Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Northern Ireland

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Northern Ireland? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Bank Square Brasserie

4.8

4.8 (421)

£25 and under

International

Belfast

About the restaurant

Bank Square Brasserie is a place where you can appreciate high quality food and service in a casual atmosphere. Anchored in the city centre of Belfast we celebrate local produces and resources to provide a unique experience, from our drinks list to the flavours on the plate.

Top review

Clár

Dined 2 days ago

Food was amazing. Staff were absolutely brilliant, went out of their way to make sure food intolerances catered for.

Berts Jazz Bar

4.8

4.8 (1100)

£26 to £40

Bistro

Belfast

About the restaurant

Berts Jazz Bar encapsulates the sleek elegance of the art deco era, complimented by the very best in live jazz, fabulous cocktails and mouth-watering food.

Transport yourself back to the Art Deco glamour of 1930’s New York and the Jazz Age in Belfast’s only dedicated Jazz bar and restaurant: Berts Bar at The Merchant Hotel. Soak up the sophisticated atmosphere and let the cool jazz melodies wash over you. A handpicked list of cocktails completes the extensive drinks selection. A French bistro style menu is complemented by an extensive wine list and, of course, exemplary service. Berts offers live jazz seven nights a week.

All table reservations are for dining purposes only, unfortunately we do not take drinks only bookings.

Please Note Live Jazz Performances for Friday & Saturday evenings are from 9pm-12pm

Top review

AliceVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Very attractive setting, delicious food and cocktails and memorable music.

Discover more

Experience

SPRING EARLY JAZZ MENU 🎷

Experience

Weekend Jazzy Lunch

3Cs Social Club

4.7

4.7 (418)

£25 and under

European

Belfast

About the restaurant

Winners of the NI hospitality awards 2 years in a row🏆🏆

**ANY PARTYS OVER 4 CONTACT RESTAURANT DIRECTLY OR THROUGH OUR FACEBOOK**

Belfast city centre newest restaurant @ the 3c's here to serve everyone with food of the highest quality at the lowest price, and offers that makes all other establishments blush. Cheapest pints in Belfast city centre (if not Belfast), best offers anywhere. 3 bottles of WKD, Smirnoff ice, Coors, Bud, Corona, Peroni only £8.00 pints from £3.90. Why not sit outside in our new beer garden that sits 150 people and let us look after you hand and foot. cocktails, beers, great staff you will not be disappointed. Belfast's best kept secret has been let out.

Top review

Alicia

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

A great spot hidden away but the food quality value & drinks selection is fabulous!!

FireStone Teppanyaki

4.6

4.6 (288)

£26 to £40

Japanese

Belfast

About the restaurant

Everything about FireStone defies the ordinary, from our displays of roaring fire teppanyaki performance exhibited by our master chefs to mouth watering freshly prepared sushi using the finest local produce and ingredients and so much more. We are open for Lunch and dinner throughout the week with a special lunch menu available.

FireStone offers a delicious menu in a unique atmosphere for guests. Sit back and relax with a cocktail or two and enjoy the service.

Teppanyaki is a shared experience & our tables are made to share with other diners! At the end of the night you may have found some new friends! Our Teppanyaki experience is 90mins per booking & would appreciate customers being on time for their booked slot. All food at the Teppanyaki table is cooked one by one & may not be served at the same time for each member of your party. For all Teppanyaki bookings, please call the restaurant directly to confirm availability as spaces are limited.

Top review

Robyn

Dined on Jun 21, 2025

Excellent service, great food, cool energetic vibe.

James St.

4.5

4.5 (369)

£26 to £40

Steakhouse

Belfast

About the restaurant

James St is a casual and contemporary, brick-walled restaurant specialising in chargrilled and aged steaks. The charcoal grill plays centre stage, cooking not just some of the best steaks and prime cuts Northern Ireland has to offer but also fresh whole fish, pork and vegetables.

With a larger, more established bar area, a large range of wines are available alongside a considered spirit list and an extensive whisky offering. Locally produced beer, cider and gins take pride of place on the drinks menu.

Owned by Niall McKenna since 2003 the revamped James St. will offer locals and tourists a great dining experience in a Belfast city centre.

The restaurant team is headed up by Ryan Stringer as Executive Head Chef & Paul Vaughan as Operations Manager

Bookings may be seated on stools at the bar.

Top review

Helen

Dined on Jun 11, 2025

Excellent steak and spring greens side dish, a delicious lemon cocktail, and great waiting staff

Yardbird Belfast

4.5

4.5 (677)

£25 and under

Rotisserie Chicken

Belfast

About the restaurant

Yardbird is our rotisserie chicken restaurant upstairs above The Dirty Onion. Our menu is small but our flavours are big. Ok, we do chicken, but our chicken is famous!

Our local free-to-roam chicken is marinated for 24 hours in lemon, buttermilk, and paprika. It is then dry-rubbed, cooked and blast-chilled to keep it juicy and finally roasted on the spit. Ribs and wings are also available, as are a choice of sides and homemade desserts. Hungry yet?

We prepare all our food in-house and service is fast!

This is a booking for Yardbird the restaurant, The Dirty Onion bar operates on a first come first serve basis.

Top review

JuneVIP

Dined on Jun 17, 2025

Terrific experience in the Yardbird restaurant - the food was great and it’s a really cool venue.

Maisie’s

4.4

4.4 (61)

£25 and under

Bistro

Portadown

About the restaurant

Discover the charm of Maisie’s Bar and Restaurant, a haven of warmth and comfort that promises a delightful dining experience. Nestled in Mandeville Street, Portadown, our menu shows our commitment to local produce.

We presents an array of choices to excite your taste buds, from savoury tapas to scrumptious homemade desserts, each dish carefully presented to highlight the finest flavours and ingredients for an unforgettable meal.

Maisie’s stands out not only for its food but also for its bar, a sanctuary for drink aficionados with a vast selection of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The cocktail list shines with creative mixes sure to delight even the most particular patrons, while wine enthusiasts will rejoice in the handpicked wine selection that pairs flawlessly with the menu, enhancing the dining affair.

Ideal for a romantic evening, a celebratory event, or a cosy meal, Maisie’s Bar and Restaurant stands as the quintessential venue for all of the family.

Top review

kirsty

Dined on Jun 15, 2025

Food lovely, all empty plates, sat upstairs decor was beautiful

Henry's

4.3

4.3 (800)

£25 and under

Irish

Belfast

About the restaurant

A licensed premises for over 100 years and steeped in Belfast history, Henry’s is the regeneration of a old favourite. Named after Henry Joy McCracken, Henry’s has been created to keep alive an old spot from the past, amongst the ever expanding and wonderful new. Join us for tipple, tales and some grub from the entries.

For any bookings after 7.30pm, please contact us via email at hello@henrysbelfast.com and our team will be happy to help!

Top review

Tara

Dined 2 days ago

Service, food and venue all very good. All staff very friendly.

Guru Indian Belfast

4.2

4.2 (33)

£25 and under

Indian

Belfast

About the restaurant

Dear Friends,
We’d like to share a small but important update with you.
After much thought, we’ve decided to step away from our Guru Belfast location. Running two restaurants has been an incredible experience, but with limited time and a strong commitment to quality, we realised we couldn’t give both locations the full attention they deserve.
Guru Indian Cuisine – Newry remains our heart and home — still serving you with the same passionate team, familiar faces, and authentic Indian flavours you love. We’re more focused than ever on delivering the best dining experience possible!

🎁 Good news — we will honour all valid Guru Belfast gift vouchers at our Newry restaurant.
📞 If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at:
📱 Guru Newry Phone Number +442830053659
📧 Email: info@gurunewry.co.uk
Thank you for your continued support — we truly appreciate it and look forward to welcoming you to Guru Newry very soon
Warm regards,
Team Guru Indian Cuisine – Newry 🇮🇳

Top review

Lou ann

Dined on Jun 1, 2025

Good food. Not the best Indian I’ve had but well worth the visit. Nice service and ok seating.

Riverside Restaurant and Bar

4.0

4 (169)

£26 to £40

Irish

Belfast

About the restaurant

The new look Riverside Restaurant & Bar is located on the ground floor of Hilton Belfast in the heart of Belfast. Every day in Riverside begins with the famous Hilton Buffet Breakfast offering a wide range of international and local breakfast favourites. Enjoy the sumptuous breakfast with panoramic views over the River Lagan from our floor to ceiling windows.
The Dinner service offers the best of local cuisine. We pride ourselves on seasonal changing menus celebrating the very best in local ingredients.

The Belfast Waterfront Hall is right next door making this venue ideal for Pre Theatre dining before attending a show. Pre-Theatre dining is available on show nights.
Groups are welcome with large tables of up to 20 diners. Semi private sections for up to 40 diners available upon request.
The Restaurant is available for private hire every lunch and dinner time for parties of 70 to 150. Contact events.belfast@hilton

Top review

Andrew

Dined on Jun 20, 2025

Nice restaurant, staff are friendly and efficient, lovely simple food

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Experience

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