The capital of Northern Ireland is home to an array of weird and wonderful dishes that will delight and surprise your tastebuds.
From using locally sourced ingredients to dishes made with the sole purpose of using leftovers, these are ten local foods to eat when you’re in Belfast.
Whether you’re looking for a hearty breakfast, a tasty sweet treat, or a wholesome snack, you will surely find something that takes your fancy from Belfast’s varied and interesting cuisine.
And what better way to explore a place’s culture than by enjoying its most delicious foods? Here are ten local foods to try while you’re in the city.
10. ‘Poor Bear’ Ice Cream – a Mauds speciality
Local creator of multi-award-winning ice cream flavours, Mauds is one of the most beloved spots for delicious desserts among people across Northern Ireland.
They have a delicious array of flavours that they’ve crafted to perfection over the years, including a small selection of tasty vegan options.
However, we highly recommend trying their iconic ‘Poor Bear’ Honeycomb Ice Cream – a household favourite.
9. Boxty – a hearty Irish potato cake served with toppings of your choice
Originating from County Fermanagh, Boxty is a savoury potato cake made from a mix of cooked mashed and grated potato that is boiled for hours before being sliced and fried.
Often served with toppings such as sour cream and chives, cheese and bacon, or veggies, this delicious treat can be customized exactly as you like.
We highly recommend checking out Holohan’s Pantry!
8. Brown Lemonade – sounds weird, tastes delicious
A Northern Irish classic, we can’t tell you what flavour Brown Lemonade is. What we can tell you, however, is that it’s absolutely delicious!
Sold by popular local brands Cantrell & Cochrane (C&C) and Maine, this delicious treat is available in shops across the city. You can also have it delivered straight to your door.
7. Dulse – a healthy treat from the sea
Found on the shores around Northern Ireland, dulse might at first seem like an unusual snack. However, this rare reddish-purple seaweed contains a wide range of vital vitamins and minerals.
Often served dried, you can find it around coastal towns and in the city in seafood restaurants.
6. Potato Bread – another great use of potatoes
Potato bread is another delicious food found in Belfast. It is often eaten with breakfast or as a snack.
Potato bread, typically prepared from potatoes, flour, and buttermilk, is a staple of an Ulster Fry, often griddled to perfection before serving.
5. Soda Bread – one of the best local foods to try in Belfast
Another one of our favourite breads, soda bread, is another delicious breakfast favourite that often comes with an Ulster Fry or is filled with sausage, bacon, and eggs.
Made with flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk, soda bread is usually either fried or toasted and makes a tasty snack or breakfast addition.
4. Fifteens – a delicious sweet treat
No trip to Northern Ireland is complete without tasting a Fifteen. This deliciously simple traybake is made from mashed digestive biscuits, condensed milk, marshmallows, glacé cherries, and coconut.
A childhood favourite loved by people of all ages, you’ll often find this snack in cafes and homes across the country.
3. Yellowman – a delicious honeycomb-like treat
Similar to honeycomb, yellowman is a traditional Northern Irish snack known for its vibrant yellow colour.
Originating from the Auld Lammas Fair in Ballycastle, this chewy, toffee-like snack can be purchased in sweet shops and corner stores nationwide.
2. Ulster Fry – the classic Belfast breakfast
The perfect way to start your day, you honestly cannot go wrong with an Ulster Fry.
This hearty breakfast will keep you full for hours. It features potato and soda bread, sausages, bacon, eggs, mushrooms, black pudding, tomatoes, and sometimes (controversially) beans.
Served in typical ‘greasy spoon’ cafes around the country, this deliciously indulgent breakfast dish is easy to find.
1. Belfast Bap – the ultimate Belfast treat
A thick and floury bap that is perfect for soaking up all the grease of fried fillings like bacon, eggs, and sausages, a Belfast Bap is the perfect indulgent breakfast, lunch, or snack.
No trip to Belfast would be complete without trying a Belfast bap, which is hearty and slightly heart-attack-inducing. So, for us, it is one of the best local foods to try in the city.
