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Continental Christmas Market

3.7 (34 reviews)
Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Continental Christmas Market Photos

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Paula G.

Half way through November each year, the grounds of the City Hall are transformed into a magical Christmas market which looks, smells and sounds fabulously festive. In the past, events in Belfast tended to be half hearted versions of events in the rest of the UK, but not any more and certainly not in the case of the Christmas market. From the day it launches until a few days before Christmas when it all disappears again, the market is bustling with visitors. It's styled to look like a little Alpine style village of wooden chalets and has such a festive vibe it's impossible to be in anything but an upbeat festive mood as you walk around. The market offers a huge selection of gifts, food and drinks, as well as Christmas trees, wreaths and plants. My favourites are the chunky costume jewellery and the hand made chocolates, both of which I have given as Christmas presents. Make sure you take your appetite with you when you visit the market as the food on offer is plentiful and delish. It's a foodie heaven, with gourmet burgers, giant pretzels, chocolate fountains and paella being just a few of the highlights. Everything is to go so you can enjoy it as you walk around. There is also a beer tent every yea which is full of good natured tipsy and slightly drunken workers from all of the nearby businesses. A visit to the market is a great way to start your Christmas and can't fail to get you in the festive spirit. There is a Santa's grotto for the kids and the backdrop of the lit up City Hall and trees is just beautiful.

Steven S.

It's the same Christmas Market as every year, only this time you now have to deal with kids dragging around those stupid little ground balloons. They seem to be very generous with the free samples this year, so it's good if you're just looking to graze about on a few things before making a final decision. Not really a lot else to say. If you've been once before, you're not missing anything. Well, still nice to go for the Currywurst, and the Gluhwein, oh and the packed beer tent full of people who like paying that little bit extra to justify getting drunk around Christmas.

The Continental Market in the shadow of City Hall
Stevie M.

Nothing says Christmas like a kangaroo burger and a big German sausage! All the same I am a big fan of the Christmas market, it brings some much needed festive cheers to Belfast and perhaps more importantly provides a nice central beer drinking location in late November and early December. I visited said Beer tent on Saturday evening and to my surprise it was much less cramped than in previous years. Usually you can't move without being poked in the eye by a reindeer headband. There's a good choice of ales at the bar - you know the stuff you normally wouldn't drink but you feel dead edgy and experimental because you've just consumed paella out of a plastic carton. One slight improvement they've made in the beer tent is that you can now pay on debit and credit card so there's no need to lump a load of cash about. In all honesty there's a nice feel about the Christmas market and a jolly festive cheer to the beer tent, you might even get an acapella version of jingle bells performed by a group of men on their work Christmas party as we did.

Festive snow globe at Xmas market :)
Cara S.

Love love LOVE the Xmas market! The cherry beer, the Dutch pancakes, the lobster burgers, the churros, the hog roast, the paella, the......ok you get the picture lol

£3 mulled wine available here
Gillian C.

The continental Christmas market is pretty much the same every year, lots of overpriced food, drinks & gifts but it certainly gets you in the festive spirit wandering around drinking mulled wine taking it all in. Lots of delicious smells coming from the stalls but as we already had a dinner reservation we passed on the food and stuck to sampling mulled wine. The first stall we came to (near Donegall Sq West entrance) charged £3.50 for a little plastic cup, the 2nd one (closest to city hall) was £3 for a slightly bigger paper cup and also offered cherry mulled wine & a non alcoholic version. We didn't sample mulled wine from 3rd stall (Donegall Sq east side) but it was only £2.50 so will definitely try it next time

Steins! Everywhere:)

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8 years ago

Plenty to do and see. Dinner, desserts, crafts plants and Christmas events. Worth visiting if your in the city.

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11 years ago

Fun each year. Really nice to see some local resturants partaking this year! Lovely seafood from Mourne Seafood on offer :)

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Love the Christmas market . Really gets you ready for the festive season , best time of the year can't wait until next year .

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Review Highlights - Continental Christmas Market

It's disappointing that there is not something permanent with the same vibe and selection as the continental market.

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Sawers - Sawers, Belfast

Sawers

4.4(33 reviews)
0.1 miCity Centre
££

"People who love to eat are always the best people." -Julia Child (1912-2004)…read more One of the stops on our Belfast food tour, Sawers was a tremendous hit. Crowded at lunchtime on a weekday, we managed to nab a table when another couple finished their meal. It's super busy and inside, it's full of gourmet delights. Anyone who thinks Northern Ireland doesn't have good good needs to come here. Smoked salmon on toasted bread, hard Irish cheese, crunchy baguette, sliced turkey, even chilli sauce and something called "black butter." Oh, and wine. You can't have a midday snack without wine, right? Much/most of the food here is quite local (the wine is Spanish) and the staff are helpful. Check the "sandwich board" out front for specials. The Spanish Board for £25 would be my choice! [Review 1893 of 2024 - 871 in United Kingdom - 22915 overall]

Found this gem while strolling the streets of downtown Belfast. This place has it all! A great…read moreselection of various packaged food, a deli that makes fresh sandwiches, pastries, fresh cheeses to cut and an olive bar. Browsing the store, I saw that it's separated into sections. An Italian section with lots of varieties of pastas and sauces. Cookies from Italy and limoncello! There is a very small Mexican section, which in my opinion was pretty darn good for being in Ireland! They had tortillas, various dry chilies and hot sauces. Lots of cookies, candies, jams and jelly's and a very large tea selection. The cheese case and deli were loaded with so many choices, it was hard to choose! You can order food and eat at tables that are just outside the front of the store. A definite recommend but if you're a foodie, be prepared to be dazzled!

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Sawers - Salad and baklava choices.

Salad and baklava choices.

Sawers
Sawers

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Arcadia

Arcadia

4.4(14 reviews)
2.1 mi
££

Definitely my idea of a great delicatessen with a fantastic selection of meats, cheeses, jars of…read moredelicacies, fresh olives, fish, pates, salads and everything else that you hope to find to complete a gourmet feast for a special treat. Among other things there is high quality bacon and locally produced smoked salmon. All sortsof specialised ingredients are likely to be here with things you don't find often such as the Canadian Clover Crest honey which I bought. The only trouble for me is that Arcadia is so far away up the traffic laden Lisburn Road though the longish opening hours are helpful. Mind you, perhaps it is just as well as I'd be overspending far too much.

Arcadia is quite possibly one of the best finds I have had the pleasure of discovering while…read morewriting my reviews. I'm not up on my deli / speciality foods, nor do I know my Perches from my Pollocks (apparently types of fish...yeah, I didn't know that either) but even I realised the extent of Arcadia's wonderfulness. Plus they sell American sweets. No longer was I interested in the Snappers or the Sea Breams (yep, more fish), the Gruyere or the Gouda (cheese this time)...I eyes were solely fixed on the sweetie selection. Picking up a packet of peanut butter M&Ms (I don't like peanut butter, nor do I like M&Ms), the feeling of the novelty of purchasing something that is so highly sought after over here overcame me. And so, they were bought for the grand price of £1.49. My sister, on the other hand, eyes popping out of her head, was visibly distressed by the varied and unusual choice of confectionery which lay before her. Well, Willy Wonka was the lucky man this particular day, and she selected a packet of 'Wonka Nerds'. And now I am officially going to immigrate to the USA. Ohhh, these are good. These are really, really good. Tiny drops of wild cherry and watermelon explode with flavour the moment you pop them in your mouth and start chewing. It's been nice knowing you all...I'll see you on the other side. (Of the ocean).

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Arcadia
Arcadia
Arcadia

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McCormick's Fresh Foods

McCormick's Fresh Foods

3.5(2 reviews)
1.3 miOrmeau
££

This place is massive and has a lot of produce on sale for really good prices…read more I called in recently to buy onions and mushrooms for a curry. The guy who served me was singing at the top of his voice so I started chatting to him about what else I could put in a curry. He suggested peppers, garlic and sweetcorn. I listened to his suggestions but didn't bother but I will tell you if I needed any more vegetables or fruit or herbs I wouldn't have needed to go anywhere else. Lots of fresh produce, very centrally located on the Ormeau Road and a massive airy space. I actually thought as I was leaving that they could expand into a deli or open a dessert section as the place is so big - maybe the could open a curry counter? Yer man was still singing when I left. Very friendly place.

A pretty massive green grocers and one with a truely lovely vibe when you walk in. I like to try…read moreand eat a little bit healthy while eating locla produce and trying to avoid the bigger chains as much as possible. As long as the local stores aren't stupidly expensive then I think its an obligation to try and support local businesses as much as possible. With this in mind I try and call in here after work to pick up my fruit and veg and have always found the staff friendly and helpful, always serving me in a polite way with a smile on their face. The prices are pretty standard and certainly not prohibitive if you want to shop locally. I like its old school vibe and would certainly recommend anyone who is up on the Ormeau Road to pop in and try to support a locally owned, sourced, provided and staffed shop.

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McCormick's Fresh Foods
McCormick's Fresh Foods
McCormick's Fresh Foods

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Spicy World

Spicy World

4.4(5 reviews)
0.5 miCity Centre
£

As a fan of Indian food I love to try making my own and I only ever come to one place-Spicy World…read more They are open to both public and trade and they have everything and anything you might want under one roof to create authentic ethnic cuisine! The staff are really helpful too and full of advice and tips on how to use certain things! Its really well priced too and I would definitely recommend a visit to all you budding chefs out there!

This the first ethnic food store - apart from the long established Lee Foods - that I found in…read moreBelfast, with much delight it is a great place for stocking up on beans, lentils, chickpeas and other dried things as well as Indian spices. The dried stuff never seems to have hung around the shelves too long which makes a huge difference when you cook them and the spices are good and fresh too. Futhermore, it's better value than the supermarket. There is also a selection of Asian vegetables such as okra, though not very fresh, as is the wont of small shops like these - getting round that problem would be a question of getting there on the right day I would think. My last visit to Spicy World saw me lugging home a bag of coarse polenta, which is not everywhere, as required by some recipe or other, after my customary time of hovering over the choice of beans, chickpeas, red rice and split peas. No further decision was made - I'll be back again squirrel away a few more provisions.

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Spicy World
Spicy World
Spicy World

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Love Olive

Love Olive

5.0(2 reviews)
0.3 miCity Centre

Love Olive has been around in the market for as long as I remember, and it's not hard to see why…read more This huge stall has one of the largest ranges of cheese, cured meats, condiments and of course olives. The range is superb. I've sampled some local cashel blue type cheese which was superb. Creamy and sour, stinky and sweet at the same time. Spooned through the tail end of a simple ristotto bianco it completely brought it to life. When you do speak to the staff they are overwhelming helpful to your every whim. The last time I bought stuff from them I was deciding whether to go for some prosciutto or serrano ham. The staff member helped me along by giving me a more than generous meaty chunk from both cuts to aid my decision. In the end the cheaper serrano was the winner, much greater depth of flavour, rich and dusty, like a Belgian gueuze beer or an old blanket. The stalls anchovies are superb. Not the typical dark salty cured fish you're used to seeing in tins but pale with the skins on soaking in a zesty vinaigrette. Fantastic tossed through a salad or just eaten with a chunk of hard cheese. There is also a superb range of pestos, sauces, tapenades and other foodie delights. The green pesto is fantastically fresh, light and creamy it goes exceptionally well with anything. The prices of course all vary accordingly but in general nothing is overly expensive. You might pay a little more than you should for say 100g of Roquefort cheese and the fake prawn/shrimp thing they sell is bordering on the revolting, but on the whole this is a one-stop-shop delicatessens which urges you to stop by.

I love love olive. It offers a choice of the most delicious pestos, cheeses, olives, breads,…read morechorizo sausage and tapenades you could imagine. I bought some stuff from a stall they had out at Holywood a few months back and the staff were so friendly. They offered me loads of free tastes of anything I was interested in buying and told me about their stall down at Georges Street Market. I'm getting hungry just thinking about their food as it was just mouthwateringly delicious. Nom! One of the great things about Love Olive too was the great heavy duty flax bag that they put my purchases in, it's been used to carry everything from laptops to clothes and shoes on the bus to Belfast! You simply must sample Love Olive.

Continental Christmas Market - artsandcrafts - Updated May 2026

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