From local independent burger joints to neighbourhood sushi restaurants and all the dishes and flavours in between, this year sees six restaurants in Belfast shortlisted for several accolades, including Best Chicken and Best Chinese and the coveted Independent Restaurant of the Year award.
From today until May 9 at 23.59, local food lovers can cast their votes to back their best-loved restaurants. Those who participate are automatically entered into a draw to win £150 in-app credit.*
See below the shortlisted restaurants from Belfast in with a chance of award victory this May.
Belfast - Regional Cuisine Awards
Best Chinese
- Bao Bun, Belfast
Best Burger & American
- Bunsen, Belfast
Best Chicken
- Wing IT, Belfast
Best Pizza
- The Pizza Co, Belfast
Best Salad/Healthy
- Seed, Belfast
- The Juice Bar, Belfast
Independent Restaurant of the Year
25 restaurants across the UK and Ireland are up for this year’s Independent Restaurant of the Year Award, including:
- Seed, Belfast
- Known for its salad bowls, burritos and smoothies, Seed is a health food restaurant that has taken Northern Ireland by storm since first opening its doors in 2022. The restaurant opened its third location in Belfast in 2024.
Customer votes will determine x5 Regional Restaurant of the Year winners who will be automatically entered into the final shortlist for Independent Restaurant of the Year won by Yeeros in Dublin last year, judged by an expert panel.
To mark the return of the 2025 Restaurant Awards, the delivery app has recruited a guest judge with arguably one of the most discerning palates on the planet - Celebrity Masterchef finalist, TV personality, culinary school graduate, and the daughter of multi-Michelin star restaurant royalty, Tilly Ramsay - who has been enlisted to judge the coveted Independent Restaurant of the Year Award and the Rising Star Award, a new title for 2025.
In new imagery released today, Tilly is seen sitting upon a teal and gold throne with embossed culinary equipment as she prepares for her role crowning the top local restaurant title in a modern-meets-baroque setting. Surrounded by a banquet of delicious Deliveroo dishes, from burgers to bagels, salads to sushi and everything in between, Tilly is seen taste-testing the dishes in practice for her newly appointed role as judge.
She sits alongside a panel of experts that include Deliveroo’s CEO and Founder Will Shu and esteemed food critic and returning judge, Jimi Famurewa - making her the awards’ youngest ever judge.
There are 65 award categories in total, including 50 regional cuisine-led awards and the coveted Independent Restaurant of the Year award. This year sees the introduction of several new categories - Lifetime Achievement, Changing the Game, Role Model and Rising Star.
Tilly Ramsay said: “I can’t wait to take my taste buds on a tour as I rate some of the most loved local eats from around Ireland and the UK as part of the Deliveroo Restaurant Awards. The shortlist of restaurants looks epic and I'm excited to get stuck into deliberating the dishes for the top title, Independent Restaurant of the Year, with my co-judges.
“It’s also a huge honour to be supporting the next generation of restaurateur talent as part of the Rising Star award - as a recent culinary school graduate and someone still early in my career, it feels very special to celebrate new and exceptional talent in the food industry!”
On recruiting Tilly Ramsay as the newest Deliveroo Restaurant Awards judge, Will Shu, CEO & Founder at Deliveroo, said: “The Deliveroo Restaurant Awards is about championing the local restaurants who provide incredible selection and quality food in their communities. These restaurants are the beating heart of our towns and cities, and they obsess over making sure every food delivery is a special moment for our customers - that’s something worth celebrating.
"We’re excited to have Tilly Ramsay join our judging panel this year - whilst her family history has no doubt helped hone her tastes, it’s great to be working with the next generation of food talent. Make sure you vote for your favourite restaurants if you want to see them take home a title.”
Takeaway fans can cast their vote for UK and Ireland’s most loved restaurants in their local area at deliveroorestaurantawards.com between April 14 and May 9, with voting closing on May 9 at 11:59PM. Customers who vote will be automatically entered into a draw to win £150 in Deliveroo credit*.
The winners of the Deliveroo 2025 Restaurant Awards will be announced via Deliveroo’s social channels on May 28.