Local Knowledge

Taxis

With much of the city pedestrianised, and with a compact centre, it’s great to navigate on foot; for trips beyond the city centre, it’s easy to grab a black cab (just hail one on the street), especially at your hotel. Alternatively, Value Cabs is a reliable minicab company (+44 (0)28 9080 9080).

Tipping culture

Tip up to 15 per cent for a good meal, but make sure they haven’t added that ‘discretionary’ 12.5 per cent for you already.

Siesta and fiesta

Many shops close at 5.30pm, though the more central boutiques are starting to stay open later. Most popular restaurants have two sittings at weekends, 7pm and 9pm. Book well in advance. Pubs are open until 1am, clubs till 3am, though, technically, they can’t sell alcohol after one.

Packing tips

Perhaps pack an umbrella. Many of the murals dating from the Troubles are being repainted with less provocative imagery, so bring a camera to record these historic artworks before they’re gone for good.

Recommended reads

Most modern novels touch on the Troubles in some way. While Brian Moore’s Lies of Silence is a gripping suspense novel, Robert McLiam Wilson offers a lighter, comic take in Eureka Street, which focuses on two friends, one Catholic, one Protestant. This Human Season by Louise Dean is full of blood, sweat, tears and smoking. That Which Was by Glenn Patterson is also an insightful read.

Cuisine

There’s great gourmet cooking with local produce to be had here, but make sure you have an Ulster Fry for breakfast at least once: expect black and white pudding and soda bread to be a big feature. While steak is still ever-present on restaurant menus, these days it’s more likely to come with a mango and chilli salsa.

Regional specialities

Carb addict? You’ve come to the right place: baked goods are a Belfast speciality. Soda bread, potato griddle cakes, buttermilk bannocks, farls and barmbrack – you name them, they’re available with breakfast or coffee all over town. Atkins adherents may prefer to tuck into Armagh beef, pork from Cookstown or seafood landed at Portavogie. If you book a table at Mourne Seafood Bar on Bank Street (+44 (0)20 0924 8544; www.mourneseafood.com), you can try oysters, cockles and mussels from their own shellfish beds in Carlingford Lough.

Currency

Pound sterling.

Time zone

GMT.

Dialling codes

UK country code: +44. Northern Ireland: 028. Belfast: 90.

Do go/don't go

April to September are the months to pick if you want to enjoy the best of the weather. January is the bleakest month.