"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!

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.

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).

I don't usually do markets when I'm on holiday but tagged along with my family and I enjoyed it,…read morehaving a browse at all the stalls and treated myself to a few momento's and this market has everything from food to clothes to jewellery to toys to vinyls and posters, it would difficult not to find something you wouldn't love.

This market is well know for sundar gardening so I went on Sunday morning. Try cute and unique,…read morefilled with art works foods and drinks. Plenty of options for foods. Traditional (mostly) or international & lots of local coffee shop. Some stalls can have a long line since it makes to order and that can take up to 30mins for more. Most folks are just chills and seat back and relax with their families or friends. For me, it's a small market but great vibe and definitely go there on Sunday to see the true local social life.

I first heard of natures way through a friend at work, he started brewing his own beer and gave me…read morea bottle to try, I was amazed when I tasted it and it was nice, we've been back regularly to buy supplies and get advice on brewing, its a great hobby and there's lots of great healthy products for sale. Great wee shop to visit, your bound to buy something even if your not really interested in healthy living or homebrew.

Fairly small but well stocked health-food shop in Ballyhackamoreread more

I have a bit of an issue, it would seem, of going into a shop and buying the most unlikely of…read morethings. Take Masseys, for example. A family run butchers, with a huge range of meat and meat dishes, plus a deli...and I buy some Toffee Squares. I think my whole life is generally an oxymoron... To be fair, there is a small bakery section, plus a few shelves full of chutneys, oils and sauces, so it wasn't all that strange. I think. Mr Butcher certainly appreciated this anyway, for the following conversation ensued: Jolly Butcher: Hello there! [Looks at my sister] Are you not buying something too? Me: Nope, I'm the one with the money I'm afraid. Jolly Butcher: Awk ok [Looks at the both us, back and forth, back and forth] Me: Yes, we're sisters! [Laughs and smiles at the realisation dawns on Jolly Butcher's face] Jolly Butcher: Ah yes, I thought so! I can definitely see it. Me: Really? No-one ever thinks we do. [Pays for Toffee Squares] Jolly Butcher: Awk, well you can carry those [looks at my sister, and hands her plastic bag, and then hands me my change and receipt]. Me: I like you! And we bid him farewell. Once we got home, my mum had noticed the receipt lying on the table. As soon as she picked it up, she loudly enquired as to why we had bought £20.83 worth of fillet and sirloin steak, when we had obviously purchased Toffee Squares. Laughter ensued as I guaranteed her we hadn't bought any meat whatsoever, and I had merely been given the wrong receipt. Ah, my life is a barrel of laughs...made all the funnier by certain escapades in Masseys. Excellent in every way.

Massey's for me a a place that has some really good things going for it and some not so good, but…read morethe positives tend to come out on top. Massey's is a very clean and well presented butchers. It has a wider range than most butchers as they have milk, a bread stand and they sell other home sauces and tinned goods, as well as a large stand of their pre prepared meals. That for me is the main excellent and simultaneously bad thing about this place. Their meals were a great idea, as the concept was food to go but of a better quality.Unfortunatel y they has taken things for granted and the quality of these products has slipped, which is hard to accept when they are so expensive. The whole butchers isn't cheap but it is good quality and delicious, with locally sourced meats in all the varieties you could ever want.

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.

Now known as M & S Food Hall, great little version of the big store but you can get lost things…read moreanyway... Try the giant cous cous, pesto pasta and mini enchiladas from the 3 for £5 lunch menu... All food is delicious and dinners menu for £10 are great... The meatball and carbonara are personal favourites favourites from this menu... PERCY PIGS

This is my local M&S foodhall. I shop here regularly. There…read moreis lots of free parking spaces and free trolleys and baskets as you come in, as you enter the store you are welcomed by a lovely display of fresh flowers and plants. Theres every type of food inspired by different countries from India to Greece. Theres pizzas, sub rolls, steaks, tacos, burritos, sushi, moussaka . A wide variety of different tastes to try. There is a small instore bakery with fresh breads and pastries. Small frozen foods section also with frozen meals, ice cream and desserts, there are soy milk and almond milk for anyone who's lactose intolerant also sell some diary free products like diary free butter and more. This store have frequent offers on like dine in for two for £10 , you get a main a side a dessert and a bottle of wine. I buy this offer when its on very handy and a good price. Sometimes have the 3 for £10 offer on selected items. If you have a M&S sparks card you can collect points and redeem special offers tailored to you, you can choose your offers online on the m&s website also a small portion of your money when you shop goes to charity, you can choose which charity you want to donate too on the sparks webpage, I tend to switch between charity's every week that way I give a little to all my selected charity's. Great store with plenty of choice and quality always.

Today I was lucky enough to try a 'Billy Burger' from the award winning Broughgammon Farm, so…read morewhat's a 'Billy Burger' I hear you ask? Well a 'Billy Burger ' is a kid goat burger and boy oh boy it tasted good. At first I was a little skeptical about eating goat but then I remembered back to the Billy Goats Gruff story from my childhood and this settled my mind as I knew they'd be nice and tender from running from trolls all day. Hope at least someone gets that reference. Anyway, the kid goat burger was amazing, cooked right in front of me and slightly on the rare side. The burger was garnished with tzatziki, cheddar cheese, pickled carrot and pickled cabbage. It truly was a taste sensation. I chatted to the guys running the Broughgammon farm stall and they said they are regulars at Farmers Markets all over Northern Ireland as well as having an on site farm shop in Ballycastle, Ballymena and Coleraine. They only use the finest produce and all their livestock is free range which makes it extra tasty. There's a great story about the history of the farm on their website - well worth a read. The stall itself was excellent, quick service and really friendly staff - definitely worth a visit if you're at St Georges Market. When local produce is cooked street style and it still tastes like gourmet food you know the ingredients are top notch and this is the case with Broughgammon Farm's goods.

I was told these were the best brownies in Belfast. Holy muffins. They were right. They come as…read morethin slices, maybe 1/3 or 1/4 what an American assumes a brownie to be in size. Maybe that's why I'm fat. So maybe order a lot, and you can be fat too.

We love this place. Honestly the best hot chocolate and chocolate in general I've ever had. They…read moreremember you when you stop by and service is quick. It's hidden downstairs but it is perfect. The coffee has been great as well. It is a quaint little shop but we will be ordering for shipment soon. Owner is a great guy and gave us many local recommendations.