Boutique hotels
-
The Merchant Hotel
- Style
- Grand neoclassical bank
- Setting
- The Cathedral Quarter
Belfast Eating, drinking and dancing
Restaurants
+44 (0)28 9065 0079
Aldens
A contemporary space, this restaurant is good for bistro-style food with unstuffy service.
229, Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast
(+44 (0)28 9065 0079)
Aldens
A contemporary space with good bistro-style food and unstuffy service – it’s trendy and popular with media types.
229 Upper Newtownards Road, Belfast BT4 3JF
(+44 (0)28 9043 9160)
Café Vaudeville
Baroque, Paris-themed bistro and café in a former bank – have coffee or a fragrant tea with patisseries in the afternoon or an early supper. The upstairs Bolli Bar is, as you’d expect, the place for a glass of the bubbly French stuff.
25–39 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GQ
(+44 (0)28 9033 1532)
Cayenne
The spicy flavours of this lively restaurant come care of well-known chef Paul Rankin and his wife Jeanne. Have a cold beer at the bar with some perfectly produced pickings, or order from the à la carte menu; Asian cuisine is the dominant theme, so expect plenty of tamarind, miso, wasabi and black beans alongside your Euro-trendy staples.
7 Ascot House, Shaftesbury Square, Belfast BT2 7DB
(+44 (0)28 9056 0000)
Deane’s Restaurant
Wonderful Michelin-starred showcase for home-town boy Michael Deane’s modern take on traditional Irish fare. Expect big-hitting dishes using local ingredients. The £62, eight-course Menu Prestige is pure luxury on a plate – perfect for a dressed-up, special-occasion meal out. The bustling brasserie downstairs is great for a more relaxed evening.
36–40 Howard Street, Belfast BT1 6PF
(+44 (0)28 9024 1001)
Grill Room
Try this restaurant and bar at buzzing boutique hotel Ten Square; it's often praised for its no-nonsense, informal approach to good food, despite its lean, mean and devilish handsome looks.
Ten Square, 10 Donegall Square South, Belfast BT1 5JD
(+44 (0)28 9043 4310)
James Street South
Well-located destination diner with delicious Modern European food and good set-menu and pre-theatre deals.
21 James Street South, Belfast BT2 7GA
(+44 (0)28 9024 8544)
Mourne Seafood Bar
Locally landed fish and langoustines; mussels, oysters and cockles from their own shellfish beds – if you like seafood and love local, this is the place to come for fresh, fresh fish, handled either simply, or with a slight Asian twist. Plenty of meaty offerings, too, if you need to bribe a carnivore to come with you. The original branch is just outside town in Dundrum and would make a great lunch outing in combination with a bracing country walk (+44 (0)28 4375 1377; www.mourneseafood.com).
34–36 Bank Street, Belfast BT1 1HJ
(+44 (0)28 9043 9690)
Nicks Warehouse
Down a cobbled street in a now-fashionable area is the effervescent Nicks Warehouse, a wine bar and restaurant with an open kitchen set in what was once a Bushmills Whisky storehouse. Expect humble bistro food but with a good twist. Roast monkfish comes with a pawpaw and chilli salsa, while bangers ’n’ mash are elevated to excellence thanks to busty pork links from Owen McMahon and cheese-enhanced champ drenched in a bacon and red wine sauce.
35–39 Hill Street, Belfast BT1 2LB
(+44 (0)28 9031 1150)
Roscoff Brasserie
Another of Paul Rankin’s Belfast creations, this offers a classic French dining experience, behind City Hall in the centre of town. The crab ravioli is a favourite.
7–11 Linenhall Street, Belfast BT2 8AA
Bars
(+44 (0)28 9023 4888)
Ollie’s
Luxurious, elegant nightclub in the Merchant Hotel, with a decadent Grande Dame Champagne Bar.
35–39 Waring Street, Belfast BT1 2DY
(+44 (0)28 9038 0818)
TaTu
You want to go where the beautiful people go? Then head for the very cool TaTu – one of Belfast’s best places for cocktails.
701 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT9 7GU
(+44 (0)28 9024 9476)
The Crown Liquor Saloon
If walls could talk… This bar and restaurant has a rich history and plenty of stories to tell; its Victorian interiors and exteriors are so amazing that it is now a listed National Trust property. There aren’t many historic venues in which you can admire an original ornate Victorian stained-glass snug panel while enjoying a smooth Guinness and half a dozen oysters. While you sup, ask about the local history – the windows here were regularly blown out during the Troubles because the Europa Hotel across the road was bombed so often.
46 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BA
(+44 (0)28 9023 8700)
The Stiff Kitten
This is a venue for those who like less tradition and more music (www.thestiffkitten.com). The crowd here is that little bit swankier than at most clubs in Belfast; Snow Patrol, Razorlight, the Zutons and local boy David Holmes have all DJed recently.
1A Bankmore Square, Dublin Road, Belfast BT18 9HU
(+44 (0)28 9024 3080)
Whites Tavern
Appropriately located down Winecellar Entry is this traditional Belfast pub, which does a neat line in Guinness and live music. Good fun, but often very busy so not the place for a quiet sit-down of an evening.
2–4 Winecellar Entry, Belfast BT1 1QN
Cafés
(+44 (0)28 9031 5090)
Café Paul Rankin
Part of Paul Rankin’s omnipresent Belfast output, this busy and buzzing city-centre café occupies a light and airy space. The hearty soups and luxury sandwiches and salads offer the perfect shopping pit stop.
27–29 Fountain Street, Belfast BT1 5EA
(+44 (0)28 9024 8800)
Deane’s Deli
Great for snacks and restorative coffees, and you can pick up some excellent local cheeses to take home. Moreish chocolates, too.
44 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7GH
