Waterman House in Belfast was the only eatery in Northern Ireland to be picked as a February Favourite New Restaurant by the Michelin Guide

Top chef Niall McKenna was understandably delighted when Waterman House in Belfast, his most recent restaurant, was the only eatery in Northern Ireland to be picked as a February Favourite New Restaurant by the influential Michelin Guide.

Waterman continues Niall’s longstanding dedication to cooking with the best local produce.

The stylish restaurant, which is located at Hill Street in the Cathedral Quarter, was chosen by the Michelin inspectors who described it as “big, bold and buzzy”.

“It’s a marvellous endorsement of the restaurant which hasn’t been open that long and is doing well in the aftermath of the pandemic, a traumatic time for the entire hospitality industry,” says Niall.

Michelin publishes monthly favourites in the UK and Ireland in its free app and website. Waterman featured in a section heralding the re-emergence of bistros in other UK centres such as Aberdeen, Liverpool, Exeter and Belfast. The inspectors also listed “great pubs” in London and other parts of England.

Waterman House, which now includes a successful cookery school, is part of the James Street South Group owned by Niall and wife Joanne McKenna, both respected stalwarts of the vibrant food scene in Belfast. The recognition positions the restaurant for a coveted Michelin star or Bib Gourmand.

The couple opened the 50-seater Waterman restaurant in June 2022 as part of their plan to create a hospitality hub at the Grade B listed building, once a Bushmills Irish Whiskey bonded warehouse, on Hill Street.

They had originally purchased the building in 2018 as part of an investment in Belfast city centre and set up the restaurant and relocated the cookery school from James Street South.

As well as the cookery school, which opened last summer, and the restaurant, the old warehouse is also now used for conference and event spaces.

Niall was drawn by the potential of the “iconic building in one of Belfast’s finest architectural locations.”

He’s clearly succeeded in his initial objective to develop “an exciting, creative hub in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter that can help breathe new life into this vibrant part of the city”. It was “the perfect spot for a new culinary venture”.

The ground floor was refurbished to create “a relaxed atmosphere” with “excellent classic European-style cuisine made with quality local produce” and with the “great service” customers demand and had a right to expect for their money Belfast, he adds, has faced many challenges over the last few years, but is now looking to a more promising future.

“We’re excited to play our part in cementing Belfast’s status as a top destination for local, national and international visitors with this development at Waterman House,” he says.

Niall has been a key player in the emergence of Belfast as a good food hub since 2000 and his return to the city from working alongside TV chefs such as Gary Rhodes and Marco Pierre White in London.

Passionate about local food and drink, Niall and Joanne opened their first restaurant in Belfast, James Street South, in 2003 and soon gained widespread acclaim for the outstanding food, creative menus, excellent service and for the establishment’s distinctive style.

Their longstanding support for local producers is continued in the menus at the Waterman, which feature Lough Neagh eel, premium beef and venison from Tyrone, Young Buck blue cheese from Newtownards and Ballylisk brie from Portadown, as well as fish and seafood from Ewing’s Seafoods in Belfast and locally grown vegetables.

In 2011, Niall opened a more casual dining experience with the Bar + Grill in addition to the gourmet eatery at James Street South, enabling both restaurants to deliver great food to a wider audience. Private Dining rooms and a cookery school were opened in the same year on the building’s first and second floors.

The entrepreneurial couple subsequently opened two other restaurants in Belfast, Hadkis in Donegall Street and Cast and Crew in Titanic Quarter.

Niall launched his own Chef Apprenticeship scheme in 2014, dedicating time, energy and passion to passing on his knowledge and skills to a new generation of future cooks.

The influential chef is also a Tourism Hero, has an honorary diploma from Belfast Metropolitan College and has been visiting professorship at Ulster University since 2017. Joanne serves on the board of Food NI, the Northern Ireland food and drink promotion body.