Foodie Things to Do

Get to know Belfast through its food and drink scene. Food walking tours are a popular way to discover the off the beaten track restaurants and food producers in the city. Join Taste and Tour for food, gin, whiskey or beer themed tours. Or for something a bit more flamboyant, Belfast Bred runs theatrical food tours led by a fictional chef who, after being frozen for 105 years, is on a mission to recreate a Titanic banquet.

St George’s Market has a big international food offering, but for a real taste of Belfast sample locally sourced fish, fruit, vegetables and baked goods. Among the stalls you’ll find the famous Belfast Bap (an Ulster fry in a soft white roll) as well as oysters, coffee, tea and confectionery all made in Northern Ireland.

Belfast has plenty of treats in store for chocolate lovers. Visit Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory where you can watch old-time candy making at its best through a viewing window into the quaint factory. See how chocolate, fudge and sweets are made and sample some for yourself. Or buy local handmade products including macaroons bars, fudge, honeycomb and chocolate from Old Time Favourites sweet shop, which is over 100 years old.

Northern Ireland is a gin lover’s paradise. Take a distillery tour at Rademon Estate Distillery the birthplace of Shortcross Gin and Echlinville Distillery where Jawbox gin is made; or make your own at Belfast Gin and Spirits School. Go on a gin walking tour with Taste and Tour or try their Sensorium experience!

Be transported back to 1930s New York at Bert’s Jazz Bar, which serves dinner in a sophisticated atmosphere complemented with live jazz. Or  head to see a live show at AMPM’s Cabaret Supper Club. Feel like a star and experience an evening reminiscent of the 1920’s Hollywood. Enjoy live jazz, burlesque, contortionists, magicians, comedians, bands, even famous local artists, while you enjoy a sumptuous meal.

Belfast’s hospitality pairs perfectly with a wee dram of Irish whiskey in a cosy pub. Book a whiskey experience or tour to hear all about Ireland’s favourite spirit and to sample some for yourself. Combine whiskey with craft beer or traditional Irish music with Whiskey Experiences in Belfast; or go along to a session with Belfast Whiskey Club in the Duke of York bar.

Northern Ireland is home some tasty craft beers and what’s better than sipping on a pint in the brewery it came from? Or head to a local bar to taste a variety of locally brewed craft beers in Belfast.

Visit Belfast Coffee Co.’s store in Ballyhackamore and pick up a couple of bags of their expertly made coffee which is roasted right here in Belfast, in the shadow of the Harland and Wolff cranes. Belfast Coffee is a family business, specialising in small-batch coffee made from recipes created over generations of home coffee roasting. Try their famous Irish whiskey-infused coffee, made with Dunville’s Irish Whiskey from Echlinville Distillery.

Get hands on in a cookery class and learn how to make a huge range of dishes with tasty local ingredients. The Cookery School at Waterman House offers classes in everything from sushi making to curry, Italian and vegetarian workshops. They host regular wine tasting evenings too, and occasionally you can go along to a demonstration where you can relax and learn from the experts. Or make your own traditional Northern Irish griddle breads in the cosy surroundings of Tracey’s Farmhouse Kitchen – only 30 minutes from Belfast. You’ll enjoy award-winning food and drink, and take away a bag of homemade breads along with a copy of the recipes.

Belfast has lots of memorable afternoon tea experiences to choose from. Enjoy a traditional afternoon tea with sandwiches, traybakes, scones served with clotted cream and jam and a pot of fresh tea. Or enjoy a bubbly afternoon tea with your closest friends. Take a look and see what Belfast has to offer!

Don’t leave Belfast without checking out our lively, traditional pubs. Complete with cosy snugs and live Irish music, they’re the perfect place to sip a pint of Guinness or locally crafted lager, ale or stout.