Belfast Restaurants and Dining

(Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK)



Belfast Restaurants and DiningBelfast's extensive range of restaurants, cafés and public houses assume a cosmopolitan character, with flavours from all around the world. These Belfast eateries range from basic snack bars and coffee shops, to high-class Belfast restaurants and gourmet haunts. Belfast provides the largest concentration and best choice of restaurants in Northern Ireland and offers a truly world-class selection of restaurants.

Dublin Road, Botanic Road and Belfast's Golden Mile provide the greatest selection of restaurants in Belfast. Also, numerous bakeries and cafés are located throughout Belfast's major shopping areas, although most of these close at 17:30 or 18:00, except on Thursday, when many stay open until around 21:00. Other areas in Belfast that provide a good choice of Belfast restaurants and general Belfast eateries include Queen's University area, north of Donegall Square, Belfast's Cornmarket, Dunbar Street, Donegall Quay, Malone Road, Bradbury Place and Botanic Avenue.


The area around Belfast's St. Anne's is fast becoming a trendy area of the city, with many restaurants and bars, and provides a lively atmosphere at night. Restaurants in Belfast are usually excellent value for money and most restaurants offer discounts on meals for both children and senior citizens eating in Belfast.

Breakfast

If you plan to eat breakfast outside of your hotel, then Belfast offers a variety of options in the central Belfast area. One of the most popular places to eat breakfast in Belfast is at the city's numerous coffee shops, which include popular brands like Starbucks, Caffe Nero and Costa Coffee. Most coffee shops in Belfast open at around 07:30 and serve coffee, hot chocolate, teas and a wide choice of pastries. Other options include a number of central bars, which serve full-Irish breakfasts in their restaurant areas, such as sausages, bacon and eggs, as well as other more continental alternatives.

Belfast Restaurants and Dining

Lunch

Lunch in Belfast is one of the most popular meals of the day and many Belfast restaurants, brasseries, cafés and bars attract people by reducing their prices during lunchtime. Lunch is generally taken between 11:30 to 14:30 and a typical lunchtime menu in Belfast restaurants is identical to the evening dinner menu, but often cheaper, offering excellent value for money. These are spread throughout central Belfast, but are particularly concentrated in Belfast city centre and the surrounding area of Belfast, serving modern Belfast cuisine.

Belfast has many exceptional cafés where you can eat sophisticated salads, exotic well-prepared food or simple, inexpensive light meals.
Belfast pub lunches offer large and varied lunchtime menus and are often very busy. Most public houses serve food from around 11:30 onwards and some offer particularly adventurous cuisines, while others serve traditional Belfast food. A number of pubs in Belfast have separate restaurant areas and have become highly regarded in the Belfast area. The atmosphere in many of Belfast's pubs is friendly and the local Belfast brew is usually Caffrey's ale or Belfast gin. Traditional, folk music is played in some places, while hearty local Belfast specialities, such as champ and Irish stew, are served in other Belfast pubs and eateries.

Belfast Restaurants - Fast-Food Outlets

Belfast offers numerous fast-food restaurants and outlets in central Belfast, and these provide a wide choice of food, which is ideal for picnics in Belfast's nearby park areas and central squares. These Belfast fast-food restaurants and outlets include Pizza Express, Spuds, Feasts, burger bars and a number of smaller, local shops. Belfast's Bradbury Place has the largest number of big names in fast food, although there are many other excellent fast food outlets in Belfast. including Internet cafés.

Other lunchtime snacks can be purchased from Belfast's countless bakeries and sandwich shops, which provide a good selection of freshly made sandwiches, baguettes, salads, pasties, sausage rolls and cakes.

Dinner

Belfast restaurants generally open for dinner in Belfast at around 18:00 and stay open until around 23:30 or later, although many Belfast restaurants may open earlier or may actually be open throughout the day. There are so many Belfast restaurants, brasseries and bistros to choose from that you are almost spoilt for choice. Belfast restaurants range from fairly inexpensive bar food to the most luxurious food, in gourmet restaurants.

If you are looking for a good evening out where you can drink and eat, try the Crown Liquor Saloon on Victoria Street. This gas-lit Victorian public house has been well preserved by the National Trust and features Victorian-etched windows, private booths and many period features. It is usually worth reserving your table in advance at Belfast's Crown Liquor Saloon.