Nightclubs and bars in Belfast

The crown is the famous pub on Great Victoria street, its old and has wooden doorways to divide sections inside the pub. Beer was expensive though.

The Brennan pub next door has live music, is cheaper and little more run down but stiull fun and friendly.

The Odyssey complex is one of the few millenium projects that was worth the price tag.

The large Arena is home to the Belfast Giants ice hockey team and this also caters for the larger music act that play in the city.

The pavillion area has several restaurants and these change hands regularly but here's a list of them (will sort out links later)

Red Panda - chinese
Bennetts (formerly Titanic and Hard Rock Cafe before that) - modern european
La Tasca - tapas bar
Indian Ocean - well indian of course

Bars & clubs include

Bar 7 - largest bar that is full of hen parties come a weekend.
Coyote Odyssey - see the barmaids strut their stuff
Beach Bar Bambu - very raucous place for the younger crowd
Basin bar - quiter bar at entrance (well it is comparitively)
Precious - high class club (operates ticket only policy on occasions)

Other attractions in the place are a Warner Village cinema, Imax cinema, bowling alley and the W5 interactive attraction.

Cool place to be seen in the City Hall area, large cocktail & wine list.

Good tunes but can be more for the younger crowd.

No door fees.

Dress Code: Trainers/sportswear are out but everything else goes.
No visible tattoos, this goes for most city centre tattoos (even Beckham style tat)

Doorstaff can be choosy but drunks/troublemakers don't deserve to be let in anyway.

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Bittles is a traditional laid back Irish bar and on reflection one of my favourites in Belfast. It’s very small being at the tip of an iron shaped building but there’s plenty of character packed in. The landlord John was always buzzing around chatting to customers recommending beers and making sure everyone, locals and visitors alike, were OK. There is no cask ale but they do have a range of bottled beers including many from local breweries - try Molly’s Chocolate Stout or Headless Dog from the College Green Brewery. They also serve an excellent Irish Stew that is good value for money. The split level bar has an arty theme with paintings and drawings of famous Irishmen by local artists.

The Duke of York wins hands down in the “how much brewing memorabilia you can display in a pub” competition. There are old photos, beer trays, mirrors, adverts and a plethora of old Guinness and Watney Red Barrel promotional material. There is so much that items are even fixed flat to the ceiling to make more room. It looks like the interior has had some recent work done although it still has an aged look with lots of wooden fixtures, exposed brickwork and flagstone floors. There’s a nice four person snug with closable doors at the back and they have a side room that is open at busy times plus an upstairs function room. The pub has a very attractive old looking exterior and is tucked away down one of Belfast’s oldest streets in the heart of what was once the newspaper district - now the Cathedral Quarter.

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Whites Tavern is Belfast’s oldest pub dating back to 1630, as it proudly proclaims on it’s outside wall. It has a rather more modern exterior but whilst it might not look like Belfast’s oldest tavern I found it one of the friendliest with the famous Irish “craic“ well in evidence. An impromptu guitar session was going on outside on my first visit and a young lady insisted, despite my protestations, on buying my pint because she had jumped in front of me at the bar (I could drink all night for free in London on that basis). On my second visit it was quieter as it was during the afternoon but I got chatting to a guy about local pubs and Belfast in general and we could easily have ended up sharing a few beers if I hadn’t had other plans.

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an all-day party & BBQ - excellent! Started at 3 and finished at 3am....I arrived around 5 and didn't leave until finished. Great music (lots of mixed stuff during the daytime and then more clubby house electro at night), fantastic door people, nice comfortable surroundings....what a score!

Dress Code: none as far as i could see...though i wouldn't turn up in trackies!

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an all-day party & BBQ - excellent! Started at 3 and finished at 3am....I arrived around 5 and didn't leave until finished. Great music (lots of mixed stuff during the daytime and then more clubby house electro at night), fantastic door people, nice comfortable surroundings....what a score!

Dress Code: none as far as i could see...though i wouldn't turn up in trackies!