Regency House in Belfast is entering a new chapter as chef duo Chris McClurg and Alice Stewart prepare to take the reins of the property.

The pair will launch their first independent venture within Regency House’s historic walls, transforming the venue into a destination centred around a new restaurant of the same name.

The reimagined Regency House will feature an expanded 40-cover dining room, an intimate courtyard space and a private dining cellar. Interiors will balance the grandeur of the building’s original architecture with a contemporary warmth and a sense of theatre centred on the open kitchen.

Following Aurient Limited’s extensive redevelopment of Belfast’s only historic crescent in the Queen’s Quarter, Regency House first opened in 2022, though the building has never previously housed a public-facing restaurant. McClurg and Stewart began consulting on the site in 2025 and will formally assume control on 2 June 2026, bringing a shared ambition to create a restaurant of national significance in McClurg’s home city.

McClurg spent 13 years working alongside Paul Ainsworth, ultimately becoming Chef Patron at Paul Ainsworth at No6. He departed the business in 2025 following a celebrated tenure that included winning Great British Menu in 2022 after first reaching the finals in 2019. Stewart also built her career at No6, progressing from Chef de Partie to Head of Pastry and Sous Chef before being appointed Restaurant Director in 2022.

“On a personal level, this announcement has been 20 years in the making,” McClurg says. “Dining at Regency House promises to be exciting, energetic and guided by the incredible larder of local produce we have on this beautiful Island: think of an intimate Parisian luxe bistro with a distinctly Northern Irish accent. We have spent a huge part of this past year out on the road meeting and building relationships with our fantastic farmers, growers, fishermen and craftspeople. We feel a huge sense of pride and responsibility to showcase their efforts in the best way we know.”