James St.

Name: James St.
Address: 19-21 James Street South, Belfast, United Kingdom, BT2 7GA
Telephone: 028 9560 0700
Price range: £26 to £40
Rating: 4.5

4.5

366 Reviews

£26 to £40

Steakhouse

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 2 times today

Charming
Hot spot
Good for special occasions

James St is a casual and contemporary, brick-walled restaurant specialising in chargrilled and aged steaks. The charcoal grill plays centre stage, cooking not just some of the best steaks and prime cuts Northern Ireland has to offer but also fresh whole fish, pork and vegetables.

With a larger, more established bar area, a large range of wines are available alongside a considered spirit list and an extensive whisky offering. Locally produced beer, cider and gins take pride of place on the drinks menu.

Owned by Niall McKenna since 2003 the revamped James St. will offer locals and tourists a great dining experience in a Belfast city centre.

The restaurant team is headed up by Ryan Stringer as Executive Head Chef & Paul Vaughan as Operations Manager

Bookings may be seated on stools at the bar.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Steakhouse, European, Irish
Hours of Operation
Mon, Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 1:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 1:00 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
028 9560 0700
Website
http://www.jamesst.co.uk/
Payment Options
AMEX, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Ryan Stringer
Private party facilities
The Restaurant has a 1st floor private dining room for up to 40 guests for business or pleasure. Guests dine from a fixed price set menu to suit your tastes and budget and be accompanied with a selection of wines to suit your palate and matched with the menu. Drinks receptions are also available for celebratory events and weddings.

Location
19-21 James Street South, Belfast, BT2 7GA
Neighbourhood
Belfast
Cross Street
Brunswick Street, Bedford Street & Howard Street
Parking details
There is pay and display on street parking located outside the restaurant. The nearest secure parking would be at the Europa Bus station car park.
Public transit
Located within walking distance of Europa Bus & Train stations and main Belfast hotels the Grand Central, The Europa, The Fitzwilliam, Durys and The Maldron. We are also within walking distance from Belfast attractions of The City Hall, The Crown Bar and the Grand Opera House.Bookings may be seated on stools at the bar
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 366 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.6Service
4.1Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Northern Ireland
Best Service
Northern Ireland
Good for business meals
Northern Ireland
Innovative
Northern Ireland
Healthy
Northern Ireland
Hot spot
Northern Ireland
Great for fine wines
Northern Ireland
Vegetarian-friendly
Belfast/Antrim
Best Service
Belfast/Antrim
Good for business meals
Belfast/Antrim
Healthy
Belfast/Antrim
Hot spot
Belfast/Antrim
Neighbourhood gem
Belfast/Antrim
Great for fine wines
Belfast/Antrim
Vegetarian-friendly

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

James St. offers a "spectacular" dining experience with "amazing" food and "exceptionally good" service. Steaks are "grilled to perfection," and the scallop starter is a highlight. Guests rave about the "attentive and personable" staff, contributing to a "wonderful all round dining experience." The atmosphere is vibrant and inviting.

366 Reviews

J
Jane
N. Ireland
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
The whole experience and booking was horrendous. Didn't actually eat at James St South. In using OpenTable to make the booking for a Valentine's dinner, we were deemed to be in excess to what the "restaurant" could accommodate at a normal low-level dining room table and were offered stool seats at the bar counter. It was like a diner, no leg room and perched in front of the fully functioning bar!! Very romantic? I don't think so. We left the "restaurant" and will not be back to James St South.
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G
Grace
N. Ireland
1 review
1.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
Disappointing and Unsafe Experience Our Valentine’s dinner at was a disaster. Despite informing our server that I was dairy-free, my meal still contained dairy, which I only realized because my partner had ordered the same dish. As I’m breastfeeding a baby with a severe dairy allergy, this could have been dangerous. To make things worse, I ordered a non-alcoholic beer after my first drink, but the restaurant mistakenly gave me alcohol—something the staff knew about but failed to tell me when I directly asked. This affected our ability to drive home and meant I couldn’t safely breastfeed that night. Add to this an awkward table-for-eight seating, overpriced food (£30 for a sirloin with just a spoon of spinach), and poor service, and it was a truly disappointing experience. We won’t be returning.
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O
Oisin
Dublin
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Booked on short notice but definitely found a top class restaurant. Both of us had steak, I had the sirloin special and can confidently say it was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Service was top class the only reason I’ve docked a star was due to having a significant wait after ordering until we got our food. Based on the quality of food we had we quickly forgot the wait! Would 10/10 recommend to anyone when in Belfast. On the expensive side but it was definitely worth it.
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M
Michael
N. Ireland
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on January 31, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
This restaurant came highly recommended. Be careful everything is not as good as the reviews we read. My steak was undercooked and my wife’s was burnt to a cinder. My wife sent her steak back and version 2 was not much better. Restaurant was very busy; seems to be the place to be but there are much better restaurants very close by; try Deanes . Very disappointed in the whole experience
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K
Kathie
Raleigh
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on December 29, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
A true gem! Tucked away and near the City Center with an upbeat vibe and food that was spectacular. Particularly tasty was our scallop starter. The steaks were grilled to perfection. And our server was so attentive and personable that it made for a wonderful all round dining experience!
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P
Phil
Yorkshire
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 27, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Overall we really enjoyed our experience at the restaurant. The staff were pleasant and attentive without being overly present. The food was excellent and the service great. It was a little cool in the restaurant and I did notice other customers putting their coats on during their dining.
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G
George
N. Ireland
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on December 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Absolutely amazing service / Food was great quality
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B
Brian
N. Ireland
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on December 4, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This was the first time we had visited James st and the experience was fantastic. Food was amazing and service was second to none thanks for the great experience.
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S
Samuel
London
15 reviews
3.0
15 reviews
Dined on December 1, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
Staff very friendly. Plates left on table for 15 minutes after everyone finished.
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O
Orlaith
N. Ireland
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 22, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Not only does the food make me want to frequent but the staff are amazing, always willing to help & advise. Everything is 5 Star
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FAQs

James St. is rated 4.5 stars by 366 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 17, 2025

7:00 p.m.

Booked 2 times today

19-21 James Street South, Belfast, BT2 7GA

Additional information

Cross Street
Brunswick Street, Bedford Street & Howard Street
Neighbourhood
Belfast
Hours of Operation
Mon, Wed, Thu 5:00 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 1:00 pm–9:30 pm Sun 1:00 pm–8:00 pm
Price
£26 to £40
Cuisines
Steakhouse, European, Irish
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
There is pay and display on street parking located outside the restaurant. The nearest secure parking would be at the Europa Bus station car park.
Public transit
Located within walking distance of Europa Bus & Train stations and main Belfast hotels the Grand Central, The Europa, The Fitzwilliam, Durys and The Maldron. We are also within walking distance from Belfast attractions of The City Hall, The Crown Bar and the Grand Opera House.Bookings may be seated on stools at the bar
Payment Options
AMEX, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Executive Chef
Ryan Stringer
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.jamesst.co.uk/
Phone number
028 9560 0700
Private party facilities
The Restaurant has a 1st floor private dining room for up to 40 guests for business or pleasure. Guests dine from a fixed price set menu to suit your tastes and budget and be accompanied with a selection of wines to suit your palate and matched with the menu. Drinks receptions are also available for celebratory events and weddings.

James St.

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

What 366 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is James St. restaurant rated?

Is James St. currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information