Things to do in Northern Ireland
-
Viscounts Restaurant
Set in a converted church, child-friendly Viscounts offers carvery lunches, snacks and á la carte dinners. You can feast on steaks, pasta, stir-fries and vegetarian dishes in a mock medieval setting of knights’ armour, swords and jousting banners. Booking is advisable at weekends.
reviewed
-
A
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 back in 1971.
reviewed
-
Dufferin Arms
This comfortably old-fashioned pub (and the larger Stables Bar downstairs) serves decent pub grub, while the cosy, candle- lit Kitchen Restaurant offers a more intimate atmosphere. Bands play on Friday and Saturday nights from 9pm, with folk and bluegrass sessions on Saturday afternoons from 4pm.
reviewed
-
B
Clifton House
A 10-minute walk north-west from St Anne's Cathedral along Donegall and Clifton Sts leads to Clifton House, built in 1774 by Robert Joy (Henry Joy McCracken’s uncle) as a poorhouse. The finest surviving Georgian building in Belfast, it now houses a nursing home.
reviewed
-
C
Wysner's
Popular with locals and visitors alike, Wysner's has a café at street level serving hearty lunches such as sausages with bacon-and-leek mash and onion gravy, and a restaurant upstairs with more sophisticated fare – steak, salmon or scallops – in the evenings.
reviewed
-
D
Bogside Artists Studio
The Bogside Artists Studio is tucked behind the Bogside Inn; tours are available for groups if booked in advance. It is the studio of Tom Kelly, Will Kelly and Kevin Hasson, known as 'The Bogside Artists', famous as the creators of the murals that make up the People's Gallery.
reviewed
-
E
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 decor with space-age lighting and huge Cambodian stone heads.
reviewed
-
F
Castle Court Centre
For general shopping you’ll find all the usual high-street chains and department stores in the compact central shopping area north of City Hall. One of the main shopping malls is the Castle Court Centre. There’s late-night shopping till 9pm on Thursdays.
reviewed
-
G
Victoria Square
For general shopping you’ll find all the usual high-street chains and department stores in the compact central shopping area north of City Hall. One of the main shopping malls is the new Victoria Square. There’s late-night shopping till 9pm on Thursdays.
reviewed
-
H
Foyle Cruise Line
Operates daily cruises on the Foyle estuary. Trips to Culmore Bay (1¼ hours) cost £6/£4.50 per adult/child and depart at 14:00; four-hour evening cruises to Greencastle with bar and entertainment cost £12/£8 per adult/child, and depart at 20:00.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
I
Life Cycles
Offers three-hour guided cycling tours for a minimum of five people of the city centre, South Belfast and the Lagan Towpath. The cost includes bike and helmet rental. Call to arrange a tour at least one day in advance. There are entrances on West St and Winetavern St.
reviewed
-
Pantry
Housed in a former printer's shop with a lovely original black-and-white mosaic floor, this brisk and cheerful cafe serves a wide range of sandwiches, from pitta to panini and bagels to baguettes, as well as cappuccino and homemade cakes. It's uphill from the Diamond.
reviewed
-
J
Archana
Cosy and unpretentious, Archana has a good range of vegetarian dishes. The thali – a platter of three curries – is good value at £17/11 for the meat/vegie version.
reviewed
-
K
Badgers Bar
A fine polished-brass and stained-glass Victorian pub crammed with wood-panelled nooks and crannies, Badgers overflows at lunchtime with shoppers enjoying quality pub grub, and offers a quiet haven in the evenings when it attracts a crowd of more mature drinkers.
reviewed
-
Hotrock
If the weather is wet, you can still go rock climbing at this indoor climbing wall; you can hire rock boots and harness for £3.50. The entrance is on the B180, 2km west of the Tollymore Forest Park exit gate.
reviewed
-
L
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.
reviewed
-
M
Other Place
This is another student favourite where you can linger over the Sunday papers amid red brick, orange pine and antique objets, or damp down a rising hangover with big plates of lasagne, cajun pitta or home-made hamburgers. Breakfast served till 11:00.
reviewed
-
N
The Mall
The Mall, to the east of the town centre, was a venue for horse racing, cock fighting and bull baiting until the 18th century, when Archbishop Robinson decided that it was all a tad vulgar for a city of learning, and transformed it into an elegant Georgian park.
At its northern end stands Armagh Courthouse, rebuilt after being destroyed by a huge IRA bomb blast in 1993. It originally dates from 1809, designed by local man Francis Johnston, who later became one of Ireland's most famous architects. At the southern end, directly opposite the courthouse, is the forbidding Armagh Gaol. Built in 1780 to the design of Thomas Cooley, it remained in use until 1988; there are plans…
reviewed
-
O
Armagh Planetarium
The Armagh Observatory was founded by Archbishop Robinson in 1790 and is still Ireland's leading astronomical research institute. Aimed mainly at educating young people, the nearby Armagh Planetarium has an interactive exhibition on space exploration, and a digital theatre that screens a range of spectacular half-hour shows on its domed ceiling (check website for show times).
reviewed
-
P
Encore Brasserie
Set in the lobby of the city's main cultural venue, the Encore is a stylish little place with friendly, efficient service and a crowd-pleasing menu of perennial favourites from home-made lasagne to slow-braised lamb shanks served with honey-glazed carrots.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Q
Peadar O'Donnell's
A backpackers' favourite, Peadar's goes for traditional music sessions every night and often on weekend afternoons as well. It's done up as a typical Irish pub-cum-grocer down to shelves of grocery items, with a pig's head and hams hanging off the ceiling.
reviewed
-
Maud's
Maud's is a bright, modern cafe with picture windows framing a stunning view across the river to the Mournes. It serves breakfast, good coffee, a range of tempting scones and sticky buns, plus salads, crêpes, pizzas and pastas; there's a kids menu, too.
reviewed
-
Blue Badge Tours
Offers guided tours of Enniskillen and the Lough Erne area with local historian Breege McCusker, a registered tourist guide. Special interest tours include prehistoric sites, monastic sites, carved stones and Plantation castles.
reviewed
-
R
McHugh’s Bar and Restaurant
This restored pub has a traditional feel with its old wooden booths and benches, and boasts one of the city’s best bar-restaurants, serving traditional pub grub downstairs (till 7pm) and fancier dishes in the mezzanine restaurant upstairs (from 5pm).
reviewed
-
Harry's Restaurant
With its cosy lounge-bar atmosphere and friendly welcome, Harry's is a local institution, serving breakfast 10am to noon, pub grub from noon to 6pm – battered cod with mushy peas, burger or Caesar salad, for example – plus an à-la-carte dinner menu in the evenings that ranges from steak to lobster.
reviewed