Belfast is the seventh best city in the UK for foodies.
New research has uncovered the top 10 cities for foodies, with London taking the top spot.
Women-only tour company Solo Female Travelers Tours analysed data from TripAdvisor, including the number of Michelin star establishments, vegetarian-friendly restaurants and vegan-friendly restaurants in each UK city. Index scores out of 10 were awarded for each factor based on the number of establishments, which determined the ranking.
Belfast receives a high score for the number of establishments serving local cuisine, 9.89, to be precise. The Ulster fry is a traditional Irish breakfast consisting of fried soda bread, back bacon, black pudding, sausages, potato farls, and fried eggs, and it is a must-try local dish while in Belfast.
London is named the best city in the UK for foodies, taking an index score of 83.56. The capital received the highest score of 10 for several factors, including the number of establishments offering table service, vegetarian-friendly spots, and Michelin-star restaurants, with the latter being perfect for both locals and tourists who enjoy fine dining.
Taking the second spot in the ranking is Edinburgh, with an index score of 61.26. Edinburgh received the highest possible score of 10 for the number of restaurants offering local cuisine – thus, there’ll be plenty of spots to try Haggis, the national dish of Scotland.
Claiming the bronze medal is Brighton, with an index score of 55.55. The seaside city receives a high score of 8.66 for the number of healthy-food restaurants – so if you’re on a health kick, you’ll undoubtedly find many establishments around the area with suitable options.
Following closely behind Belfast in eighth place is the capital of Wales, Cardiff, with an index score of 44.69. Known as the city of castles, Cardiff’s highest scoring category was the number of gluten-free restaurants, where it scored 7.97.
A spokesperson from Solo Female Travelers Tours said: “It’s interesting to see which UK cities make the ranking, particularly with only a selection of the most populated cities across the nation making an appearance. The findings reflect the best locations for foodies to live, as well as suggesting the cities to visit that can make a fun day out.
“However, the jump between London’s score of 83.56 and Edinburgh’s score of 61.26 is rather significant, despite both cities taking the top two places; it suggests that London is the ultimate city for foodies and won’t be stripped of its title anytime soon.”
This information was provided by Solo Female Travelers Tours, a women-only tour company who strive to shape the travel industry to be more equitable for women.