious Merchant Hotel’s Great Room restaurant in the Cathedral Quarter. With its elaborate plasterwork, gilded frieze and the largest chandelier in Ireland, it offers ultimate elegance for breakfast, lunch, dinner or afternoon tea. It is in the restored former Ulster Bank headquarters.
Merchant Hotel building detail, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Merchant Hotel’s Great Room restaurant, Belfast, Northern Ireland
You will need a reservation for Noble, in Holywood, a local favorite with fine food that is just outside the city. The promotional prices on 2 and 3 course dinners make Noble one of the best buys in the Belfast area.
crab appetizer, Noble , Holywood, Northern Ireland
crayfish, Noble, Holywood, Northern Ireland
Fancy a Belfast Bap, an Ulster Fry, traditional Irish baked goods? The award-winning St. George’s Market, a Victorian Covered Market built 1890-1896, is one of the best in the UK. It is a top choice for sampling a range of local specialties all under one roof, selecting the makings of a picnic, and for browsing locally produced souvenirs.
Ulster Fry, St. George’s Market, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast Bap Co., St. George’s Market, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast Bellybusters, St. George’s Market, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Baked goods, St. George’s Market, Belfast, Noirthern Ireland
There’s a Friday Variety Market, Saturday City Food and Craft Market, and a Sunday Market, with more arts and crafts. Local music plays on weekends and a free shuttle runs from the city center.
St. George’s Market, Belfast, Northern Ireland
St. George’s Market, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Belfast is known for its music scene. It is Van ‘Brown Eyed Girl” Morrison’s hometown and Snow Patrol’s first gig was in Belfast’s Duke of York pub.
Duke of York Pub, in the lively historic alleyway Commercial Court, Belfast.