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EATING

In recent years, Belfast’s restaurant scene has been totally transformed by a wave of new restaurants whose standards compare with the best eating places in Europe.

City Centre

The main shopping area north of Donegall Sq becomes a silent maze of deserted streets and steel shutters after 7pm, but during the day the many pubs, cafes and restaurants do a roaring trade. In the evening, the liveliest part of the city centre stretches south of Donegall Sq to Shaftesbury Sq.

BUDGET

Rhubarb Fresh Food Cafe (Map; 9020 0158; 2 Little Victoria St; mains £3.50-7; 8am-5pm Mon-Sat & 6pm-late Thu-Sat) Tucked away in a quiet corner, Rhubarb is a great place for tasty, freshly prepared food that’s a cut above your usual cafe fare, from breakfasts (banana pancakes, omelettes, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon) to tuna-filled tortilla wraps to hot lunches such as Mediterranean chicken pasta. The dinner menu (mains £12 to £16) takes things up a notch, with dishes like pork and honey sausages with mash and onion gravy or seared scallops with chorizo risotto.

Archana (Map; 9032 3713; 53 Dublin Rd; mains £6-10; noon-2pm & 5pm-midnight Mon-Sat, 5-11pm Sun) A cosy and unpretentious Indian restaurant, Archana offers a good range of vegetarian dishes from its separate ‘Little India’ menu. The thali – a platter of three curries with rice, naan bread, pakora and dessert – is good value at £14/10 for the meat/veg version.

Morning Star (Map; 9023 3976; 17 Pottinger’s Entry; mains £6-15; food served noon-9pm Mon-Sat) This former coaching inn is famed for its all-you-can-eat lunch buffet (£6). The upstairs restaurant features traditional Irish beef (big 700g steaks cost £15), mussels, oysters and eels as well as more unusual things like alligator and ostrich. See also Click here.

La Boca (Map; 9032 3087; 6 Fountain St; mains £7-13; 10.30am-7pm Mon-Wed, to 9pm Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat; ) Named for the dockside district in Buenos Aires, this lively, high-ceilinged bistro is decked out with Latin American flags and local art, and has an Argentine-themed menu that includes grilled steak with chimichurri (a sauce of oil, garlic, herbs and spices), and grilled swordfish with chorizo, red pepper and olive dressing.

Gingeroot (Map; 9031 3124; 73-75 Great Victoria St; mains £8-12; noon-3pm & 5.30-11.30pm Mon-Sat, 5.30-10.30pm Sun) A bright, modern restaurant that serves fresh and flavourful Indian dishes – the jeera (cumin) chicken is particularly tasty. Gingeroot offers an exceptionally good-value two-course lunch, available noon to 3pm Monday to Saturday (£6.50).

MIDRANGE

Oxford Exchange (Map; 9024 0014; 1st fl, St George’s Market, Oxford St; mains £9-18; noon-3pm & 5-11pm Tue-Sat) Smart and stylish with bare pine floors, chocolate brown chairs, white linen napkins and a yellow tulip on each table, the Oxford has breezy charm and a menu of high-end comfort food – try the beer-battered cod with mushy peas, and chunky chips served in a twist of newspaper, or pea, parsley and chervil risotto.

Deane’s Deli Bistro (Map; 9024 8800; 44 Bedford St; mains £10-16; noon-3pm & 5-9pm Mon & Tue, noon-3pm & 5-10pm Wed-Fri, noon-10pm Sat) Enjoy top-notch nosh by celebrity chef Michael Deane without breaking the bank at this relaxed and informal bistro, with gourmet burgers and posh fish and chips on the menu, or just grab a sandwich at the next-door deli.

Mourne Seafood Bar (Map; 9024 8544; 34-36 Bank St; mains £10-17; noon-6pm Mon, to 9.30pm Tue & Wed, to 10.30pm Thu-Sat, 1-6pm Sun) This informal, publike place, all red brick and dark wood with old oil lamps dangling from the ceiling, is tucked behind a fishmonger’s shop, so the seafood is as fresh as it gets. On the menu are oysters served au naturel or Rockefeller, meltingly sweet scallops, lobster, langoustines, gurnard and John Dory. Hugely popular, so best book ahead, especially on Sunday.

Ginger (Map; 9024 4421; 7-8 Hope St; mains £12-20; noon-3pm Tue-Sat & 5-9pm Mon-Sat) Ginger is one of those places