Restaurants

Budget

Crown Dining Rooms, 46 Great Victoria St, Tel: 9027 9901. Above the Crown Liquor Saloon, this is a great place to eat local food in cosy surroundings. Ticks all the boxes for a warming meal on a cold day, but can be a little crowded with tourists: don’t be surprised if you hear more American accents than Nortnern Irish.

Little Italy Pizza, 13, Amelia St Tel: 028 9031 4914. If you’re out on the town, this is the perfect place for something to soak up the booze. Just around the corner from the Crown Bar, this place does the very best (and the cheapest) pizza in Belfast.

Archana, 53 Dublin Rd, Tel: 9032 3713. Just opposite Pizza Hut. A great Indian restaurant with even better deals at lunchtime.

Moghul Restaurant, 62a, Botanic Avenue, Tel: 9032 6677. This fine Indian restaurant has good value lunch deals, and is a handy starting point for a night out on the Golden Mile.

Doorsteps Sandwiches, 455 Lisburn Rd, Tel: 9068 1645. A good place for sandwiches, which are large enough to justify the name of the café, and which are exceptionally good value.

Maggie Mays, 50 Botanic Avenue, Tel: 9032 2662. Anyone who has had a hangover in Belfast has had Maggie Mays’ Ulster fry. For just £3.95 you get a hefty traditional Ulster breakfast (bacon, sausage, egg, fried bread, soda bread etc). The cosy interior is decorated with paintings and street signs from around Belfast. Service can be patchy, but the main reason to come here is the food. Avoid more than weekly visits, your heart will thank you.

Common Grounds, 12 -24 University Ave, Tel: 9032 6589. Fresh soups, chunky sandwiches, divine cakes and frequent live music or poetry reading events. This bright yet cosy café (underneath a church hall, but don’t let that put you off) has great food, tea and coffee, and a large room to the rear for events. A portion of each month’s profits go to help a community project or charity in the third world.

Clements Coffee, 4 Donegall Square West, Castle St, 37-39 Rosemary St, 66 Botanic Avenue, 139 Stranmillis Rd, 342 Lisburn Rd. Another reason why Starbucks Coffee have yet to make much progress in Belfast, largely due to the popularity of this Belfast coffee chain, which only sells fairtrade coffee. Bagels, sandwiches, cakes, soups and snacks are all reasonably priced.

The John Hewitt, 51 Donegall St, 9023 3768. Decently priced meals are available during the day and until 9pm in this popular Cathedral Quarter pub. Big plates with well sourced local ingredients and traditional meals. One of the best pubs for lunch in the city.

Nex D’Or, 34 Castle St and 13 Rosemary St. Oh, Belfast, where did you go? Proof that some parts of this city are resisting the onslaught of urban renewal, café lattés and trendification. When you really need classless comfort food in a smokey low level diner, nowhere is better than the two branches of Nex D’Or. Don’t expect the world’s finest food, but do expect fond memories of what this town used to be like. Cheap as hell, and that’s not just the menu.

Loaf Cafe, Maureen Sheehan Centre, 106 Albert Street, Belfast (Just around the corner from the International mural wall on the Falls Road and across from St Peter’s Cathedral), ☎ 02890900071, [new]. 8.30 am - 3pm; Monday to Friday. Loaf Cafe. Just around the corner from the International mural wall on the Falls Road and across from St Peter’s Cathedral this lovely little cafe which serves a great range of breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea options. Check out their lovely lunch specials and pizza meal deal for 2 on a Wednesday! Profits from Loaf are used to support local people with learning disabilities Lunch approx £3.50

Apartment [59], 2 Donegall Square West, Tel: 9050 9777. Belfast’s most stylish venue with amazing views over City Hall. Raised above Belfast’s bustling streets this cosmopolitan bar & restaurant has it all to offer - whether its coffee & croissants, lunch & cocktails or wine & dinner. At night Apartment transforms from a modern eatery to a busy lounge bar with cool urban beats from some of Belfast’s top DJ’s. Apartment’s ever evolving Cocktail List is the most extensive in Belfast with some of the city’s finest & most original blends. With the finest wine & champagne on offer, Apartment is really the place to be seen.

The Merchant Hotel [60]- Belfast’s most opulent hotel. A sumptuous, intimate and welcoming hotel in the heart of The Cathedral Quarter, in Belfast’s city centre. The Merchant Hotel offers unrivalled service in a luxurious, beautifully appointed and historically significant building.

The King’s Head [61], 829 Lisburn Road, Tel: 9050 9950. A recent, major refurbishment has seen The King’s Head re-open and quickly become one of the Lisburn Road’s finest venues, combining both fresh food and local character. A 120 seater restaurant, dedicated Live Lounge, Gastro Pub & beer garden allow you to have the complete entertainment experience under one roof. All the luxury touches with excellent customer service without the formailty.

Cayenne Restaurant, 7 Ascot House, Shaftsbury Square, Tel: 9033 1532. Famous chefs Paul & Jeanne Rankin’s Cayenne is a well established place for quality and funky food. Pre theater menus cost £12.

Restaurant Michael Deane, First Floor 36-40 Howard Street (Brasserie on ground floor), Tel: 028 9033 1134. Belfast’s only Michelin Star restaurant, ideal for all the frills dining but despite the accolades it is not overly stuffy.