St George’s Market Belfast: History + Food Guide

The historic St George’s Market is one of Belfast’s oldest attractions.

Perfect for those interested in history, foodies and shoppers looking for local gifts, this award-winning Victorian market is well worth nipping into!

Visitors to St George’s Market can wrap their mouth around a tasty Belfast Bap, an Ulster Fry-up or a sweet treat while browsing the antiques, crafts and fresh produce stalls. 

Below, you’ll find everything from the opening hours for St George’s Market to its history and where to grab the best food.

Some quick need-to-knows before visiting St George’s Market in Belfast

Although a visit to St George’s Market in Belfast is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

1. Location

Located within a historic covered market hall, St George’s Market is located on east Bridge Street near the River Lagan and opposite Waterfront Hall. It’s a 15-minute walk from the Cathedral Quarter, a 20-minute walk from Ormeau Park and a 25-minute walk from Titanic Belfast.

2. Opening hours + parking

The opening hours for St George’s Market are: 

• Friday 8am to 2pm
• Saturday 9am to 3pm
• Sunday 10am to 3pm

3. What to expect

St George’s Market has 250 traders selling their wares every weekend. It has something for everyone, from a tasty snack and a cuppa to artisan crafts, paintings, souvenirs and antiques. There’s live music and a great atmosphere. Fresh produce is a highlight of this traditional market along with fresh fish, flowers and homemade cakes.

A speedy history of the famous Belfast market

Built between 1890 and 1896, St George’s Market is a Victorian market hall with a partial glass roof.

However, there has been a Friday market on this site since 1604. Originally it was an open market with a slaughterhouse and meat market. 

St George’s is the last remaining Victorian covered market in Belfast. The current building was commissioned by Belfast Corporation (City Council) and was built in three phases over six years.

It replaced a smaller structure which occupied the site pre-1890. 

The present building

The present red brick and sandstone building was designed by J.C. Bretling who also built the new Albert Bridge.

This fine landmark has Roman-style arches with Latin and Irish inscriptions.

Over the main entrance arch is the Belfast Coat of Arms and the city’s Latin motto Pro Tanto Quid Retribuamus meaning “what shall we give in return for so much?”. The hall opened to the public on 20 June 1890. 

20th century

Belfast was heavily bombed during WW2 and the market hall was used as an emergency mortuary.

Catholic and Protestant funeral services were held in the hall. 

By the 1980s, there was pressure to close the market due to maintenance costs and a failure to meet health and hygiene standards.

The Heritage Lottery Fund came to the rescue and renovations costing £3.5 million were completed. The market reopened in 1999.

Present day

St George’s Market has won many local and national awards for its stalls and ambience.

In 2019, it was named the UK’s Best Large Indoor Market by the NABMA Great British Market Awards. 

As well as being a weekend market, the building often hosts special market days and events. It is used for Christmas parties, concerts, fashion shoots, food festivals and many other events. 

Things to check out at the St George’s Market

One of the reasons that a visit to St George’s Market is one of the most popular things to do in Belfast is due to the variety of stuff on offer.

You’ll find everything from food (coffee beans, cakes, hot food and more) to arts and crafts on offer here.

1. The Food   

On Saturdays, St George’s Market focuses on local delicacies, continental and speciality foods from all over the world.

Pick up coffee beans, local meat and seafood, cheese, homemade cakes and organic produce. Some of my favourites are:

• Belfast Bap Co
• Stock Kitchen
• Dezurts

2. The Arts and crafts 

The Sunday Market has more emphasis on local arts and crafts.

See artisans demonstrating their skills and selling handmade jewelry, candles, homemade chutneys, jams, spices and chocolates.

3. The clothing 

Like most local markets, St George’s has plenty of stalls selling local T-shirts, hand knitted sweaters, footwear and children’s clothing.

Look for bags, hand-loomed scarves and snoods, crafted textiles, hats and Himalayan shawls. 

4. The jewellery 

Several stalls sell handmade and boutique jewelry which makes a nice gift or souvenir of your visit.

Steampunk Ireland has unusual cuff links, brooches and bespoke commissioned items.

Country Crafts specialises in Celtic designs, beads and shell-craft and Banshee Silver has contemporary silver and gold jewelry inspired by Celtic myths.

5. The music

A special feature at St George’s Market is the local musicians serenading shoppers as they browse the stalls. They play background music creating a pleasant ambience.

There are “quiet hours” on Friday 9-10am and Sunday 10-11am. These times have no music and low noise levels to appeal to those who prefer a quiet shopping experience.

The market hall is regularly used for music concerts. Past performers include Duffy, Newton Faulkner, Deep Purple, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro and Mark Ronson.

Things to do nearby

One of the beauties of St George’s Market is that it’s a short spin away from many of Belfast City’s top attractions.

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from the market (plus places to eat and where to grab a post-adventure pint!).

1. Belfast City Hall: Dating back to 1906, City Hall is one of Belfast’s most famous landmarks
2. Titanic Belfast: An outstanding interactive museum like no other
3. The Cathedral Quarter: The historic heart of the city, home to St Anne’s Cathedral and the finest street art in Belfast
4. Food and drink: There’s endless places to eat in Belfast and there are some great pubs in Belfast, too