Belfast food trends for 2023

Priding itself on using only the freshest local ingredients, Hoose is a hugely popular Belfast restaurant that sees locals returning time and time again, all keen to try the creative seasonal menus. Offering diners a ‘home from home’ experience, the menu features a great array of creative dishes and drinks for all to enjoy. From Grill and Wine Wednesdays to the sumptuous Sunday Carvery, there is always a reason to dine at Hoose. Plus, the extensive vegan and vegetarian menu, which changes with the seasons, ensures everyone is catered for. Ideally located on the Newtownards Road on the outskirts of the city centre, this is the perfect place to escape after a busy day of shopping in Belfast.

A truly unique restaurant at the heart of the city, Academy Restaurant needs to be on every Belfast foodie’s radar. Overlooking the stunning St Anne’s Cathedral, Academy brings together culinary experts and enthusiastic students in the kitchen serving up fresh, creative, and seasonal dishes. Making use of locally sourced ingredients, diners are often blown away by the dishes that are presented before them. Offering regularly changing menus that reflect the changing seasons, there is always another reason to dine at this unique spot. With a focus on environmentally sustainable approaches to business and offering an important contribution to Northern Ireland’s expanding dining and drinking scene, Academy Restaurant is here to stay.

Undoubtedly one of the best-loved restaurants in Belfast, Home Restaurant is only set to grow in popularity in 2023. Known for its extensive menu that caters to all tastes and dietary requirements, Home is a safe bet for all diners. Boasting a Michelin Bib-Gourmand rating, this spot offers excellent dining at accessible prices. The website states that the restaurant is “all about great tasting food inspired by local homegrown sustainable ingredients combined with heartfelt Irish hospitality”, and nothing could be more true. With a truly local, friendly feel, diners are consistently amazed by the fresh, local, seasonally-inspired dishes that taste nothing short of incredible.

Offering a truly Irish feel, Holohans Pantry should be on everyone’s bucket list during a trip to Belfast. Perfectly located across from Queen’s University Belfast, this laidback family-owned eatery offers traditional, local Irish fare and a great selection of drinks. Boasting an impressive five-star rating on TripAdvisor, diners are consistently impressed with the high quality of food and attentive service received at Holohans Pantry. Seasonality is central to the ethos here as the team focuses on ethically sourced local produce to create delicious, traditional meals. Showcasing the diversity of Irish cuisine, using recipes from all across the island of Ireland, the kitchen brings a creative twist to classic Irish dishes we all know and love.

If you aren’t quite ready to make the leap to vegan or vegetarian dieting but still want to minimise your environmental impact, then we have the perfect place for you. Fish City on Ann Street in Belfast City Centre is a traditional fish and chip shop with a twist. Focusing on ethically and sustainably sourced seafood, Fish City serves a delightful range of delicious seafood dishes, from the classic fish and chips to more daring dishes such as tempura crab, mackerel ceviche, and fresh oysters. The multitude of awards, both regional and national, that this spot has won truly does speak of the quality of what’s on offer here.