Eating & Drinking in Ballycastle

Ballycastle’s dining scene runs from traditional pubs to seafront fine dining, all within easy walking distance of each other in the town centre.

Pubs & restaurants

Anzac Bar & Restaurant — consistently the town’s top-rated restaurant on TripAdvisor, known for local seafood (hake with prawns and chorizo is a signature dish) alongside traditional Irish pub fare and homemade desserts.
The Salthouse Hotel — waterfront, with two dining venues under one roof: the Salthouse Bar & Restaurant for fresh local produce and fish from the pier, and the Lookout Bar & Restaurant for Italian-leaning food (stone-baked pizza, handmade pasta) with sea views.
The Diamond Bar — a traditional pub in the town centre with a well-regarded Sunday roast and a broader food menu than you’d expect from the outside.
House of McDonnell, 71 Castle Street — one of the oldest businesses in continuous ownership in the UK, run by the same family since 1766, and one of fewer than a dozen Northern Irish pubs listed on CAMRA’s National Inventory of Historic Pub Interiors. A regular venue for traditional Irish music sessions.
Marconi’s Bistro & Bar, Castle Street — known for its hake and other seafood mains.
The Fab Kebab, 52 Castle Street — takeaway kebabs and Punjabi-influenced cuisine, prepared fresh on the premises.

Thyme & Co, 5 Quay Road — a café and pizzeria near the beach, run by Tom and Eimear Mullin. Their Ballycastle wheaten loaf — a recipe passed down from a local woman, Roberta McBride, over ten years ago — won its category at the World Bread Awards.
Our Dolly’s, 8 The Diamond — a popular breakfast and brunch spot in the town centre.

Opening hours and menus change seasonally — check directly before planning a visit, especially outside the summer months.