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Bittle's Bar
A cramped and staunchly traditional bar that occupies Belfast's only 'flat iron' building, Bittle's is a 19th-century triangular red-brick building decorated with gilded shamrocks. The wedge-shaped interior is covered in paintings of Ireland's literary heroes by local artist Joe O'Kane.
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Crown Liquor Saloon
Belfast's most famous bar has a wonderfully ornate Victorian interior. Despite being a tourist attraction, it still fills up with crowds of locals at lunch-time and in the early evening.
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Dubarrys Bar
One of Belfast's newest gay venues, Dubarrys is aimed at a slightly older, more sophisticated crowd who are looking for designer décor, cool tunes and conversation rather than flashing lights and banging dance music. Lick! (www.lick-women.com) is a lesbian club night, held at Dubarrys the third Friday of the month.
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Duke of York
Hidden away down an alley in the heart of the city's former newspaper district, the snug, traditional Duke was a hang-out for print workers and journalists and still pulls in a few hacks. One claim to fame is that the Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, worked behind the bar here during his student days.
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Eglantine
The 'Eg' is a local institution, and widely reckoned to be the best of Belfast's student pubs. It serves good beer and good food, and there are DJs spinning most nights. Wicked Wednesday pulls in the crowds with an electric rodeo bull, bouncy boxing, sumo-wrestler suits and other fun, and Tuesday is the big music and entertainment quiz night. Expect to see a few stag and hen parties stagger through at weekends.
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Empire Music Hall
A converted late-Victorian church with three floors of entertainment, the Empire is a legendary live-music venue, preaching jazz (in the Basement Bar) and stand-up comedy (in the main hall) on Tuesday, blues on Thursday and live bands - tribute bands are a favourite - Friday and Saturday.
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Globe
This popular student pub seems to be the karaoke capital of Belfast, with sing-it-yourself sessions almost every night; the pseudo-1970s décor goes well with the wild retro sessions on Wednesday nights. On Saturday afternoons sport is the order of the day with football or rugby blaring on half a dozen giant screens.
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Irene & Nan's
Named after two pensioners from a nearby pub who fancied themselves as glamour queens, Irene & Nan's typifies the new breed of Belfast bar, dripping with designer chic and tempting your taste buds with an in-bar bistro. It's a laid-back place with a 1950s retro theme, good food and good cocktails.
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John Hewitt Bar & Restaurant
The John Hewitt is one of those treasured bars that have no TV and no gaming machines; the only noise here is the murmur of conversation. As well as Guinness, the bar serves Hilden real ales from nearby Lisburn, plus Hoegaarden and Erdinger wheat beers. There are regular sessions of folk, jazz and bluegrass from on Saturday, Sunday, and around the rest of the week.
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Kelly's Cellars
Kelly's is Belfast's oldest pub (1720) - as opposed to tavern; see White's Tavern - and was a meeting place for Henry Joy McCracken and the United Irishmen when they were planning the 1798 Rising. The story goes that McCracken hid behind the bar when British soldiers came for him. It remains resolutely old-fashioned, with vaulted ceiling and elbow-worn bar, is crammed with bric-a-brac and pulls in broad cross-section of Belfast society.
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Kremlin
Gay-owned and operated, the Soviet-kitsch-themed Kremlin is the heart and soul of Northern Ireland's gay scene. A statue of Lenin guides you into Tsar, the pre-club bar, from where the Long Bar leads into the main clubbing zone, Red Square. There's something going on seven nights a week - Event Horizon (admission around £5 , midnight to ) on Saturdays is the city's only all-night club.
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La Lea
Billed as Belfast's most prestigious nightclub, La Lea caters to a cocktail-sipping, style-conscious over-23 crowd (which translates as 'no students'), with a strict door policy to keep out the riff-raff. Impressive décor with space-age lighting and huge Cambodian stone heads. There are two floors and a members-only lounge to spread out in. It goes and flows with the latest in global zen-chic, and the staff are suitably gorgeous.
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Molly's Yard
This atmospheric bar-restaurant is home to Northern Ireland's first microbrewery, producing three varieties of real ale - Belfast Blonde (a continental-style lager), Molly's Chocolate Stout and Headless Dog, a dark amber ale with a refreshingly hoppy and slightly flowery flavour.
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Morning Star
One of several traditional pubs hidden away in the pedestrian alleys off High St, the Morning Star dates back to at least 1810 when it was mentioned in the Belfast News Letter as a terminal for the Dublin to Belfast stage coach. It has a big sweeping horseshoe bar, and cosy snugs for privacy.
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Mynt
Another new club complex with a vast, luxurious lounge bar and two club spaces, Mynt provides entertainment all through the week, culminating in hilarious Sunday-night game shows hosted by Belfast's favourite drag queen Baroness Titti von Tramp.
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Nest
Other gay-friendly pubs include the Nest, the John Hewitt and the Spaniard.
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Northern Whig
A stylish modern bar set in an elegant Georgian printing works, the Northern Whig's airy interior is dominated by three huge Socialist-Realist statues rescued from Prague in the early 1990s. Its relaxing sofas and armchairs in fashionable chocolate and café-au-lait colours encourage serious afternoon loafing.
The pace hots up considerably after on Friday and Saturday when the stag- and hen-party crowd starts knocking back the WKDs and Bacardi Breezers.
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QUB Student Union
The student union has various bars and music venues hosting club nights, live bands and stand-up comedy. The monthly Shine is one of the city's best club nights with resident and guest DJs pumping out harder and heavier dance music than most of Belfast's other clubs.
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Shine
In Shine, the students union can boast one of the city's best club nights - many visiting clubbers have recommended it - with resident and guest DJs pumping out harder, heavier dance music than most of Belfast's other clubs. Student or other photo ID required.
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Spaniard
Forget 'style' - this narrow, crowded bar, which looks as if it's been squeezed into someone's flat, has more atmosphere in one battered sofa than most 'style bars' have in their shiny entirety. Friendly staff, good beer, an eclectic crowd and cool tunes played at a volume that still allows you to talk: bliss. On Sunday from to midnight is You Say We Play, with the DJ playing requests only.
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Spring and Airbrake
There's no dedicated comedy club in the city, but there are regular comedy nights at various venues including the Spring and Airbrake, the Belfast Empire and the QUB Student Union.
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Stiff Kitten
If the scene is getting too grungy for your tastes head for the Stiff Kitten, a stylish new bar and club. Same serious attitude to the music, but distinctly glitzier, appealing to an over-25 crowd.
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The Golden Mile
The Golden Mile - the 1km stretch of Great Victoria St and Shaftesbury Sq that links the city centre to the university district - was once the focus for much of Belfast's nightlife. These days, with the regeneration of the city centre, it's more tarnished brass than gold, but it still has several decent pubs and eateries.
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Thompson's
The best night at Thompson's is Friday's Groovilicious, with DJs laying down everything from funky techno to breakbeat to classic acid house, while Faith plays club classics late into Sunday night for those who don't want the weekend to end. The club, hidden away in the city centre, regularly hosts international DJs.
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Union Street
A stylish modern bar with retro styling and lots of bare brick and dark wood - check out the Belfast sinks in the loo - Union Street pulls in a mixed gay and straight crowd, attracted by the laid-back atmosphere and good food.
