What took me so long to get to Belfast? It’s a charming, vibrant, and sophisticated city. It feels like a place where I can blend in, and not feel like I’m tourist. It’s full of fun cultural activities, including great food. Belfast exudes a grassroots creativity. It is modern, yet had all the classic pub culture and Trad music that I crave when I’m on the isle of Ireland. It’s hard to believe that less than 20 years ago, this city was war-torn and filled with civil strife. Not that you don’t get hint of “The Troubles” here and there.
I have fallen in love with the Cathedral Quarter – it feels like a small village with a depth of history that is under-going urban renewal. The Quarter keeps me busy hunting for street art, galleries, food, and nightlife. From the Cathedral Quarter it’s easy to get to other areas of Belfast to take in city sights and history. After I’ve been out exploring the city, the Cathedral Quarter feel like coming home.
I find I’m never bored in Belfast – as a matter-of-fact, I needed more time.
Below find recommendations for food, nightlife, art arts activities by neighbors of the Cathedral Quarter, Queens Quarter, River area, City Hall area – and a day trip to the Antrim Coast.
Belfast At-a-Glance
Planet Gusto Faves: Street art, great modern food, pub culture with live music.
Planet Gusto Belfast Posts…
- Belfast Bursts with Street Art
- 15 Ways to Conquer Belfast – PG’s don’t miss activities
Belfast Festivals: Hit the North, Culture Night Belfast, Eastside Arts Festival, Hit the East, Belfast Craft Beer Festival, Belfast Beer & Cider Festival, ABV Beer Festival
See PG’s Belfast Google Map at the bottom for more recommendations.
Cathedral Quarter
Pubs….
The Sunflower lives up to it reputation as a cool local pub. I love its down-to-earth feel, the the low lighting, and the pick-up musicians playing Trad music in the corner. It seems to take on the spirit of the Cathedral Quarter, decorating its exterior and beer garden walls with murals. After dark, the streets surrounding the pub can feel isolated, but I don’t feel unsafe. There are so many great pubs in Belfast, but this one feels like where I want to be a regular.
I find myself ending every evening at The Harp. It’s close to my hotel, so the first night I just popped in for a beer night cap… but the atmosphere is so fun with fantastic live music every night that I keep going back. The red Victorian styled feels cozy. The popular, the space is enormous so I never seem to have a problem grabbing a drink and finding a spot to sit. Everyone gets into singing along with the performers, and so I did to. People get up and dance and are just having a good time. By far my favorite night was Monday when Rory Conway performs – he is just a great entertainer. Except for Mondays, the Harp has 2-3 performances each day.
Consider these other Pubs: Dark Horse, Duke of York, Kelly’s Cellars, Madden’s, Crown Liquor Saloon
Coffee / Cafes…
It’s nice to have an artisan coffee spot just down the street. Great coffee and nice light meals in a modern setting.
This is a super cool spot with high ceilings – and it is turning out to be one of my regular breakfast spots. I like that I can get Irish yoghurt and granola here in the mornings – although not as amazing as my Dublin breakfast spots. I love that it goes from café in the day to bar at night with great outdoor spaces and gallery offerings. The place is huge with different style spaces on different floors.
Consider this Caffeine alternative: Afternoon Tea at the Merchant Hotel
The Arts…
*Seedhead Arts Street Art Walk
This 2-hour on street art in the Cathedral Quarter is one of the best things that I did in Belfast. I was thrilled to discover that my tour was led by Adam Turkington of Seedhead who is responsible for Hit the North and has coordinated many of the walls and murals around the Quarter – both local and international. He has a big leadership role in Belfast culture. Sunday was my first full day in Belfast, and this 2-hour walk gave me the lay of the land in the Cathedral quarter as well as insight to the art and culture of modern Belfast. See my post of Belfast Street Art.
The MAC is a Belfast cultural hub with changing gallery exhibitions and live performances. It’s a relaxing and appealing spot where you can just take a break to grab a cup of coffee or a bit to eat in an interesting modern architectural space. I saw an excellent David Hockney exhibit here called “I draw, I do” that was particularly fascinating for exploring Hockney’s early work from childhood. Great modern atrium with café.
Check out these other arts options: The Black Box
Food…
My first real dinner in Belfast. Hadskis has that new-trend interior with lots of spare hardwood, but still manages to feel warm. The tasty comfort food adds to the warmth. The pan-roast fish is absolutely delicious and satisfying on this cold rainy day. The real find is the local dish Champ – whipped potatoes with green onions and a huge pat of butter melting over the top. I’m addicted. Bonus is the way Hadski’s is situated on a narrow pedestrian alley of cobblestone and brick.
Happened upon this cute spot on a jaunt down Hill St at the entrance to St. Anne Square. This is the type of casual, shabby chic go-to spot where you just want to chill at the end of a long day of urban hiking. Good vegetarian options, and I had a lovely fresh pasta of seasonal ingredients. My favorite dish that I wish I could eat every day is their fried zucchini. I can never pass up Affagato for dessert, and Salt’s version comes with a bonus of amaretto.
I was longing to lounge in St. Anne’s Square with an aperitivo in one of the Square’s pleasant restaurant patios. And then it began to pour. So it’s great to find a perch inside Coppi’s bar area window that looks out on to the Square. They also have a great Happy Hour with some delicious tapas. The dining room is a dimly lit open space – modern rustic serving Italian fare. It looks inviting, but I’m perfectly happy with my bar spot overlooking the Square.
Other Dining options to consider: Mourne Seafood, The Muddlers Club
River Lagan Environs
Arrived late in Belfast on Saturday from Liverpool – and decided to pop over to OX Cave for a light dinner and glass of wine. It was only about a 10 minute walk from the Cathedral Quarter, set along the river. It’s right next to its big sister OX restaurant where I have a reservation in a couple of days. So glad the wine bar is open late. OX Cave is quiet when I arrive about 10pm, but soon after people are still streaming in and the place has filled up. I’m going for the wine flight in order to try several wines – the list by glass looks so good it’s hard to choose. Wow – the pours on the tastes are huge. They mostly have small plates of cheese, olives, and charcuterie – but that works perfectly for me tonight. That international cheese selection on the counter looks stunning – it is going to be hard to choose. Their gin program looks great too – I will have to come back. Love the way the wine bar is lit almost entirely by candlelight. The sommelier working the counter is terrific – so friendly and she knows everything about the wine and the cheese options. Even though it’s gotten busy, she is managing to engage with everyone. Impressive. Bonus: I lucked into their live acoustic music on Saturday nights.
PG Faves: Atmosphere, friendly service, fantastic wine list, excellent cheese options
I was really looking forward to this meal, and it lived up to my expectations. OX’s sparse, modern dining room isn’t large, yet feels spacious with its soaring ceilings and a wall of windows that looks across the street to the River Lagan and the lighted Beacon of Hope sculpture. The space is rather modern-industrial, but also warm with use of abundant wood and soft lighting. OX staff is immediately welcoming. I’m dining solo tonight. I’ve chosen the pescatarian version of their prix fixe seasonal menu – plus the optional wine pairing. The 5-course meal is amazing – each course is a little piece of art, yet with a rustic and inviting sensibility. I love the way they deliver each course with a detailed description of what I’m about to eat. I enjoyed every course, comprised of smoked sea trout w/ beet carpaccio, baked celeriac with trumpet mushroom, monk tail with smoked haddock brandade, miso aubergine w/ artichoke, camomile mousse & fresh strawberries topped with English bee pollen, chocolate ganache with salted caramel & ginger ice cream. And with the British pound moderate against the dollar, this was meal was a fantastic experience for a relatively affordable cost at £50 I was glad that I had planned ahead several weeks and gotten a reservation to ensure that I would get a spot during my stay in Belfast.
Sunday is my only day to hit St. George’s since it’s only open only open weekends (Fri – Sun). Headed straight to the Market as soon as I finished the Seedhead street art walk. Seems like it will be a great place to grab lunch. Wow – this was worth the 15 min walk just to see this gorgeous Victorian building that takes up an entire city block. It’s enormous. It’s lively and filled with all kinds of wares from artisan goods to interesting food. I loaded up on some interesting artisan jewelry as gifts for friends. Now for lunch – so many interesting food vendors across ethnic genres. But that stall with all the olives and tapenades has grabbed my attention. Perfect – lots of tables in the center to enjoy my lunch and listen to live acoustic music. This place is filled with family and friends just hanging out and enjoying a laid-back Sunday – not touristic at all. Sorry that I can’t take advantage of all the interesting produce.
It looks like I’m not going to make it to this Belfast sight, given all the other options I had to keep me busy. I’m curious about it for its modern architecture and good reviews. Next trip.
Queens Quarter
Heading out to see a different part of the city. Decided to walk, since I can see more of the city that way. Took about 45 minutes to get to Queen’s University campus from the Cathedral Quarter. There is fantastic architecture in this quarter. That main campus building is stunning. I’ve planned out my itinerary so that I will be in Queens Quarter all day.
Botanic Park…
My first stop is in the Botanic Garden at the lovely and peaceful Victorian greenhouse of the Palm House. It doesn’t take long to walk through the Palm House, but the viewing the variety of plants inside this gorgeous piece of architecture was worth the stop. The entire park is designed for lounging and enjoying nature. Great respite from the bustle of the city.
I’m not usually a fan of museums that try to do a bit of everything, as they seem unfocused. But somehow the Ulster Museum it works. A bit of Irish art and changing exhibits, the best – and most extensive – part is their history section. The history meanders in a linear way through time, so that I started with their earliest history going back about 4,000 years and walked up through modern times of The Troubles. Great context for understanding Belfast better, and realizing just how far back Irish history goes.
The Arts…
I was very excited about seeing theatre in Belfast because I have had such excellent theater experiences in Dublin. But I ended up with mixed feelings on the Lyric. I didn’t enjoy the overly long George Bernard Shaw of St. Joan. On the one hand, their promotion of the play led me to believe it would have a more modern take on the play (this is successfully done with Shakespeare all the time). And given current world events, the subject matter would have been ripe for a modern re-telling. Instead it was tedious. On the other hand, the performances were excellent. I wouldn’t give up on the Lyric – but I would be much more selective on what I chose to see there.
Restaurants…
Stopping here for lunch before heading to the museum. This place is fantastic. Laid back and cozy, a modern shabby chic setting in an old house. Various rooms that all have a great and different vibe. Super friendly and hospitable with delicious modern bistro food. Had to download their app to see their full menu, which is a little annoying, but I appreciate the attempt at a contemporary approach. Worth a cab ride.
Arriving early to grab dinner before heading to the Lyric Theatre. Shu has a formal, upscale vibe which seems unassuming from its façade. Friendly and attentive service. The menu looks great so I trying a few options. Food is creative and delicious. I would definitely come here again.
City Hall Area
I like the City Hall area for its gorgeous and dramatic architecture in this area.
I wasn’t able to get in, as I didn’t make a reservation, and it didn’t work out with the rest of my week. Gets rave reviews and menu looks good. My one Belfast restaurant regret. Next trip I will plan ahead.
Consider these other dining options: Home, Apartment, Ginger Bistro, Howard Street, Harlem Cafe
And these Pubs: The Garrick
The Antrim Coast
I have to get to the Antrim Coast to check out the Giant’s Causeway. So, looks like it’s going to be a long day trip for this Belfast stay. Found a Game of Thrones tour that looks like it will be fun and Kitchy.
If you have a mind to drive, this gorgeous coastline from Belfast to the top of the island it is breathtaking and worthwhile. If you don’t want to drive, you have other options. There are many organized day tours. I typically avoid such tours, but I was desperate to see the Giant’s Causeway, and didn’t want to drive on my own. I found a happy medium.
Game of Thrones Tour: Some tours are highly rated, but have a bit of a sales-y side to them and don’t optimize the coastline drive. I opted for the kitschy Game of Thrones tour, which was fun and only had about 30 people on a mid sized bus. In checking the routes of the various tours, I found that this one goes all along the coast, but returns via the fast route when you’re just ready to get back. In addition to being led by former GoT extras and stopping at various beautiful shooting locations, the Tour also hits the key sights of Carrick-a-Rede Bridge, the Giants Causeway, and Dunluce Castle. My biggest takeaway is that I’d like to rent a car next time and see more of this region at a leisurely pace.
Map of Belfast Activities
