Food · Belfast · United Kingdom
What to eat in Belfast
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Belfast, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Ulster fry, Soda bread and potato bread and Champ. Friday's variety market and the Saturday and Sunday food markets bring together local producers, cheesemakers, fishmongers and street-food stalls under one Victorian roof. Many pubs serve food from lunchtime into the early evening; check kitchen times if you plan a late meal.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Ulster fry
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- About 10% is usual in restaurants with table service, unless a service charge is already…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Breakfast
1.Ulster fry
Northern Ireland's fried breakfast stands out for its breads: triangular soda farls and potato bread fried in the pan, alongside bacon, sausages, eggs, black and white pudding, tomato and mushrooms.
Where: Cafés across the city, hotel breakfasts and the stalls at St George's Market on weekends.
Bakery · Vegetarian
2.Soda bread and potato bread (Soda farl and tattie bread)
Soda farls are quick breads raised with bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk and cooked on a griddle; potato bread is a thin, flat bread made with mashed potato. Both are central to local baking.
Where: Local bakeries and supermarkets; buy a pack to fry at home or have one toasted with butter in a café.
Dish · Vegetarian
3.Champ
Mashed potato beaten with milk, butter and chopped scallions (spring onions), served as a side or on its own with a well of melted butter.
Where: Pubs and traditional restaurants, often alongside sausages, bacon or Irish stew.
Dish
4.Irish stew
Slow-cooked lamb or mutton with potatoes, onions and carrots — a simple, hearty dish served in pubs, especially in the colder months.
Where: Traditional pubs in the Cathedral Quarter and city centre.
Street food
5.Pastie supper
The Northern Irish pastie is not a pastry but a round patty of minced pork, onion and potato, battered and deep-fried; a 'pastie supper' comes with chips.
Where: Belfast chip shops; it is a local takeaway staple rarely found outside Northern Ireland.
Dish
6.Seafood from Strangford Lough and Portavogie
Oysters, mussels and langoustines (often called Portavogie prawns) from the County Down coast feature on the menus of the city's seafood restaurants.
Where: Seafood restaurants in the city centre and Cathedral Quarter, and fishmongers at St George's Market.
Dessert
7.Fifteens
A no-bake Northern Irish traybake made with fifteen digestive biscuits, fifteen marshmallows and fifteen glacé cherries bound with condensed milk and rolled in coconut.
Where: Bakeries and café counters across Belfast, alongside other traybakes such as caramel squares.
Dessert · Vegetarian
8.Yellowman
Chewy, golden honeycomb toffee broken into chunks, traditionally sold at the Ould Lammas Fair in Ballycastle in late August.
Where: Sweet shops, market stalls and some delis in Belfast, and the Ballycastle fair on the Causeway Coast.
Drink · Vegetarian
9.Guinness and Irish whiskey
Guinness is poured in every pub, and Northern Ireland is home to the Bushmills distillery on the Causeway Coast as well as newer distilleries in Belfast itself.
Where: Traditional pubs such as the Crown Liquor Saloon and the Duke of York, and distillery tours in the city.
Snack · Vegetarian
10.Dulse
Dried red seaweed with a salty, savoury taste, a traditional coastal snack in the north of Ireland.
Where: Market stalls at St George's Market and shops on the Causeway Coast; often sold alongside yellowman.
Food experiences
Weekend at St George's Market
Friday's variety market and the Saturday and Sunday food markets bring together local producers, cheesemakers, fishmongers and street-food stalls under one Victorian roof.
Snug at the Crown
Order a Guinness and a bowl of stew in a carved wooden snug at the Crown Liquor Saloon, one of the UK's best-preserved Victorian pubs.
Traditional music session
Pubs in the Cathedral Quarter host informal traditional Irish music sessions most evenings; arrive early to find a seat near the musicians.
Distillery tour
Belfast's newer whiskey and gin distilleries run tours and tastings, and the Bushmills distillery can be combined with a Causeway Coast day trip.
Quick bites and street food
- Ulster fry — Cafés across the city, hotel breakfasts and the stalls at St George's Market on weekends.
- Soda bread and potato bread — Local bakeries and supermarkets; buy a pack to fry at home or have one toasted with butter in a café.
- Pastie supper — Belfast chip shops; it is a local takeaway staple rarely found outside Northern Ireland.
- Dulse — Market stalls at St George's Market and shops on the Causeway Coast; often sold alongside yellowman.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: Soda bread and potato bread, Champ, Yellowman, Guinness and Irish whiskey and Dulse. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Many pubs serve food from lunchtime into the early evening; check kitchen times if you plan a late meal.
- Book weekend dinners in the Cathedral Quarter and city centre a few days ahead.
- Tap water is free on request.
- Many restaurants offer early-evening or pre-theatre set menus that are much cheaper than à la carte.
- Sunday trading hours are shorter in Northern Ireland, so plan Sunday shopping and some meals with that in mind.
Tipping
About 10% is usual in restaurants with table service, unless a service charge is already on the bill. Tipping is not expected at the bar, though rounding up for good service is appreciated.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| What about ye? | How are you? / Hello |
| Wee | Small (used for almost everything) |
| Craic | Fun, news or a good time |
| Bout ye | Short form of 'What about you?' |
| Dead on | Great / fine / a decent person |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Belfast famous for?
Ulster fry, Soda bread and potato bread, Champ and Irish stew. Northern Ireland's fried breakfast stands out for its breads: triangular soda farls and potato bread fried in the pan, alongside bacon, sausages, eggs, black and white pudding, tomato and mushrooms.
+Is Belfast good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Soda bread and potato bread, Champ and Yellowman.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Belfast?
About 10% is usual in restaurants with table service, unless a service charge is already on the bill. Tipping is not expected at the bar, though rounding up for good service is appreciated.