Belfast
In a cobbled alleyway off buzzing Hill St, the snug, traditional Duke feels like a living museum. There's regular live music; local band Snow Patrol…
Must-see nightlife in Northern Ireland
Belfast
In a city full of buzzing bars, the Sunflower is an authentic corner pub, free from gimmicks and commercial glitz. There are local craft beers on tap, a…
Belfast
At the Titanic Hotel, one of Harland & Wolff's two historic drawing offices has been transformed into a light-filled bar with an impressive barrel-vaulted…
Glens of Antrim
Locally known as Johnny Joe's, this rhubarb-coloured pub is the town's liveliest. The original ground-floor bar was built in the 1800s; behind it is a…
Belfast
Heading up Belfast's burgeoning coffee scene, Established takes its beans seriously, serving a range of specialist drip coffees, as well as light meals…
County Fermanagh
This traditional pub has barely changed since 1887, with a marble-topped bar, huge sherry casks, antique silver lamp holders, and ancient wood panelling…
Belfast
Specialising in rum (more than 30 kinds), this narrow, crowded bar has more atmosphere in one battered sofa than most 'style bars' have in their shiny…
Derry (Londonderry)
Done up as a typical Irish pub and grocery (with shelves of household items, shopkeeper's scales on the counter and a museum's-worth of old bric-a-brac),…
Belfast
Hats meet harlotry (ask who Muriel was) in this delightfully snug and welcoming bar with retro-chic decor, old sofas and armchairs, heavy fabrics in…
County Antrim
Dating from 1654, Ireland's oldest thatched pub is an absolute treasure, with tiny, antique-filled rooms, a crackling turf fire, the best Guinness for…
County Down
Crawford's is the best bar in town for local craft beers and ciders and hosts Wednesday folk nights (with music and storytelling by the fire), as well as…
Belfast
More like a cool inner-city house party than a bar, speakeasy-style Love & Death Inc is secreted up a flight of stairs above a pizza joint. Its living…
Belfast
On a summer's night, a cocktail at the Bullitt Hotel's rooftop bar is hard to beat. Come on Sundays for boozy brunches (breakfast and bottomless cocktails…
Belfast
Behind the oyster-grey ground-floor facade of the 1897 former National Bank building, and through its post-industrial interior, is the National's pièce de…
Belfast
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,…
Belfast
Run by volunteers, Dock Cafe has an honesty box and no price list: pay what you wish for coffee, tea, cakes, scones and soup. Everyone's welcome to lounge…
Belfast
Named for the Belfast poet and socialist, the John Hewitt is one of those treasured bars that has no TV or gaming machines, just the murmur of…
Belfast
On a sunny afternoon, it's hard to beat the Belfast Lough–facing beer garden at this welcoming local, just footsteps from Holywood train station. It's a…
Belfast
A cramped and staunchly traditional bar, Bittles is a 19th-century triangular red-brick building decorated with gilded shamrocks. The wedge-shaped…
Belfast
Four bars make up the Filthy Quarter: retro-trad-style, bric-a-brac-filled Filthy McNastys, hosting local musicians from 10pm nightly; the fairy-lit…
Belfast
Managed by the same family since 1918, Lavery's is a vast, multilevel, packed-to-the-gills boozing emporium, crammed with drinkers young and old, from…
Belfast
On the Ormeau Rd, Hatfield House is no fly-by-night – its original timber and brass bar fixtures and ornate ceiling mouldings are the work of the Titanic…
County Down
A gorgeous old greystone former bank houses this huge bar/nightclub. It combines some of the building's original features, including a stained-glass…
County Down
The Fiddler's is a fabulous place for trad music, with live bands every weekend and impromptu sessions that get the whole bar joining in. The Guinness is…
County Down
Idyllic on a sunny day, this local favourite is hidden away on an island, with panoramic views over Strangford Lough from its bar, partially covered…
Glens of Antrim
By the bridge in Cushendun, this eccentric place occupies a pair of vintage rooms in what was the Cushendun Hotel. There are just two choices on tap –…
Belfast
Kelly's is Belfast's oldest pub (1720) – as opposed to tavern – and was a meeting place for Henry Joy McCracken and the United Irishmen when they were…
County Down
Bangor's oldest pub (1780) pulls in a mixed-age crowd for live music on Tuesday night (folk), Friday and Saturday night (varying musicians and bands) and…
Belfast
Look for the moustached sign to find Maverick, a gay bar that attracts a friendly crowd. Check the Facebook page for the current schedule of cabaret and…
Belfast
First opened in 1870, the Garrick hangs on to a traditional atmosphere with acres of dark-wood panelling, tiled floors, a pillared bar and old brass oil…
Portrush
Craft beers at this good-time, Kiwi-owned bar include New Zealand's Tui, as well as hard-to-find Irish brews like Pokertree from County Tyrone, and Long…
Portrush
Plain and small-looking from the outside, the Tardis effect takes over as you enter a wonderland of five bars and three dance floors at the North's…
Belfast
The 'Eg' is a local institution, and widely reckoned to be the best of Belfast's many student pubs. It serves good-value food, and hosts numerous events:…
Derry (Londonderry)
Housed in a wooden-beamed, 19th-century building brightened with fairy lights, the Taphouse is a cosy place to sample an excellent selection of local and…
Ballycastle
Just off the Diamond, O'Connor's is Ballycastle's best pub for music, with trad Thursday nights year-round. From Easter to September, there are also bands…
Belfast
A stylish modern bar with retro decor and lots of bare brick and dark wood (check out the Belfast sinks in the loo), Union Street attracts a mixed gay and…
County Down
In a charcoal-coloured building stencilled with a gigantic white rabbit, this bare-boards space is a wonderland of mismatched vintage furniture like old,…
Portrush
Great coffee and fantastic sea views are the main draws of this beach cafe. Snuggle up by the wood-burning stove and look out through the picture windows…
Belfast
Piped-in birdsong and flowery murals set the scene as an industrial lift takes you up to the Perch, a rooftop bar in the rafters of a Victorian building…
County Londonderry
Hugely popular with students from the University of Ulster, the Anchor offers a well-stocked bar and decent pub grub, and has live bands Friday and…
