Entertainment in Northern Ireland
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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. A bit rough around the edges (a description that could apply to some of the regulars too), it remains resolutely old-fashioned, but pulls in a broad cross-section of Belfast society and is a good bet for impromptu traditional music sessions.
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Botanic Inn
The ‘Bot’ is the second pillar of Malone Rd’s unholy trinity of student pubs, along with the ‘Eg’ and the ‘Welly Park’ (Wellington Park). The latter has sadly been renovated into airport-departure-lounge anonymity, but the Bot is still a wild place, with dancing in the upstairs Top of the Bot club Wednesday to Saturday (people queue down the street to get in), live acoustic music in the Back Bar on Monday and Wednesday, and big-screen sport when there’s a match on.
reviewed
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Anchor Bar & Skippers Restaurant
The liveliest of Portstewart’s traditional pubs, famed for its Guinness and hugely popular with students from the University of Ulster, the Anchor serves decent pub grub, opens till 1am and has karaoke on Tuesday, quiz nights on Wednesday, trad Irish music on Thursday and live bands Friday and Saturday, plus DJ club nights from 9.30pm Thursday to Sunday. There’s also Skippers Restaurant, which serves more sophisticated dishes such as mussels in garlic and basil butter, roast duckling, and vegetable stir-fry.
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Kelly's Complex
The North's top clubbing venue regularly features DJs from London and Manchester, and attracts clubbers from as far afield as Belfast and Dublin. Plain and small-looking from the outside, the TARDIS effect takes over as you enter a wonderland of five bars and three dance floors. It's been around since 1996, but Lush! is still one of the best club nights in Ireland.
The complex is on the A2 just east of Portrush, beside the Golf Links Holiday Park.
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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. Pride of place on the back wall is a large canvas depicting Yeats, Joyce, Behan and Beckett at the bar with glasses of Guinness, and Wilde pulling the pints on the other side.
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Limelight
This combined pub and club, along with next-door venue the Spring & Airbrake (under the same management), is one of the city's top venues for live rock and indie music, having hosted bands such as Oasis, Franz Ferdinand, the Manic Street Preachers and the Kaiser Chiefs. It's also home to alternative club night Helter Skelter and Belfast's biggest student night, Shag.
reviewed
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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.
Metro buses 8A, 8B and 8C run from Donegall Sq East along Bradbury Pl and University Rd to Queen's University.
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Crown Liquor Saloon
There are not too many historical monuments that you can enjoy while savouring a pint of beer, but the National Trust’s Crown Liquor Saloon is one of them. Belfast’s most famous bar was refurbished by Patrick Flanagan in the late 19th century and displays Victorian decorative flamboyance at its best (he was looking to pull in a posh clientele from the new-fangled train station and Grand Opera House across the street).
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Sandino's Café-Bar
From the posters of Ché to the Free Palestine flag to the Fairtrade coffee, this relaxed café-bar exudes a liberal, left-wing vibe. There are live bands on Friday at 21:30, and occasionally midweek, and DJ sessions on Saturdays. On Sundays there's a traditional Irish music session at 15:00, and live jazz/soul or DJs from 21:30, plus regular theme nights, fundraising nights and political events. Check the website for details.
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Lavery’s
Managed by the same family since 1918, Lavery’s is a vast, multi-level, packed-to-the-gills boozing emporium, crammed with drinkers young and old, from students to tourists, businessmen to bikers. The Back Bar has live acoustic music from local singer-songwriters on Wednesday and live indie and alternative bands on Thursday, while the Bunker stages various local and touring bands Sunday to Thursday and DJs Friday and Saturday.
reviewed
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Rotterdam
The Rotterdam is a purist’s pub, unrepentantly old-fashioned and wonderfully atmospheric, with stone floors, an open fire, low ceilings and a perfectly poured pint of Guinness. It’s famed for the quality of its live-music sessions – jazz, folk, rock or blues plays most nights, and in summer the tables, and the gigs, spill outdoors. Get here before the bulldozers do – the Rott’s long-term future is far from certain.
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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 encourage serious afternoon loafing, though the pace hots up considerably after 5pm on Friday and Saturday when the stag- and hen-party crowd starts knocking back the vodka tonics and alcopops.
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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 – Revolution (admission £5 to £7) on Saturdays is the flagship event, with DJs mixing up dance, house, pop and commercial till 3am.
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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; 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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Harty Room
Queen's University's School of Music (www.music.qub.ac.uk) stages free lunch-time recitals on Thursday and regular evening concerts in the beautiful, hammer beam-roofed Harty Room, and at the Sonic Arts Research Centre (Cloreen Park), with occasional performances in the larger Sir William Whitla Hall (University Rd). You can download a programme from the website - click on the Music at Queen's link.
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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.
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Garrick Bar
Established in 1870 but recently refurbished, the Garrick hangs on to a traditional atmosphere with acres of dark wood panelling, tiled floors, a pillared bar and old brass oil lamps. There are snug booths with buttoned leather benches, and a real coal fire in each room. Traditional music sessions in the front bar at 9.30pm on Wednesday, 5pm Friday and 4pm Sunday.
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Mason's Bar
The city that spawned the Undertones is still turning out raw, rumbustious live music and Mason's Friday night sessions, kicking off at 18:00, are the place to catch the latest offerings from local talent. There are three or four acts each week, as well as open-mic sessions on Monday and occasional live bands on Saturdays at 22:00; check out what's on at www.myspace.com/masons629.
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Sonic Arts Research Centre
Queen's University's School of Music stages free lunch-time recitals on Thursday and regular evening concerts in the beautiful, hammer beam-roofed Harty Room and at the Sonic Arts Research Centre, with occasional performances in the larger Sir William Whitla Hall. You can download a programme from the website - click on the Music at Queen's link.
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Sir William Whitla Hall
Queen's University's School of Music stages free lunch-time recitals on Thursday and regular evening concerts in the beautiful, hammer beam-roofed Harty Room and at the Sonic Arts Research Centre with occasional performances in the larger Sir William Whitla Hall. You can download a programme from the website - click on the Music at Queen's link.
reviewed
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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 (check out the cool clocks behind the bar), good tunes and good cocktails.
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Queen's University School of Music
Queen's University School of Music stages free lunch-time recitals on Thursday and regular evening concerts in the beautiful, hammer beam-roofed Harty Room and at the Sonic Arts Research Centre with occasional performances in the larger Sir William Whitla Hall. You can download a programme from the website - click on the Music at Queen's link.
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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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Jenny Watts
A traditional pub with a beer garden out back, Jenny's pulls in a mixed-age crowd, offering live music three nights a week, cool tunes (in the upstairs lounge) on Friday and Saturday, and jazz and blues Sunday lunchtime and evening. It also serves good pub grub, and kids are welcome at meal times.
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Mynt
A complex with a vast, luxurious lounge bar and two club spaces, Mynt provides entertainment throughout the week, culminating in hilarious Friday-night game shows hosted by Belfast’s favourite drag queen, Baroness Titti von Tramp. Kitty Killer (admission £5; first Friday of the month) is a ladies-only lesbian club night.
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