5 diaspora-owned restaurants worth visiting in Northern Ireland

For our lovely diaspora living away from home, food is usually one of the first things they miss.

You can’t beat a bag of Tayto on a road trip, an Ulster Fry on a Sunday morning or a fifteen with a cup of tea.

But it works the other way too.

Like our diaspora who have moved away and then come home again.

Bringing with them new skills, new ideas and new food cravings.

And sometimes, that can turn into them opening restaurants that help make Northern Ireland’s food scene even stronger.

So, without further ado, here’s a look at some of our returning Northern Irish diaspora that have done just that, and why.

Emilia’s Pizza, Enniskillen

Cosily situated in a car park in the stunning Fermanagh Lakelands is a repurposed ambulance that dishes out a lethal woodfired pizza.

Owner John worked in London under top chefs Nuno Mendes and Richard Foster, honing his craft and learning what it takes to run a successful restaurant.

While swapping the high-rise life of London for a car park in Enniskillen might seem like a big shift, it was the sense of community and appeal of family life that brought him home.

In fact, Emilia’s is named after their young daughter Emilia, who of course is part of the reason why they came home!

But it’s the support from locals (and honestly, anyone who has tried their pizza) that confirms it was the right choice to make.

In John’s own words, nothing beats Enniskillen on a hot, sunny day!

You can follow along with their journey here.

The Fold, Derry~Londonderry

And we’ve got another London-to-Northern Ireland story for you.

Husband and wife Mark and Shauna both trained in top kitchens in London before making the move back across the water.

Returning to Shauna’s hometown, now a major food tourism hotspot, they saw the opportunity to create something of their own in Derry.

The result is The Fold, housed in a beautifully restored stone building on the banks of the River Foyle.

By day, it operates as a bakehouse.

By night, it transforms to an intimate tasting-menu experience. 

With an approachable and relaxed atmosphere fitting of us Northern Irish folk, it also brings the high standards of their Michelin-level training to the city.

And it’s in good company! 

Derry continues to build a reputation as a must-visit food destination in Northern Ireland, even hosting the ‘LegenDerry’ food month every year to promote local producers.

(The next one is February 2026, if you’re interested!)

If we didn’t already live here, we’d be tempted to move here too.

Mama Bobo, Belfast

Did you know there’s a growing West African presence in Belfast?

Drawn to Northern Ireland for our excellent education system, work opportunities and standard of living… we can’t say we blame them!

Many families have put down roots here and in turn have enriched the city’s cultural and food scenes in the process.

Mama Bobo is a perfect example.

A mother and son duo, Dorcas and Hammy have lived in Northern Ireland for 17 years and watched the Nigerian community grow alongside them.

While Hammy worked as a consultant in London for a few years, Dorcas built a name for herself for her Nigerian home cooking.

When Hammy returned home to help grow the business, that’s when Mama Bobo took off.

Now it’s Northern Ireland’s first Nigerian restaurant and grocery store, and the first to import ingredients directly from Nigeria.

It’s become a huge hit with both the West African community and local foodies as well.

Turns out a Nigerian menu is exactly what the Ormeau Road was missing!

The Waterman, Belfast

Belfast-born chef Niall McKenna returned home in 2000 to help build Northern Ireland's culinary scene and showcase just how good our local produce really is.

After training under top chefs like Gary Rhodes, The Firmdale Hotel Group, Nico Landesis and Marco Pierre White… Niall’s done just that.

So much so, he was awarded an MBE for his incredible contributions to Hospitality and Tourism in Northern Ireland.

His restaurants and food showcase how local Northern Irish produce is second to none.

With short supply chains and high-quality ingredients, local dining here delivers both exceptional flavour and sustainability.

And that’s something we can all get behind!

Check out The Waterman here.

Ramore Restaurants, Portrush

A culinary institution at this stage, the Ramore’s gang of restaurants in Portrush is a prime example of grabbing opportunity where you can find it.

Cast your mind back to 1980 when Portrush was a much quieter town, with much less food options than it has today.

The McAlpin’s had spent time working in London before they took over the Ramore Wine Bar from Jane’s parents.

They couldn’t have imagined just how much it would grow!

Today, the family-owned group is an iconic part of Portrush Harbour and a major contributor to the area’s year-round food and tourism offering.

It’s hard to picture the town without it.

There are so many great benefits to moving away, like discovering new cuisines, learning from incredible international talent and experiencing different ways of living and working.

But it’s only when you find your way home that you realise just how special the support, community and opportunities in Northern Ireland really are.

While we love seeing our people cooking up a storm on the world-stage, we love it even more when they choose Northern Ireland as their place to shine.

Have we inspired you to come home and start your own adventure here – culinary or otherwise? 

Wherever you are in the world, keep in touch with us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or X  – we love seeing what all our diaspora are up to.