Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. Northern Ireland
  4. Belfast/Antrim
  5. Belfast
The Great Room Restaurant, Belfast,

The Great Room Restaurant

4.8
4.8
915 Reviews
£41 and over
Modern European

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 7 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Fancy
The Great Room Restaurant is undoubtedly one of Northern Ireland’s most extraordinary restaurants. Thanks to the remarkable original Victorian interior with its glass cupola, Ireland’s largest chandelier an array of plasterwork detailing, the space is second to none. Needless to say our chefs search tirelessly to bring the finest seasonal ingredients together in eloquent dishes in thoughtfully prepared menus, just one of the reasons The Great Room Restaurant was awarded 2 AA Rosettes. All this is complemented by expert service and a wine list to which all the superlatives apply!
Mid- week lunch is served Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.15

To book our iconic Afternoon Tea, please search for Afternoon Tea at The Merchant Hotel.
Private dining

Private dining

Book your next event with us

View details

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Modern European
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 07:00–09:00 Afternoon Tea Mon–Fri 12:00–16:00 Sat 12:30–15:00 Sun 12:30–16:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–14:15 Sundays Sun 12:30–20:30 Dinner Mon–Thu 18:00–21:30 Fri, Sat 18:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    028 9023 4888
  • Website
    http://www.themerchanthotel.com/the-great-room
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Johnny Leake
  • Private party facilities
    The Private Dining Room at The Merchant Hotel is an ideal location for hosting a dinner party, breakfast meeting, afternoon tea, or lunch. This beautiful room is located in a private annex adjacent to the stunning Great Room Restaurant and the hotel's award-winning Cocktail Bar.
  • Private party contact
    Merchant Events Team: 028 9026 2717
  • Location
    16 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ
  • Area
    Belfast
  • Parking details
    There are a number of Multi-story Car Parks within a few minutes walk of The Great Room. One is Hi-Park on High Street (1 min walk) and Q Park in St. Anne's Square (5 mins walk).
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options

Experiences

  • Lunch Set Menu 2 Courses £36.50 - 3 Courses £42.50

    Multiple dates available
    Sample Menu Starters: Handmade cavatelli pasta, confit duck leg, baby onion Dressed Kilkeel crab, taramasalata, kohlrabi, lovage emulsion Seasonal game pâté en croute, Savora mustard, celeriac remoulade Twice baked Coolattin cheddar soufflé, quince and toasted hazelnut Mains Fish of the Day, toasted fregola, chorizo, smoked mussels Thornhill duck breast, Paimpol bean cassoulet, choucroute Irish venison haunch and faggot, creamed cabbage, artichoke Lisdergan beef fillet, salt baked celeriac, mushroom purée, truffle jus (£9.50 Supplement) Desserts: Profiterole swans, vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce Caramelized apple and quince, yuzu crémeux Poached pear, cardamom crumble, lemon compote Selection of Irish and French cheese
    Lunch Set Menu 2 Courses £36.50 - 3 Courses £42.50 photo

  • Luxury Winter Tasting Menu £90

    Multiple dates available
    Our exquisite six course tasting menu in The Great Room Restaurant is a must try experience for any foodie Each course has been prepared using the finest local ingredients to showcase the best in season flavours. Enjoy a delectable add on £55pp wine pairing alongside each course which have been expertly chosen by our head sommelier. AMUSE SEASONAL GAME PÂTÉ EN CROUTE Savora mustard, celeriac remoulade GLENARM SMOKED SALMON Heritage beetroot, verjus, buttermilk SEARED LOCAL SCALLOPS Young leeks, autumn truffle emulsion, roe sauce LISDERGAN BEEF FILLET Salt baked celeriac, mushroom purée, truffle jus QUINCE, PEDRO XIMÉNEZ, LEMON Mascarpone, almond sponge, espresso GUANAJA CHOCOLATE CRÉMEUX PETIT FOURS
    Luxury Winter Tasting Menu £90 photo

  • Merchant Afternoon Tea From £44.50pp

    Multiple dates available
    When we first opened our doors at The Merchant Hotel, we were excited to reintroduce our sumptuous afternoon tea to the city of Belfast after decades of absence. Since then, our quintessential afternoon tea has garnered a reputation as a “must do” experience to enjoy when visiting the city. We don't claim to have invented afternoon tea, but we are proud to say we have perfected it. The breath-taking surroundings of The Great Room Restaurant boast a wealth of original Victorian features. This complements the refined and discreet service, welcoming atmosphere and decadently delicious afternoon tea. Merchant Afternoon Tea £44.50 Prosecco Afternoon Tea £51.50pp Cocktail Afternoon Tea £54.50pp Champagne Afternoon tea £57.0pp
    Merchant Afternoon Tea From £44.50pp photo

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 915 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Energetic

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Northern Ireland

    Best Overall

  • Northern Ireland

    Best Food

  • Northern Ireland

    Best Service

  • Northern Ireland

    Best Ambience

  • Northern Ireland

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Northern Ireland

    Great for fine wines

  • Northern Ireland

    Romantic

  • Northern Ireland

    Good for special occasions

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Best Overall

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Best Food

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Best Service

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Best Ambience

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Best Value

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Great for creative cocktails

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Great for fine wines

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Romantic

  • Belfast/Antrim

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Great Room Restaurant offers a luxurious dining experience in a stunning setting. Guests praise the "amazing food," "exceptional service," and "beautiful surroundings." Perfect for special occasions, the ambiance and attentive staff consistently impress. While some mention high prices, the overall experience and attention to detail make it "worth every penny."

915 Reviews

  1. OpenTable Diner

    N. Ireland1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was my wife’s birthday and the staff produced a cake with a candle which was much appreciated. The meal was excellent and we always love the great hall.

    Is this helpful?

  2. OpenTable Diner

    Dublin1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 27 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Lunch on a Thursday with old friends, 2 courses £36.50 and a 5* wine list. Food was excellent, staff polite and service excellent. Oh and then there’s the dining room itself, what a treat.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Karen

    Lincolnshire1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 14 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Great Roon restaurant is truly amazing, the staff are so very friendly and the food is exceptionally delicious. We eat there every time we visit Belfast and will continue to do so, it is well worth a visit.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Michael

    Berkshire7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A perfect evening. Attentive staff, delicious food, opulent but comfortable surroundings and wonderfully quiet.

    Is this helpful?

  5. David

    Essex9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Birthday Sunday lunch - welcome was great, table was excellent and the service and food was superb.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Ellie

    Edinburgh1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food! Incredible service, all staff were so attentive! Would recommend 10000 times over

    Is this helpful?

  7. Thelma

    N. Ireland1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Visited The Great Room for Afternoon Tea for a Birthday Celebration. Perfect in every way.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Brian

    Dublin3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 31 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a delicious meal yet again. The staff were attentive to us throughout our evening. It was an outstanding meal.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Patrick

    London1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 29 January 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Setting and food excellent main wine list good but wine by the glass selection shocking and similar to what you would see in a roadhouse diner . There is no excuse for the most expensive hotel in Belfast not having a Coravin system.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Alison

    N. Ireland2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 18 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Enjoyed celebrating my daughters 21st birthday. Special requests were taken on board and variations made without any problems. Very attentive staff. Beautiful surroundings. Afternoon tea was beautifully served and everything tasted delicious. It would have been nice to have some background piano music playing. Would definitely recommend and go back. This was my 3rd time for afternoon tea.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Great Room Restaurant is rated 4.8 stars by 915 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 7 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Great Room Restaurant

16 Skipper Street, Belfast, BT1 2DZ

Additional information

  • Area
    Belfast
  • Hours of Operation
    Breakfast Daily 07:00–09:00 Afternoon Tea Mon–Fri 12:00–16:00 Sat 12:30–15:00 Sun 12:30–16:00 Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00–14:15 Sundays Sun 12:30–20:30 Dinner Mon–Thu 18:00–21:30 Fri, Sat 18:00–22:00
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    Modern European
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    There are a number of Multi-story Car Parks within a few minutes walk of The Great Room. One is Hi-Park on High Street (1 min walk) and Q Park in St. Anne's Square (5 mins walk).
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Johnny Leake
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options
  • Website
    http://www.themerchanthotel.com/the-great-room
  • Phone number
    028 9023 4888
  • Private party facilities
    The Private Dining Room at The Merchant Hotel is an ideal location for hosting a dinner party, breakfast meeting, afternoon tea, or lunch. This beautiful room is located in a private annex adjacent to the stunning Great Room Restaurant and the hotel's award-winning Cocktail Bar.
  • Private party contact
    Merchant Events Team: 028 9026 2717
Discover
OpenTable
  • About Us
  • Blog
  • Careers
More
Our sites
Businesses
  • Delight more diners
  • Restaurant Blog
Join us on
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo