9th October 2024
Belfast Restaurant Week Kicks off with experiences at 59 venues!
The event is the city centre’s biggest celebration of Belfast’s culinary expertise
Belfast Restaurant Week returns to the city centre this week. Taking place from October 7th to 13th, this year’s offering features 105 experiences, events and offers from 59 of Belfast’s most-loved and exciting hospitality hotspots. The event now offers a wider array of experiences, including tasting menus, cocktail masterclasses, food pairings, and demonstrations, while still providing value-driven options that encourage people to explore and discover new flavours and venues. Hosted by CQ BID, Belfast One and LQ BID, the new format has proved a winning recipe with businesses right across the city signed up to showcase their venues.
Diners can start the week in style at the iconic Great Room in The Merchant Hotel, where they’ll be treated to a five-course tasting menu, beginning with a handcrafted negroni and concluding with an Irish coffee, both prepared right at your table.
In 2023 Belfast Restaurant Week had remarkable success with 49 restaurants taking part, leading to an estimated £190K additional spend across the city centre.
Martina Connolly, CEO of Belfast One, said, “We are delighted to kick off Belfast Restaurant Week and this year is set to be the best yet. It’s no secret that hospitality has faced its challenges recently, but Belfast’s food scene is both vibrant and resilient with new venues like Nova and mrDeanes showcasing remarkable creativity and passion. Many new restaurants have come on board this year – a testament to the growth and popularity of this event. Initial bookings indicate the week will draw huge footfall into the city, supporting our local businesses and reminding everyone just how special our hospitality community is.”
Additional highlights include a Wonka-themed afternoon tea experience at The River Rooms, where guests will step into a whimsical world filled with chocolate staircases, snozberries, and bubble-infused cocktails. Meanwhile, you can continue your night enjoying Belfast’s lively nighttime economy beyond the restaurants at the Seahorse Lounge in the Grand Central on Friday and Saturday, where Dave Martin & The Casino Cats, a lively six-piece swing band with a brass section, will be performing from 9 PM to 11:30 PM.
Belfast Restaurant Week 2024 will conclude with two special sittings at Gnostic’s ‘Final Feast – Sip, Savour & Celebrate’ event. The first seating at 1 pm will welcome customers to enjoy Gnostic’s ‘Best Pick’ menu with complimentary Prosecco, a small plate, and a side. The second, exclusive sitting will honour the dedicated hospitality staff from participating BRW venues with a Prosecco reception, live music, and a curated menu, recognising and thanking the hardworking individuals behind Belfast’s thriving culinary scene who made BRW possible.
All of the participating venues and experiences can be viewed at www.belfastrestaurantweek.org.
Other venues signed up include Coco, Europa Hotel, Berts, Fish City, Mourne Seafood, Sweet Afton, Stock, Tetto, Fratelli, Coppi, White’s Tavern, Millar’s Grill & Seafood, 44 Hill Street, Roam, Bank Square, Waterman, Voco and many more.
Martina concluded, “Belfast Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to enjoy our city, and catch up with friends, colleagues, or family whilst supporting the local businesses that are at the heart of our community and our economy. We invite everyone to come out, try something new, and be part of this fantastic celebration of Belfast’s hospitality scene.”
