Waterman Bistro
Chef Niall McKenna closed popular hotspot Hadskis and opened the Waterman Bistro on the site of his cookery school in a period building in the Cathedral Quarter. Rated Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide, no less, the fuss-free bistro serves crowd-pleasing dishes such as shellfish spaghetti with chilli and fennel.
5-33 Hill Street
watermanhouse
OX
This Michelin-starred spot on Oxford Street is almost always fully booked and for good reason: the space is beautiful but chilled, while the kitchen works almost Noma-level wonders with seasonal Irish ingredients to make the six-course tasting menu feel like a steal. A three-course lunch (where the main might be Mourne lamb with green olive and kohlrabi leaf, or halibut with bisque, cauliflower and bergamot) is still a showstopper.
1 Oxford Street
oxbelfast.com
Molly’s Yard
Set in a converted Victorian-era stable on Botanic Avenue, this cosy bistro is regarded as one of the top tables in town for its well-sized, well-constructed plates of upscale pub grub. Start with seafood chowder with stout wheaten bread, then a Whiskey burger with smoked cheddar and onion jam. Craft beer comes courtesy of the local Hilden Brewing Company. Veggies and vegans are well taken care of, including ‘smoked salmon’ with dill.
1 College Green Mews
mollysyard.co.uk
The Muddlers Club
There’s a great buzz and swag to this Cathedral Quarter bistro. It won a well-deserved Michelin star in 2020 for County Tyrone-born chef Gareth McCaughey’s clever but pretence-free takes on classic Irish dishes that make smart use of seasonal, local ingredients. The properly satisfying, six-course tasting menu rarely disappoints and is available in veggie and vegan format.
1 Warehouse Lane
themuddlersclubbelfast.com
EDŌ
EDŌ is a cool, design-led bistro with a long bar overlooking a kitchen known for its amazing wood-fired oven. The chefs turn out perfect plates like the salt-cured beef cheek (Guardian food critic Jay Rayner approves) as well as some excellently rendered, tapas-style seafood in the highly addictive salt-cod fritters with seaweed tartar or the scallop ceviche with pickled kohlrabi.
Unit 2, 3 Capital House, Upper Queen Street
edorestaurant.co.uk
John Long's Fish & Chips
There’s no shame in just hitting up a chippy, is there? Well, not when the fish and chips are this good. Locals have been visiting John Long’s for their fish supper for a hundred years. Expect fresh battered haddock and steaming-hot beef-dripping chips in a no-frills setting (established in 1914, it feels like 1975, in a good way) and don’t forget to add on one of the tasty dips. The usual chippie alternatives (burgers, pies, battered sausages) are available if you don’t fancy fish..
39 Athol Street
johnlongs.com
mrDeanes
What was chef Alex Greenes’s Michelin-starred fine-dining Eipic, is now mrDeanes. The prolific chef, whose CV includes not one but two Gordon Ramsay kitchens (Petrus and Claridge’s), has created a more casual offering with smart bottle-green banquettes for sampling fish and chips, oysters with Guinness and vegetable tempura.
28-40 Howard Street
deaneseipic.com
Roam
If torched mackerel, jalapeño and burnt orange wet your whistle, Roam is the place for you. Equally sumptuously presented dishes include baked celeriac with turnip and summer greens. You can spot the chefs plating up in the sleek open kitchen of this modern restaurant with a fun vibe. Choose à la carte or set menus – they will all be full of locally-sourced ingredients turned into inventive yet classic dishes..
6a Callender Street
Roam
Yugo
This fun-filled spot in the city centre serves a sharing-style Asian fusion menu packed with local ingredients. Slide by for tempura broccoli with oyster sauce or duck fried rice with truffle and fried egg. The cocktails keep their end up with a five-spice dark and stormy or a toasted sesame margarita. Sip and soak up the buzz.
3 Wellington Street
yugo
Mourne Seafood Bar
Oysters and real ale, anyone? Well, that’s the vibe at this down-to-earth bar and restaurant where some of Belfast’s best seafood pairs with friendly vibes and fresh beer. Dinner sees more creative plates come to the fore – think crispy monkfish with Dundrum mussels – but, either way, everything is done with heart, with a drinks list set to please more exploratory palates. Highly recommended.
34-36 Bank Street
mourneseafood.com