Saphyre

Saphyre is set inside a Grade-B-listed former Presbyterian church on the Lisburn Road — a mile south of the city centre, in the heart of the Queen's Quarter. Designer Kris Turnbull took the raw bones of the church and dressed them in real gold leaf, navy velvet booths, Murano chandeliers, and silk-panelled walls. It is the opposite of minimalist — a high-drama room that divides opinion and wins most arguments.

Chef Barry Smyth cooks a modern-European menu with strong Northern Irish sourcing — Glenarm salmon cured in beetroot and gin, Mourne lamb with salt-baked celeriac, Armagh apple tarte Tatin with Calvados ice cream. The food is controlled rather than showy, which is exactly the right counterweight to the room.

The wine list is serious and deep — a strong Champagne selection, proper burgundy depth, and a well-chosen by-the-glass range. A sommelier walks the room and can genuinely steer you.

The private mezzanine above the nave seats eight to ten for proposals and milestone birthdays — the most-booked private room in Belfast. For everyday lunch, the set menu at £32 for two courses is the city's best-value fine-dining deal.

Saphyre is Belfast's proposal restaurant. The gold-leaf and velvet drama turns a booth into a stage set. The mezzanine private room books specifically for the question. The maître d' has quietly managed a hundred of these nights and will not let anything go wrong. For diners who want the moment to feel like a moment, nothing in the city comes close.