TAKE A BIG BITE OUT OF BELFAST

NWORRITREYR’WSINLASMOENFINFDISNTDHAST TITANIC TREATS IN THE CITY ON THE LAGAN

BELFAST might not be the first place you think of when considering a foodie holiday, but the city by the Lagan has lots to offer. The ‘Peace Dividend’ has brought about a food revolution across the Irish Sea, with bijou bistros and buzzing bars all jostling for space and custom.

Add to that a generation of new young chefs, cooking with some of the finest meat, fish and game in the world, and a new breed of innovative food producers, and you have a recipe for success.

Friendly, walkable and very reasonably priced, Belfast offers visitors more value for their holiday buck.

From the traditional stout and whiskey bars of the city’s many Norry Wilson travelled as a guest of the Northern Irish Tourist Board. EasyJet flies Glasgow to Belfast up to four times a day. Ferry crossing are also available.

He stayed at the Malmaison back alleys to new high-end cocktail bars and Michelin class eateries, hungry and thirsty visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to a night out.

You could start with a pint of porter in the famous Crown Bar Liquor Saloon – a symphony of Victorian burnished brash, carved wood, colourful tiles and stained glass – before stepping around the corner to the sparkling James Street South bistro and restaurant. (www.malmaison.com). Crown Bar (www.crownbar.com ); James Street South (www.jamesstreetsouth.co.uk); Rayanne House (www.rayannehouse.com); Sawyers Deli (www.sawersbelfast.com); Mourne Seafood (www.mourneseafood.com).

Chef/owner Niall McKenna sources the best raw ingredients from across Northern Ireland to turn out immaculate meals.

The service is friendly and informal but the food never falls short of superb.

If eating on the hoof is more up your street, then head for Sawyers deli, in the Fountain Centre, to stock up on all sorts of delicious picnic treats.

The family firm, which started in Glasgow, supplied the Titanic and still gives a first-class service to hungry Belfasters and visitors.

Speaking of the Titanic, it’s worth taking a trip to the awardwinning Rayanne House B&B, in Holywood, where they serve a nine-course menu which replicates the Edwardian-era delights enjoyed by the first-class passengers on the famous liner.

Back in town, simpler, but no less superb, is Mourne Seafood’s buzzing oyster bar and fish restaurant.

Here, the best of Northern Ireland’s briny delights are served up in a maze of informal and family friendly dining rooms.

If you want to work off some calories, or simply make room for another meal, take a walk down to the new Titanic Quarter, where fans of the ship can get the lowdown on the doomed liner.

One thing’s for sure, once you get a taste for the delights of Belfast, you’ll want to come back for seconds.