JAMES ST in Belfast

I had a lovely birthday meal at James St. the other day. We were made to feel very welcome from the moment we arrived and the manager Chris went out of his way to give us a great experience and some great recommendations. Nice to have a good veggie offering also. Will definitely return in future

We had a family meal booked with my 2 brother and my parents. It was a special occasion as celebrating my brother birthday. We really enjoyed the majority of the meal experience. The meat dishes were very good but unfortunately my mothers fish dish had potatoes that she felt were not cooked enough. We explained this to the waiter staff who consulted the chief who told us 'this is the way I cook them, they are fine!' My mother then proceeded to ask if they could be re-cooked but the chief refused as 'this was the way he cooked the potatoes.' We were really disappointed in this as it is an expensive restaurant and we would have thought at such an establishment they would have offered to re-cook the dish the way the customer wanted it or offered an alternative dish or even a refund on the dish but none of this was the case. Overall impression was that there was a level of arrogance about the chief that really meant he was not interest in trying to provide food that customers enjoyed but more about his ego and how good a chief he was! I really thought they could have been a lot more sympathetic and tried to put the customer 1st rather than the ego of the chief.

A cozy spot in the city centre with warm and welcoming staff. The food is amazing with delicious flavour combinations. Excellent wine selection as well. Highly recommended.

Small, overpriced portions. Paid £39 for a fillet steak and was encouraged by staff to order more as they implied it wasn't enough food - which was technically right, as it was literally just steak and chips, no side. But for that price it'd expect a decent portion. 10% service charge added (for 2 people), so the menu prices might as well be 10% higher. Nothing about the experience warranted that and I hope others start to call out this shameful practice. Far too loud as well.

Had a great meal here. Staff so friendly would highly recommend it

Loved it Very nice staff and food lovely Would definitely return

A very good dining experience during a stay in Belfast over the last four days. Welcoming and pleasant establishment with friendly and attentive service. JAMES STREET offers in addition a small menu of well-presented and really enjoyable dishes. My steak was cooked exactly as I wanted it to be. My partner also enjoyed her dishes. The only thing that brings it down a star for me compared to the other restaurant we visited in the evening in Belfast is a slightly more restrained and less connected environment feel from the tapas restaurant we visited the night before. Nonetheless, a really good place to eat and enjoy fine food in a very pleasant atmosphere. Would certainly visit JAMES STREET again.

Everyone was so friendly and the food was fantastic

Great food at a very reasonable price. Staff really knowledgeable and friendly

Everything we ate here was great, would definitely recommend for special occasions or even for a nice meal after a long week!

Food was delicious and both steaks were amazing. We loved that the staff celebrated our wedding anniversary with us with a card and glasses of bubbly 😀

We were gifted a £100 voucher as a wedding gift, to be fair to my uncle, he had forgot we were plant based. We also booked and gave plenty of notice of our dietary requirements and were told they would be well accommodated. They did have some veg/vegan options, very little but some never the less. We order all 3 starter options: soup (pepper and tomato, but received butternut squash and was not told prior to it arriving or on arrival), zucchini strips and charred broccoli. Taste was grand, nothing spectacular but nice enough. Our main was VERY small (in comparison with the other dishes we saw being served) - was baby boiled potatoes cut in half, peas, kale, little chunks of rhubarb and some pea purée I believe. The only other main option was a salad. We ate it but didn’t like the taste. Dessert was 2 options, 1. coconut sorbet and 2. Strawberries. We ordered both. Out came a bowl of sorbet and a bowl of very few chopped strawberries and sorbet (the sorbet with the strawberries was not mentioned on the menu and you would have thought they’d have said to us before serving us). The communication from the male waiters was terrible, including front of house male. The girl that served us was very polite and apologised for the lack of options and took the bowl of sorbet off our bill. I had a glass of wine and some sparkling water to try and make up the price of the gifted voucher. Including the service charge our bill came to just over £86 - tbh was really embarrassing for us and for a restaurant that is held at high regard and great reviews in other areas you would have expected a lot more expertise, flavour and imagination no matter what food choice it was. We gave the remaining amount on the voucher to my parents who went tonight. They had a lovely carnivore meal. Really shocking the price of our meal for what we were served. No wonder every waiter was nervous to ask how things were, it looked so plain and no thought given. Only sorry we didn’t gift the voucher to a friend or family so that they could really make use of it. Unfortunately we won’t be back. Expected a lot more from a restaurant like this and atmosphere was poor.

Really lovely food. The chateau briande was excellent. Wine and cocktails were well prepared and served. We’ll definitely be back again.

Couldnt faulty it from start to finish!! Starters were excellent scallops and calamari both very good! Had the chateaubrian sharing plater (perfactly cooked) for main great portion size and great side dishs with it! Loved it will be back forsure.

If I could give James St 10 stars, I would. The food is absolutely outstanding! For starters, we had the crispy squid, which came with a lovely red peppery sauce (delicious!). Then we decided to go for the steak to share, so we ordered the Tomahawk. It does take a while to arrive, but wow, it was worth it. The meat was cooked to perfection. It was tender, tasty, and just incredible. The steak to share comes with a choice of two sauces and two sides (we both went for the bernaise and the truffle & parmesan chips...I don't even have to say that both were delicious!). James St. Is a must for anyone in Belfast.

Fantastic food and service! If you want a good steak in Belfast this is the place to come. We had the tomahawk and it was phenomenal. Our servers were fab - big shout out to Sean. Our only criticism would be that the atmosphere doesn't quite match the incredibly high standards of the food... some candles or flowers wouldn't go amiss on the tables. If we could give 4.5 we would!

My wife and myself visited James Street yesterday Sunday 18th August. We wanted to treat ourselves to celebrate our 4th Wedding Anniversary. We both went for the Sunday lunch option, they push you to get a side, as they say there isn’t much included with the meal, but at £28 you don't expect to need a side. It came out and looked fine, I didn’t mind that it was presented differently, though 1 single potato is mean IMHO when you’re paying good money. My main gripe is that the beef was tough and fatty. Very poor quality indeed. My wife’s wasn’t much better. To be fair I think we got a bad cut, I looked at other peoples plates and they got thicker better looking cuts. I would have told the waiter, but they never asked if everything was to our liking. As well as this, I told them we were out for our anniversary, and didn’t so much as say congratulations. Maybe I would go back sometime, but then again there are plenty of other good restaurants in Belfast.

Very nice and clean place! Our waitress was very helpful with food allergy restrictions!

The restaurant is very nice and clean, the food was good, but not excellent, I recommend the ham croquettes, they are delicious. They don’t have carpaccio and they don’t have the baked Alaska on the menu.

very good service, friendly staff, and pretty good food

Been here a few times, but this time it deeply saddens me i ordered the fish of the day which was lobster i received only half the lobster which is fine considering for its price but wheres the claw, i finished the lobster to only receive my side salad after finishing the main dish. The mocktails and the dessert are good thats it.

This is not cheap but it is worth every penny

Today our party of four had the pleasure of dining in James Street, Belfast. We were celebrating our dear friend’s retirement and James Street was the ideal setting for this special event: the staff, service and food were exceptional in every respect. Prior to our visit, one of our party called to the restaurant with balloons, personalised table settings and a cake. The staff could not have been more helpful. They accommodated our every request and were warm and welcoming during our actual visit. In addition, the meal was sumptuous and the service was excellent. I have to say that we all felt that such fining dining might come at an exorbitant price but, in truth, the meal was very fairly priced and worth every penny! We will most definitely be back before too long! Thank you to the management and staff for a wonderful day!

Average food with above average prices. Romantic atmosphere but was offset by a single loud party of individuals. Service was slow but pleasant. Pleasantries and service came across as false. Best described as wasted potential. Better options are available.

Really used to love coming here. Their steak is delicious and the wine list is giving. Unfortunately the service is lacking. The manager was stressed on our recent visit, which was making the staff all very anxious and on edge. They were not communicative around serving dishes (not informing us which steak was cooked to what degree when dropping food etc) and were at times rude, for example when another table’s starter was delivered to us and we corrected them there was eye rolling and no verbal engagement. Although the food and drink were tasty and to a high standard the staff needs more training - from host through to the bar tenders slamming glasses down on metal counters and chucking empty bottles into the recycling for all to hear.

A great place to eat and have a good time in Belfast

We enjoyed a memorable celebration in the private dining room. The staff were very helpful and accommodating, and the food was superb too!

we had a fantastic birthday meal here. the staff is attentive, the environment is beautiful, and the food exceeded expectations. Highlights were the wine selection by the glass, the crispy squid, and the salmon with fennel and orange.

One of the best restaurants in Belfast City!

Had a really enjoyable evening here, food was great along with the service.

Excellent. Chateaubriand to die for and service top drawer as you would expect. It was my wife's birthday so a card and a glass of bubbles was a lovely touch.

Super friendly staff squeezed us in without a reservation. We had steaks (sirloin and fillet) and starters and an excellent, unique bottle of wine. Wine list was very interesting and varied and staff was helpful in discussing. Steaks cooked to order properly. Overall wonderful experience. Only down side is that the dining room is pretty loud. Would definitely recommend.

Four of us went on Wednesday evening eating a chateaubriand and tomahawk steaks for all of us it was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing although Bruce Springsteen was better it was only just!!!

We went for a Sunday lunch having the roast beef and cod. Both were delicious, staff were really friendly and attentive will definitely go back next time we’re in Belfast.

There were some flavors I had never tried before and they were all very delicious. The staff were very attentive and the service was great and the atmosphere was warm. Want to visit again.

Nice contemporary restaurant, good food and service!

Very good cooking. I enjoyed every course and the chips, the standard by which all restaurants should be judged, were excellent. Chocolate mousse superb. Service of the cheese rather let down given that the quality of the products themselves was outstanding, needs to do better than a small, single Eccles Cake no matter how well made it is. Seating a little uncomfortable. Fair prices. Delightful staff.

Amazing service and amazing food. What an atmosphere! Had fun when visited here. Tried Champ for the first time which was recommended by our server and it was good.

Great value lunch time menu two or three course options. Lovely food and good sized portions

I recently dined out for a Sunday roast and unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with the quality of the beef and Yorkshire pudding served. Additionally, instead of mashed potatoes, I received a cabbage leaf, which was not what I had expected. To rectify this, I requested an extra bowl of mashed potatoes with my order. As I was nearing the end of my meal, I noticed that the mashed potatoes hadn't been served. I flagged down a member of the staff and brought this to their attention. In my opinion, a roast beef dinner without mashed potatoes is incomplete. To my surprise, when I received the bill, I noticed a service charge of £14.90, despite the service not meeting my expectations. However, the dessert was a delightful surprise and was undoubtedly the highlight of the meal. It was truly delicious.

Disappointing experience from start to finish. The service was dire and there was nothing about the food which stood out. For a Michelin recommended restaurant, it was a complete disappointment and very surprised Michelin deem this worthy of being on the Guide. 1) Our drinks (two soft drinks) took an age to arrive and we received our starters before the drinks came to our table. 2) The waiter at the start of the meal asked us if we were happy that the salmon main would be seared and pink in the middle. When the salmon arrived it was overdone and clearly hadn’t been seared. 3) We ordered sides with our mains and they never arrived. The only positive about this was they we weren’t charged for them, so must have simply been forgotten about. 4) Our main courses took forever to arrive.

Food was amazing and so are the staff will defo be back. Great place

Visited last night and the service and food were second to none. We shared the Chateaubriand and it was the best we have ever had. Cannot recommend highly enough. We will be back.!!

We dined for Sunday lunch yesterday. The whole experience was disappointing. The service for both drinks and food was so slow. We honestly thought they had forgotten about us. We sat at 2pm and food didn't arrive until 3.30pm. The food was nice but some of it arrived cool, especially the sides. We were all really looking forward to trying this restaurant, and it was such a let down.

I am probably the first one to moan about the restaurant, I mean don't get me wrong, food, resto & everything else was top but there were few little things I want to bring up, I visited Belfast for the first time last month, I was there just the week end and my husband knowing that I am a foodie & a wine maker, he suggested we should pay James St a visit, being always curious I had to have a look at the menu so I am decided when asked. We went there on a Sunday, the restaurant looked nice & clean but it felt like an office with desks well set. I forgot to say we were a group of 10 that day. We had a variety of starters and mains, squid and linguini were divine. The roast on the other hand was ok'ish, presentation and plate were clean but to serve ONE roast potato for a roast, for me is a NO NO - by the way I didn't have the roast but everyone who ordered it complained about the potatoes, and they were not crispy and fluffy or maybe it is me, I rarely eat potatoes but when I eat one it has got to be as described earlier plus the seasoning, finally comes mine;I ordered the cod cheeks then, so I only had cod no cheeks :-)) , it was little saltier than expected and if I can complain I honestly don't think chickpeas would accompany the fish, it just didn't make sense, or may be I am wrong. One more thing : if you are writing Peas a la Français that is totally wrong French you can't write it, it is just not acceptable, because when using LA should be française, so please amend that :-). Last, I hope my whining was not irritating. I am coming back to Belfast and I will come back and visit u again, well after this I don't know :-)))

First time in the new restaurant. Had the sirloin with chips and bearnaise sauce. Asked for it medium rare, but it seemed more medium. Still nice and well seasoned. My friend ordered chips with her main but got champ instead. A few issues with the waiter not following our orders. We also shared snacks of bread and Oxtail croquettes to start. Wine is pricey - 33 pounds for a Malbec. Restaurant was cold but they did put the heat on when asked. The service was friendly and I still enjoyed the food despite a few issues with service. The prices are a little too high for what you're getting. There is a set menu if you prefer.

Booked here for a birthday meal whilst visiting Belfast. From entering you experience a first class experience. The staff are lovely and on the right side of attentive. The menu first class. Highly recommend the chateaubriand and the crab linguine. Oh and not to mention the Coconut Martini. Priced right for the whole experience.

So noisy, it hurts! The food is great, the service first class, but the main part of the restaurant has nothing but hard surfaces, so when it is busy the noise is deafening. Don’t go, if you have any hearing disability, or hope to be able to converse with your companions. The pity, is that the problem is easily soluble with wall hangings or ceiling noise baffles.

Excellent Service from the waitress, has to be one of the best for customer service for our group of 14. Food was ok 👍

Food and service was excellent, really great steak we had and service was lovely for our anniversary 👌

We had an amazing night for my birthday dinner. Everything was almost perfect. The staff in reception was very welcoming, our waitress was professional and smiley. Our steaks were really good and because my partner had ordered a "well done" fillet steak, we thought I'd take a bit longer to cook. The staff offered us a complimentary glass of prosecco to apologise for the wait even though we had not complained. It was very appreciated. The steaks were really good, well cooked and tasty, we enjoyed the wine. They wrote a card for my birthday and sent an ice cream with a candle. We were really happy. They made a great birthday dinner.

Always a treat to eat here. Joanne and Niall’s work over the years shines through in the service, food and ambiance.

Absolutely enjoyed every minute at James St, Food was delicious, service was fantastic, very busy but you never felt that you were left waiting. No hesitation in recommending.

We went on Monday for a coworkers dinner and it was absolutely delicious, beautiful cocktails, lovely waiters and gorgeous food. Higly recommended ❤️👍🏾 We went last Monday with work colleagues and we loved it, the fantastic cocktails, the fabulous service and the delicious food. Highly recommended ❤️🫶🏾

We went there for my partners birthday dinner whilst we were in Belfast. The service was outstanding , the staff were nice and attentive. We ordered the chateaubriand to share , it was delicious. You can definitely taste the quality in every bite. I had the pink thin line cocktail and my partner had the limoncello spritz and they were both amazing. I would recommend this restaurant without any second thought! Just book it in your diary!

Great mid-range restaurant with interesting menu and good ambience. Good service would recommend

Lovely food, nice atmosphere and very well run venue

Good food, a little more pricey than the other restaurants, but certainly not too much. Very nice staff and food was good!

Best evening, food, service, friendliness. Wonderful atmosphere

After hearing how spectacular the roast dinners at James street were, I was extremely disappointed when told that the roast chicken dinner nor the roast beef was was unavailable to order on Sunday. My friends and I came to dinner to enjoy a roast. I was quite frustrated when seeing the other customers eat a roast since that’s exactly what we came for. Other than this our service was amazing. Everybody was extremely professional and this made for a very nice night out. I’d say the tomahawk was a little bit overpriced and extremely fatty but nevertheless delicious. I’d also like to add the portion of peppercorn sauce was pathetic. One person in our party used the whole thing and I don’t even blame him. Photo attached beneath…

Daryl was our man. Great service. Very good food.

Food was excellent, the 👌 steak I've had in a long time.

We shared the wheaten bread and champ bread as a starter. Both lovely and the wheaten bread was full of flavour. I had the Christmas dinner, beautiful flavours and gravy to die for. My husband thought his salmon was tasty and moist. We will be back.

Great food(especially the steak) and great service

The host who welcomed us was very helpful and friendly. However, we were not impressed with the service for the rest of the evening. It was very slow: they forgot our second round of drinks, our mains took over an hour to arrive and many other tables around us had to go to the bar to get someone's attention (the table next to us only got their wine after their steaks had arrived.) We were also not impressed with the food. The portion of gnocchi was a joke (literally 2 gnocchis) and the salmon was nice, but the vegetables it came on top of were flavorless. The roasted potatoes were also undercooked. Given all of this, we asked for the service charge to be removed and the waiter didn't seem to care at all that we weren't happy with the meal. I wouldn't recommend considering the price and value.

Wonderful lunch, tomahawk steak was superb. Staff were excellent

Enjoyed a fantastic meal with friends- if you're unsure of what to chose, the staff usually make a good recommendation. Would recommend the crab and chilli linguine.

Food was beautiful staff were brilliant and such a beautiful place

Great food great staff. We got the tomahawk steak to share, it was amazing. Service was great especially our waitress Nikki.

Delicious food, great atmosphere, amazing service and wonderful cocktails!

Loved the warm atmosphere and the sirloin steak was to die for! Every bite melted in my mouth.

Food was lovely. We will be back soon again soon again next year.🍽🎄🍻🍵

We had real issues with our steaks. Cold then sent back and returned after being thrown in a pan to reheat and overcook. Not what we are used to in JS. Very disappointing. Giving us a free glass of proseco which I don't drink without asking and stating well look after you next time doesn't really cut the mustard. I expect to be looked after when I'm there. Staff very pleasant etc but just not up to JS usual standard.

Service was fantastic, atmosphere brilliant. Food unreal, can't wait to go back

Had a fab evening here, food was gorgeous and the Chateaubriand was cooked to perfection, need another trip to Belfast to enjoy this meal again. Staff were so friendly, Chloe, one of our waitresses was fantastic and very helpful and called us a taxi when our meal was finished. Meal was great value for money.

Went there for dinner with my fiancé and a couple of friends for dinner on a Saturday evening. We arrived there on time for our reservation. However there were no available tables, so we were politely asked by the hosts to wait until a table became available. We waited in the lobby for about 5 minutes after which we were invited in. Upon taking our seats, we were immediately given the drinks menus and the food ones. We ordered the drinks first: one cider, one gin elderflower spritz, one none-alcoholic beer and a glass of red wine. We had also been served with tap water throughout the dinner and the host constantly kept the bottle topped up. After a short wait, the starters were served. We went for the padron peppers, cooked meats and bread with garlic butter. The bread was on the sweet side, but hot and enjoyable. The meats had honey drizzled over them, which gave them an interesting taste. The peppers were served in a cheese sauce, which tased very nice. Next up were the mains. We went for two seared salmon sides, and a sirloin stake sharer with chips, sauce and green beans. The salmon was seasoned nicely and it was laid on a bed of cabbage and a couple other veggies. The only observation I'd make about it is the size of the dish, which seemed a bit small for my taste. The steaks were very nice, medium-rare and the sides which accompanied it were tasty. During our dinner, we were offered a check-back and after we finished our dinner, the host cleared out table quickly and offered us the dessert menu. The atmosphere in the restaurant was rather loud. Even though they didn't have any background music playing, the room was rather noisy from all the customers. I was struggling to understand my friends during conversations. Overall I'm giving them 4 ⭐, with 1 star deduction for the loud environment and the size of the salmon dish.

We had a great experience in James Street South. We were met by chloe who was professional calm helpful and friendly. Crab linguine was lovely. Steak was amazing and brownie sundae to finish. All in all a lovely night C & C

not horrible but wouldn't come back. too many components in a meal is premade, seasoning and temperature control need improvement

Had 3 course Sunday lunch. Service was great and the food was superb. Very impressed. Will definitely be back!!

Just had an excellent meal at James St., Belfast. The restaurant was quite noisy due to a family with four very rowdy children but apart from that, we had a very pleasant evening. Our waiter Chris was lovely and although very busy he way good craic and answered our questions about some of the dishes and drinks options. Prices are moderate given that everything is cooked to order. Would definitely recommend James St and will return.

Maybe we made the mistake of ordering off the set menu. Our starter was absolutely awful ham and chicken in gelatin, my steak was so salty it tasted like it had been dragged through the sea same with the chips. I have had better frozen broccoli. Some of the staff seemed to look on us with disdain which made me feel super uncomfortable. Only redeeming quality was the wine and for me the mocktails. 10% discretion charge for service that made us feel uncomfortable no thanks.

The Duck was very dry and not overly Rare and the Beer was served flat. Beautiful restaurant and the carrots were delightful

An incredible dining experience!! The front of the house were absolutely excellent. They couldn't have looked after us better after a last-minute booking and a very full bill. Drinks menu fab, neat but complete. Started with a smooth and crisp champagne. We both ordered some light bites to start, all interested but fab!! Both ordered fillet steaks and a selection of sides. Malbec for smooth accompaniments. The steaks were to perfection, and every bite was a delight every time. Our server's were incredibly helpful and ensured we had a personal experience. We finished with a made to order cheese plate and a finisher glass of Rioja. James St, you have delighted 2 diners tonight, and we will definitely be back!! Special call out to the ninja smooth manoeuvring front of house and server (Davidos??), simply incredible 👍. Thank you!!

Fantastic food Best apple tarte tatain I've seen or eaten in nearly 30 years of being in the catering trade. Steaks cooked to perfection for everyone at the table. And a very pleasant cauliflower soup as my starter. Reasonably priced for very high end dining. Would recommend to anyone that is in town for more than a few days to try and get a booking here.

couldn't ask for better food and service

WOW. Ordered the Gnocci and a side of carrots with feta and they seriously blew my mind. Best meal I've had in months. I would definitely recommend. This place is worth every penny. Cheap for the quality. I'm coming back for the Crab Linguini.

Great meal and even better service!!

Wow what a fantastic meal we had last night, my partner and I stopped in for the steak special before a show at the opera house, the chateaubriand was to die for and we’ve found our new favourite sauce, cafe de Paris, which I had never heard of before. Friendly, welcoming, great atmosphere. Very impressed. Cannot wait to come back!

Snacks great, we had olives and almonds and breads - all very good. My starter (the beetroot and fior de latte) was amazing. Crab and chilli linguine was a little too fatty / creamy and not really any chilli flavour coming through. For mains, the gnocchi was similar, too fatty / creamy/ heavy sauce. The sirloin was very very salty. So salty you couldn't taste the meat but looked well cooked. Chips that accompanied the steak were also very salty. If it wasn't for this excessive seasoning and heavy sauces, this would be one of the best meals I've eaten in Belfast.

So deserving of a 5 star. Absolutely amazing service and food. Cocktails were stellar too. Thank you James St, we will 100% be back!!

Needs some soft furnishings to quietene it somewhat

A little bit too industrial for me Hard surfaces resonated the sound complimenting a horrendous soundtrack . Who picked that music to accompany dining? It gave me a headache from a thumping base and made me and another guest tense enough to want to leave!! The food was acceptable cod a little to salty and baby leeks were firm. My husband would have preferred two nice slices of the beef rather than one thick slab. There is a 12.5% surcharge already added to the bill . Not sure how you would reduce it. Staff attentive and pleasant so they deserved something

Had a fab evening celebrating a family birthday however when paying the bill confusion was served due to their inability to take a deposit when I was told on the phone when confirming numbers. Not great customer service ina supposed 5 star establishment????

Varied encounter: Inadequate ventilation, wobbly table, excessively spicy tomato soup (though it was graciously removed from the bill after discussing it with the waiter), outstanding main course (particularly the meat), overlooked ordered drinks but a delightful dessert. The overall service did not meet our expectations.

The staff were helpful and friendly. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was buzzing.

Very hard surfaces, so very loud and echoey. Service and food were great though

Delicious sirloin steak! Highly recommended!

Upstairs for private function. Food was excellent and service was great. Paul was great. Kept on top of all requests.

Great staff, food, atmosphere and drinks.

Good steak, the prices of this place are bit on the more expensive side. The place was packed and not well ventilated. It was boiling hot. I had sweat dripping down my face as I was eating the delicious steak 😂