Looking for the top restaurants in Belfast? You’re in the right place.

Every spot on this page has been featured in Belfast Insider; tried, tested, and worth your time and money. From date night steakhouses to low-key local gems, this is where to eat in Belfast right now.

Updated weekly.

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Best for: Date night | Special occasions

Just around the corner from Orisha sits Edo. Michelin-recognised since 2023, and it shows. The Braised Beef Cheek with Potato Mousseline is deep, rich, meltingly tender — the kind of dish you talk about on the way home. The Bertha-cooked Bream with Portavogie Prawns and Ibérico Butter is where local produce meets serious technique. Wood-fired. Skin crisp. Balanced.

Must try: Order both if you can. Intimate, grown-up dining that's worth every penny.

Little Victoria Street, City Centre | Mains £18–21, Desserts from £8 | Wed–Sat 12–9:30pm | Sun Closed edorestaurant.co.uk | @edobelfast

Best for: Special occasions | Tasting menus | Valentine’s

Six courses built around a rotating theme — always changing, always worth it. The Lost in Paris menu ran red candles, aged beef tartare, black pollock with lobster jus, roasted chicken with boudin blanc and truffle ketchup, and a barbecued leek with Gruyère royale that was the highlight of the night. Fine dining without the stuffiness. Cathedral Quarter’s best date night.

Price: Around £127 for two with wine for six courses.

Cathedral Quarter  |  29–31 Waring Street, BT1 2DX

sixbynico.co.uk  |  @sixbynicobelfast

Best for: Groups | Interactive dining | Date night

Teppanyaki done properly. Live cooking stations, flame moments, and generous portions. The Godzilla Roll stood out but the Tenderloin Beef Fillet stole the show. Staff sharp, atmosphere lively but controlled. Book ahead for weekends — it fills up fast.

Shaftesbury Square, City Centre  |  16–19 Shaftesbury Square

firestoneni.com  |  028 9013 2835

Best for: Date night | Midweek dinner | Special occasions

The beef Wellington is the main event. Brown butter bread sets the tone. The crème brûlée tart finishes it properly. Elegant city centre dining with big flavours and proper execution — works for date nights, midweek meals, or a proper Sunday dinner.

City Centre  |  17 Brunswick Street, BT2 7GE  |  028 9013 6051

Mon 5–9pm  |  Tue–Thu 12–4pm & 5–9pm  |  Fri 12–4pm & 5–9:30pm  |  Sat 11am–4pm & 5–9:30pm  |  Sun 2–9pm

Starters £10–14.50  |  Mains £23–38  |  Sides £5.50

Best for: Date night | Special occasions

A Belfast staple that still delivers. The 35-day salt-aged sirloin is dry-aged in their own butchery and arrives raw on a hot stone — you cook it exactly how you want it. Part dinner, part theatre. The slow-braised lamb shoulder with Massaman sauce and Bombay potatoes is not your typical steakhouse dish and worth ordering alongside.

Must try: The stone experience. Non-negotiable. Save room for the Baked Alaska or Strawberry & Pistachio Dome. Non-drinkers are sorted with zero-percent cocktails from £9.95.

Ballyhackamore, East Belfast  |  Mains from £26, steak from £36  |  Wed–Sat 12:30–10pm  |  Sun 12:30–9pm

stixandstonesbelfast.co.uk  |  028 9013 4990

Best for: Destination dining | Sunday lunch | Special occasions

A beautifully restored 18th-century water mill outside Belfast that’s worth the drive. The rotisserie chicken with jus gras, shawarma and za’atar chimichurri is the current star. The radiatore alla poitin — tomato, burrata, sesame chilli oil — is a standout pasta. Veggie? The roast cauliflower shawarma with spiced lentils and zhoug is a serious win. Save room for the Basque cheesecake. Ottolenghi-backed, Mediterranean-leaning, and proper destination dining even when it’s lashing rain outside.

Dundonald, outside Belfast  |  231 Belfast Road, Dundonald BT16 1UE  |  Closed Mondays

Pastas £14–18  |  Mains £18–24  |  Starters £8–12  |  Desserts £6–7.50

capparelli.co.uk  |  Dinner bookings essential

Best for: Cheap eats | Takeaway | Chinese

Alana & Josh called it one of the best chicken curries in Belfast and the sticky rice cake crackers — “like prawn crackers on steroids” — are apparently the only ones in the city. Proper portions, quality chicken, no nonsense. “One of the nicest Chinese we’ve had in a long time.” — Alana & Josh

Stranmillis  |  102 Stranmillis Road, BT9 5AE  |  Mains ~£9.50

Best for: Quick lunch | Groups | Japanese

Serving authentic Japanese since the early 2000s and still one of the most reliable spots in Belfast. The sushi train on the ground floor is a Belfast rite of passage. Get there for the lunch special Monday–Friday 12–3pm: main course £11.50, starters from £3.20. Tip: grab a seat by the sushi train and don’t miss the dragon roll if it passes by.

Botanic  |  Botanic Avenue, Belfast BT7  |  Lunch Mon–Fri 12–3pm

Lunch mains £11.50  |  Starters £3.20  |  Cocktails £7.95  |  @belfastfoodiegirl

Best for: Cheap lunch | Local pub grub | Value

£10 lunch menu Monday to Friday, 12–4pm. Smoked haddock and prawn chowder with wheaten bread, open steak sandwich with pepper sauce and tobacco onions, or a full Ulster fry on soda and potato bread. Add fries for £1.50. One of the best lunch values in the city right now. Classic Belfast bar with a proper kitchen behind it.

Antrim Road, North Belfast  |  466 Antrim Road, BT15 5GE  |  Mon–Fri 12–4pm

Best for: Casual | New opening | Chicken wings

Order the hickory smoked barbecue wings (10/10), the lemon pepper fries (10/10), and dip everything in the ranch — apparently the best fast-food dip in the game. The Cajun corn is a hidden gem. The white chocolate Oreo churros are not talked about enough. Avoid the lemon pepper corn. NI Food Reviews has eaten through the whole menu so you don’t have to.

Boucher Road, South Belfast  |  @nifoodreviews for the full review

Best for: Weekend brunch | Coffee | East Belfast

The almond croissants are one of the reasons people come. The eggs on rosti — poached eggs, potato rosti, avocado and chive — are the reason they stay. Packed with a cheerful bunch of patrons on a Sunday morning and warm, bustling energy from the moment you walk in. This place gets it right.

East Belfast  |  373 Beersbridge Road, BT5 5EB  |  Wed–Sun 9am–3pm

Mains £8–12  |  Croissants £3.50  |  @halt_east

Best for: Specialty coffee | Working lunch | Hidden gem

The cardamom flat white is the standout — the kind of drink you think about when your home setup isn’t cutting it. For something more adventurous try the Autumn in Kyoto (hojicha, red miso, maple) or Saint Nicholas (iced coffee with spiced cream and candied orange). The festive sando with turkey saltimbocca and potato rosti is worth the 25-minute wait. Modern, warm, genuine welcome.

Gilnahirk Road, East Belfast  |  28 Gilnahirk Road  |  Mon–Fri 8am–3pm  |  Sat–Sun 9am–3pm

Around £26 per person  |  @cultura.cof

Best for: Weekday lunch | City centre | Grab and go

The city centre spot that gets it right without making a fuss about it. The peppered chicken wrap is the top pick. The £8 meal deal — sandwich or wrap, crisps or cookie, canned drink — is strong value for a city centre lunch. Sit in or grab and go. Feels local, feels welcoming, feels like somewhere you’ll return to.

City Centre  |  Upper Arthur Street, Belfast

Best for: Groups | A proper night out | Worth the drive

The only place in Northern Ireland we’ve gone back to twice on the same trip. Signature wings, apple-glazed pork belly, a rump steak that hit the spot, and a king prawn pasta good enough to order two days running. The piña colada mocktail earned a second order the following day. Tucked down a winding road near the town centre and completely worth every minute of the drive from Belfast.

Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh  |  26 Townhall Street, BT74 7BA  |  Mon–Sun 12–11pm

Mains £15–25  |  Cocktails & mocktails ~£8  |  028 6632 5210  |  @thefirehouseenniskillen

Looking for more places to eat in Belfast? Check back weekly. This guide is updated every Thursday with new restaurant discoveries, hidden gems, and local favourites from Belfast Insider.

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Last updated: March 2026