OX on Oxford Street, at the edge of the Cathedral Quarter, is consistently regarded as one of the best restaurants in Belfast and Northern Ireland. The cooking is modern European with strong Irish produce — local lamb, Strangford Lough oysters, Glenarm salmon, vegetables from nearby farms — executed with French-influenced technique and unusual precision for a city that has only recently developed a serious restaurant culture.
The dining room is simple and attractive: bare brick, wooden floors, open kitchen. The set lunch menu is the best way to eat here without spending a great deal — the same kitchen, the same produce, at about half the à la carte price. Book well ahead for weekend evenings.