Home Belfast

This pop-up turned permanent venture from chef Ben Arnold was originally only meant to last for three months in 2011. Those three months quickly became 12 before Home found its permanent home in this central location near Belfast’s iconic City Hall, winning Arnold a trophy cabinet of awards along the way.

This is the sort of home that wouldn’t look out of place in a warehouse conversion in New York, all high ceilings, stainless steel, industrial columns and dark wood floors; from the furniture to the art, if you like what you see, it’s probably available to buy.

A couple of dishes on the menu are likely to be much-loved survivors from the pop-up days, such as hot and sour Asian chicken broth and whipped goat’s cheese with candied walnuts. But with an emphasis on ingredients that are fresh, local and seasonal, the menu changes regularly and dishes are created with the best produce available at any time of year, delivered daily to the restaurant.

The menu takes inspiration from all around the world to produce an appealing line-up of bold, full-on flavours. Start your travels in Asia with cauliflower pakora with coriander yoghurt and mango chutney before coming home to Ireland with County Tyrone dry-aged rib-eye steak with red wine shallots, confit garlic butter and fries. Or kick off in Europe with beetroot borscht, sour cream and pickled carrot ahead of a Japanese-style aubergine katsu curry with pickled radish and brown rice.

Desserts are more traditional: sticky toffee pudding and ice cream; coconut rice pudding and whiskey prunes; chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. Don’t feel guilty for indulging in something sweet– much of Arnold’s savoury cooking uses healthy grains and pulses, while butter and cream is eschewed in favour of locally produced, omega-rich rapeseed oil. Veggie, vegan and gluten-free menus are available, too.

Home is a welcoming neighbourhood restaurant in Belfast serving a widely-influenced menu of feel-good dishes, from nourishing plates to familiar, indulgent classics. It initially started out life as a pop-up in 2011, instantly becoming so popular amongst foodies that it went on to take up a permanent residence in the location it’s still at today: on Belfast’s Wellington Place. Heading up the kitchen is chef Ben Arnold, who has been at Home since day one and is clearly a force to be reckoned with. You might recognise him from Great British Menu, on which he was a finalist in 2015, and he's also picked up many accolades throughout his career including the Robbie Millar Scholarship and Young Irish Chef of the Year. His prowess in the kitchen led Home to receive a Michelin Bib Gourmand which recognises restaurants serving good-quality cuisine at good-value prices.

Home’s dishes are colourful, wholesome and made in-house every day using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. Its main menu is bolstered by a strong selection of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes, as well as a series of rotating daily specials. From its globally-inspired menu, you might want to start with a sharing board to get your tastebuds going, whether that’s with a taste of Italian charcuterie or Middle Eastern mezze. Starters include dishes such as roast squash with whipped ricotta and a mint and chilli dressing, or potted duck confit with plum chutney and sourdough. Mains are similarly adventurous with things like hake, truffle mash, buttered leeks, madeira and mushroom veloute, while vegetarians will love the cajun-spiced potato burger with mango chutney, jalapeno mayo and spiced fries.  

To drink, discover a range of house wines as well as reds and whites available by the glass, half bottle or bottle. Home also offers a limited selection of artisan drinks such as Glendalough wild botanical gin with orange bitters and tonic, Rockshore Irish lager and The White Hag mochaccino stout.