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On a Budget
Shoppers in Belfast city are well aware of the simple well prepared dishes served at the Hawthorne Coffee Shop ( 44 28 9038 4705), located rather improbably in a Furniture store, Fulton's in Boucher Crescent. Go early at lunch time, there will be a crowd.
The John Hewitt ( 44 28 9023 3768) pub beside St Anne's Cathedral serves food that is a cut above average in a lovely traditional pub. Eat to a jazz accompaniment on Friday evenings.
Bishops Chip Shop at Bradbury Place with its marble tables and open fires doesn't look like an ordinary chipper and its food is filling, tasty and cheap. Have the cod with mushy peas! If money is really tight, get a take away.
Middle Range
Nobody should visit Belfast without going to the famous Crown Liquor Saloon ( 44 28 9027 9901) in Victoria St at least for a drink, but they also serve good value food at lunch time, with a range of simple but hearty dishes. The sausages with mashed potato (Bangers & Mash) are yummy. The surroundings are simply wonderful - genuine Victorian bar furnishings in a listed building. Pricey though, for what it is.
The Cayenne Restaurant ( 44 28 9033 1532) on Shaftsbury Square is the flagship restaurant of celebrity chefs Paul and Jeanne Rankin, and serves interesting food in very cool surroundings. The set dinner menu is exceptional value.
The Rankins' Rain City Cafe Grill ( 44 28 9068 2929) on the Malone Road, an expensive Belfast suburb, is a sort of upmarket American diner with a great atmosphere and above average food for the price.
The Water Margin ( 44 28 9032 6888) is a huge Chinese restaurant on the Ormeau Road, located in a converted church and always crowded at weekends. The menu is mind bogglingly huge and varied, with everything from standard Chinese restaurant fare to some really unusual and interesting dishes. You will find plenty of Chinese people dining here, always a good sign.
High End
Restaurant Michael Deane ( 44 28 9033 1134) on Howard St is Belfast's only Michelin starred restaurant and the place to go for serious foodies. The food in innovative, memorable and perfectly prepared. It is also expensive, but for those whose budgets won't stretch so far Deane's Brasserie downstairs is a lower priced and excellent alternative.
James Street South ( 44 28 9043 4310)is a cool and sophisticated restaurant on, you guessed it, James Street, with an exciting menu using excellent ingredients and very creative cooking. They are particularly good at creating interesting vegetarian options, often a weak spot for high end places. The pre-theatre dinner menu is extraordinarily good value. Highly recommended.
Hotels and Restaurants
Roscoff
N Ireland's only Michelin Star restaurant provides fine service and cuisine in a bright modern setting. Chef/proprietor Paul Rankin trained with Albert Roux at the internationally renowned Le Gavroche in London. Paul is continually searching out and working with local growers to ensure the finest ingredients in his dishes which combine the modern French style with healthy Californian influences. An extensive first class list of wines is available.
Husband and wife team Paul and Jeanne Rankin run a successful restaurant and food business in Belfast. Their first restaurant, Roscoff, won Northern Ireland's first Michelin star. They now run Roscoff Brasserie, which has a more informal feel, as well as a number of other restaurants and cafes.The pair appeared together in their TV culinary journey Gourmet Ireland in the mid-1990s and now run a successful food business of the same name selling luxury food.
Pubs - Morning Star
In the heart of Belfast is one of the city's most historic pubs. Dating back to the C19, the Morning Star retains its very special atmosphere while offering the best in food and service. Food is served in both the public bar and the more discreet upstairs restaurant/lounge. The best of local produce is featured on the menu and specialities include local seafood, home reared (free range) meat and poultry, and the best of Ulster vegetables. The special gourmet nights held on the last Saturday of each month are not to be missed.
Coffee Shops - Bewley's Oriental Cafe
In the heart of Belfast's pedestrianised shopping district, this is a branch of the famous traditional Irish cafe company which is a favourite among the natives and in operation for over 150 years. Bewley's offers a wide range of their own excellently blended and roasted coffees, blended teas and splendid home baked pastries and savouries.
Excerpt from "Belfast 2006" by Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau
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