The best restaurants serving Irish food in Belfast

A yr ago that would've been 5 stars I could not fault back packers as its known. This time and previous times it has went downhill something shocking. Food was cold and sausages inedible, then to top it off heard what was either footsteps or a furry foe or cat in the ceiling. Will not be back

Excellent breakfasts , very clean, friendly staff, nice atmosphere!

We went to the Merchant Hotel for a pre dinner birthday drink as a treat around 4.30pm our dinner was booked for 5.15pm. Our table had the reminants of the previous party, empty glasses and half eaten nibbles. A waiter came and took our order but didn't bother to clear or clean the table. He then took an order for a couple beside us. The couple beside us were swiftly served a pot of tea with nibbles and glasses of water. At 5.05pm I went to the bar area and advised we haven't received our order and we were ready to leave. The drinks arrived at 5.10pm delivered to the drink stained table which we literally had to drink in one go as we were going to be late for our meal and over £30 worse off! Lots of suited staff walking back and forwards looking important but not really doing very much. Maybe when you see customers looking around for assistance you might want to try and help. Service appalling for a Saturday afternoon, dread to think what the evening service is like! Disappointing start to a birthday celebration.

Great place to stop by for a drink and snack. We had the Irish coffee, Baileys coffee and Strawberry Lime Cider (alcohol free). We did not have food, but passed us looked and smelled great. Please tip Stuart so his kids can eat!

We went here for brunch to kick-start a friends reunion weekend and it got us off to a great start. With excellent food and amazing service in a warm friendly atmosphere we couldn't fail to enjoy. Fabulous big pots of tea helped wash the delicious food down - soup & sandwiches, avocado & sourdough, soda bread breakfast, club sandwich - all cooked and served perfectly. Our waitress, Chelsea, was very friendly and helpful, knew her menu and is a great ambassador for the cafe. Overall a great eating experience and that's coming from a group of friends from a cross Ireland and England who met through our own hospitality working experiences.

Food stunning Service was amazing (served by kira and Chris) Definitely recommend the trout special and the cocktail 10/10

Maggie Mays was recommeded to us before we came to Belfast. It was a five minute walk from the hotel and our first stop after arriving at lunchtime. The service was fab, the food was amazing. Hubbies had the Titanic burger and I had the soup of the day which was Chicken and veg. I have not tasted soup like it since I was a little girl. Absolutely delicious, the bread served with it was lovely too, more like cake....fine with me!

Went on Wednesday 29th Nov. Food was amazing as always and the two girls serving were exceptional. My son is special needs and they interacted so well with him. He is non verbal (one word answers sometimes) but they asked him what he would like and he replied chicken. They were extremely helpful,pleasant and very welcoming. So thank you for our experience as we don’t get to do family meals often.

Great choice of local food down a nice entry. Staff were very friendly and it seemed popular. Would go again and good coffee

i always try and come to this restaurant when i'm in Belfast, making the effort irrespective of where I'm visiting at in the city. it has never disappointmed, the food is always good, well cooked and well presented. the waitresses do their job well. today i had the hot brisket sandwich on sourdough bread and it was delicious. we got a table pretty quickly which was good for a Saturday lunchtime and the waitresses were very helpful as my friend has just had knee surgery and needed a little bit more space to move in than usual. I hope to return soon

A lovely place for good food. A small problem with the wine but the efficient manager sorted it out. Super service and super food, especially the scallop starter. A superb local location for great food. Worth travelling to from a distance.

I like this place and have been quite a few times now. Staff are very friendly and the coffee is nice. I ordered the huevos con chorizo which was very tasty but I would have loved it even more if there had been a bit more chorizo rather than the tiny cubes mixed throughout. Ambiance is great and toilets were clean.

Best breakfast I’ve eaten in Belfast or anywhere in the U.K. Great fresh food. Well presented. Great staff. Busy too. Outdoor seating for those few days where it’s not raining. Price is reasonable. No complaints at all. Well done Hatch.

Called for fish and chips. Excellent service and quality food despite being extremely busy. Very well mannered and friendly staff.

ok i go to this place every now and then and never fail to come out happy .they are happy people .today i got a turkey ham salad sandwich with coleslaw and it was a belly buster and for the price you pay you have just stole a meal it was class..thank you girls ..