Speranza

This is a great spot for lunch — they have 3 menus ranging from £5−7 including a soft drink. I work close by and this place is really handy for a big group though it can be a bit slow so it’s good to order ahead of time if you’re in a rush (they will accommodate this no problem)
The lunch menu is pretty much pub grub — I doubt Italians would claim is as their cuisine — however everything I’ve had has been very tasty and filling and always comes with a lovely wee side salad.
I’ve brought groups of young people and also met friends with young kids there and they have been very accommodating. I’d definitely recommend this for lunch.

Italian restaurant Speranza has been looming large in Shaftesbury Square for decades. It serves good Italian food to the masses and I’ve never had a bad meal in it.
All the same I’ve never had a really outstanding meal either. However you’ll find predictable, tasty dishes on the menu and I would recommend the bruschetta, pizza bread and Vegetali pizza.
Normally service is commendable, unfortunately they don’t deal with large parties very well. On one visit with a group of 16 people our food was served so erratically that some diners had finished their main courses before others even got theirs. Plus there were order mix ups as well.
In conclusion, Speranza is a decent, reliable restaurant which churns out nice food. However only visit in smaller parties to ensure your dining experience is smooth.

For Italian food in Belfast, this is the absolute best place to be.
Their portion sizes are very good for the price and the staff are quick to answer any problems you have.
It’s quite central which makes it easy to get to and I’d definitely recommend this place to a friend.
P.s the spaghetti carbonarna is to die for

Great Italian food, friendly, polite, attentive staff who go the extra mile to ensure you’re having a good time without being too over the top. Drinks are fairly standard prices for Belfast. Slight expansion of draught beer selection would gain the last star!

I was looking for any place I can take a lunch around 2pm… Almost all the restaurants have closed at 2pm.
Only here open till 15:30 for lunch!
Lunch menus are low price and valuable, I had a vegetable lasagna for £5 include a free soft drink.
It was served with chips and mini salad as well, very tasty :9 :9
Staffs are also kind and helpful!
Thanks Speranza!

I went here with an Oasis voucher that allowed dinner for two. My girlfriend and I had a great time there. The food was very nice but maybe a little expensive for what it was. I can’t complain though, because I got to eat for free!
The staff there are very friendly and the portions are very generous.

Visited here today for 1^st time and had a lovely lunch, atmosphere and restaurant was v nice. Food was very good and reasonably priced the only downfall was the dessert, I think they obviously had
Microwaved my sticky toffee pudding and it made a bit tough.
But other than that it was a great meal and we will Def Return

This is an awesome place. The customer service is excellent and the quality of the food is authentic Italian. What surprised me was the low price! I would definitely recommend it.

Tastiest and best pizzas around. Even better with BOGOF before 7pm.
Great service and atmosphere.

I haven’t been here in a while. but in my university days it was a hot spot for me and my friends. There are two floors and the upstairs is usually were they put the big groups so I usually requested to be sitting downstairs because it was a little less noisy. However their upstairs bar its very nice, good cocktails and is perfect place to go if you need to wait around a while for a seat.
My food recommendations would be obviously pizza, lasagna and a great little starter which consisted of cheese and filo pastry.

«For over 24 years, one of Belfast’s oldest and best loved restaurants, Speranza, has been proudly serving the people of Belfast. Its continued sucess and popularity since 1983, can be attributed to the principle of serving good food, at reasonable prices in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
«Our newly refurbished kitchen is now under the guidance of Mr Robert (Bob) Currier (former head chef of Café Milano).
«With the the help of previous employeess…
That was some of the blurb from this place’s website and it is so overrated from here on in that I could bring myself to type anymore. This place is as about as average as it gets. Average food, average prices, average service. This is the go-​to place for people on nights out with work or whatever but that just means its no good for the rest of us.

Speranza is a really great pizzeria in the busy shaftsbury square. Its in a great location surrounded by clubs and pubs and is always a favourite with us for groups going out for a birthday or other celebration. Its a really great restaurant for large groups as its big and airy and the staff aren’t phased in any way if you’re a party of one or of twenty! Calling Speranza a pizzeria may give the impression of a glorified pizza hut but its so much more offering great pasta and seafood dishes too. I adore the Sea Bass and they do a really great on here which is always cooked perfectly. My partner lives for their calzone’s and has to come here at least once a month for one, not that I’m complaining! A fabulous Italian experience in the heart of Belfast!

I’ll say this for Speranza, it’s great for groups.
If you have a hen party, a work do or a family get-​together, then I’d recommend it.
It’s an absolutely huge restaurant, and the staff are very good at shuffling you in and out as quickly as possible if it’s busy. Italian food is also a perfect choice for big groups as there isn’t really anyone who doesn’t like some sort of Italian food. For this reason, it’s also good for families looking to eat out, but without hassle!
If you’re not in a group, I wouldn’t really bother. You will feel rushed, the food isn’t really that great and there are other restaurants in the area that are better (nip down the road to Cayenne or Ginger).
It’s also very noisy, so not very conducive to whispering sweet nothings in your lover’s ear, unless you don’t mind them screaming back «WHAT?» everytime of course!

Aw this place disappointed me. Firstly it looks stunning from the outside. It is brilliantly located between pubs like Laverys, clubs like the M Club, venues like the Ulster Hall and sober evening like the cinema. We went here as part of a lovely evening out roaming around Belfast in the sunshine to wind up in a lovely pub and get a little drunk. We figured we should go for pizza but somewhere different from the Parlour and Villa Italia so I plumped for this one.
I can’t fault the kitchen because the food was quick and very nice. But the whole thing seemed a bit rushed. We had only sat down and opened the menus before we were pounched upon for our orders, and even as the food came out, we were asked twice if everything was fine. Now you’re trying to have a nice evening out and you get the feeling the staff don’t want you there. Kind of ruins it a tad.
I hope we just caught the place on a bad day because we had big hopes for this place and they were slightly tarnished by the fast-​food-​esque atmosphere that the staff created by firing out food and hurrying you out the door.
I will go back but I won’t expect too much

Have eaten here many times over the last few years, and it never disappoints. It’s not fine dining, it’s the sort of place our crowd go to before a night out or before we go to the nearby cinema on the Dublin Road, because it seats large groups and the food is always quick and tasty. It used to be much smaller but has been extended and modernised, and it making the most of it’s central location. It’s always busy and sometimes you have to try and catch a waiters eye, or wave manically at him when he doesn’t see you — in order to get service, but the food is good. It’s not amazing out of this world food, but it’s satisfying and suitably priced. Recently I had the linguine which was lovely and a good sized portion too. It’s a family sort of place, so don’t go here for a romantic interlude as you may have little Daisy or Poppy screaming at the table with thier parents…

In my student days, Speranza was an institution of affordable pizza and wine. These days it is a bit sleeker but just as affordable and popular as ever.
Speranza is slap bang in the middle of Shaftesbury Square so is ideal if you want a meeting place for food to start a big night out, or indeed somewhere to spend your whole night out. It’ a big space so should have no trouble getting a table, you may just have to wait for a short while.
Believe it or not, we managed to book a table on the 4 December for 20 people with 2 hours notice — now that’s what I call putting the customer first.
Speranza is best known for its pizza and pasta and you won’t go wrong with these — both prices and food are great. The Messicana pizza is fab, chilli and bacon, and at under a tenner it can be split for two people making a good choice for those on a budget. If you’re feeling more flush (as they say in Belfast), try the sea bass with spicy sausage.
I can’t write about Speranza without a drooling mention of the butterscotch nut sundae — some say you can share this too but I’m not convinced!
Wine, equally important as the food for me, starts at £12 a bottle so that’s not going to break the bank either. Oh, I forgot the banks are broken already!

The food ruins the whole experience. It’s a nice enough place with good staff and atmospheric interior, but the food is worse than mediocre. There are many better places to get good Italian dishes in Belfast.

I’ve been going here for a few years, and it still hasn’t lost its appeal. The food is lovely, although the portions are huge. Don’t forget to leave room for desert as they are delicious and you won’t be able to resist.

This place has been here for years and for good reason.
Good italian food with a menu that has not changed for a long time. It is reliable, has good staff and the pizzas are great.
The other food is generally of a high standard and I would have no complaints.
A Belfast classic !

the food is amazing. pizzas can be quite big so share with a friend and you will find the prices arent too bad. it’s really nice inside, though sometimes a little noisy. You can either dress up and go or just play it casual there and it’s a great place for a group outing.
sticky toffee pudding is mouth-​watering.