Belfast in general

...literature on visitor attractions in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. It also sells an enormous range of some tacky and other not so tacky gifts with an Irish/Belfast theme.

Belfast is pretty small compared to other major British cities but this means that it is ideal for a short break because it can be covered easily on foot. The impressive City Hall (you can take a free guided tour of the City Hall on weekdays) on Donegall Square ...
...cities, the waterside area of Belfast has been extensively redeveloped in recent years and now boasts various restaurants and bars as well as new residential developments. Nearby there is the new Odyssey Centre which houses more restaurants and bars, cinemas, a bowling alley and a concert venue which hosts concerts by major stars - Cher will be performing later in the year as part of her farewell tour.

Belfast is fast becoming a centre ... more

An e-mail from Easyjet advertising a seat sale quickly followed by one from the Travel Inn chain advertising a limited number of rooms for just a fiver a night (yes, really!) had us rushing to book a weekend away in Belfast. Neither of us had been before but we had heard that the city is much different from the images portrayed in the news in the 1970s and 80s and that the city is trying to establish itself as a prime destination for city breaks. We managed to glean bits and pieces of information from the internet before we went but found that unless you knew specifically what you were looking for it's quite hard to find anything. I hope that review and the ones to follow (looking at some restaurants, bars and visitor attractions in more detail will be of help to anyone considering a visit.

In order to maximise the time we had in Belfast, we flew from Newcastle on Sunday morning, a flight lasting around 30 minutes and arrived at around 8.30am. To coincide with the arrival, there was a bus waiting just outside the terminal building which goes directly into the city centre (stopping at the Seacat terminal just before the Europa bus station where it terminates). The cost is 6 Pounds single, 9 Pounds return - it sounds alot but the airport is about 18 miles out of the city (the international airport that is, there is city airport just a couple of miles out) and takes between 25 and 40 minutes depending on traffic.

Unfortunately arriving so early didn't work out as we'd hoped. We had to go straight to the hotel to deposit our bags (we couldn't check in untill3.00pm, though they happily looked after our luggage) and then go off in search of breakfast - we had our sights on the famous "Ulster Fry". It was, by this time, around 10.00 a.m. and we were quite hungry having skipped breakfast at home to be able to have one in Belfast. We walked and walked and walked in search of a cafe but none were open - there are literally hundreds of cafes and coffee shops in the city but only one was found to be open at that time on a Sunday morning. We stopped for a drink and thought we would look around the shops instead for an hour by which time somewhere else might be open. However, the shops don't open until 1.00pm on Sundays which we thought was very odd. What was more annoying, though, was the fact that the Tourist Information centre does not open at all on Sundays. However, when it does open it is an excellent service which can book accommodation, provide information on excursions and public transport timetables, currency exchange and has a vast array of literature on visitor attractions in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. It also sells an enormous range of some tacky and other not so tacky gifts with an Irish/Belfast theme.

Belfast is pretty small compared to other major British cities but this means that it is ideal for a short break because it can be covered easily on foot. The impressive City Hall (you can take a free guided tour of the City Hall on weekdays) on Donegall Square is a useful landmark to help get your bearings. We found that it didn't take long to feel that we knew where we were and where sights lie in relation to one another. The main shopping area lies in the streets around the square and all the major chain stores are here as well as some good independent stores - Lounge is a great shop which sells designer kitchen gear as well as some unusual and funky gifts - they have some gorgeous leather baby bootees at the moment which are to die for!

If you are going a little further afield there are plenty of buses and most of these depart from Donegall Square or the streets around it. A simple to understand notice indicates which stand each service leaves from. Fares seem reasonable - we paid 1.20 to go about 6 miles out of the city centre but could have saved a bit if we'd have bought a return. I think you can also save by buying a carnet of tickets at once.

One activity where you probably shouldn't use the buses is to se the peace walls and murals which have come to be the visual reminder of the "Troubles". While the city is no doubt more peaceful than in the 1970s and 80s, there is still the potential for flare ups of violence, especially during the marching season in the summer. We took a cab tour with Value Cabs and only booked about twenty minutes in advance. The driver will pick you up from a convenient point and before you set off you can discuss with the driver what you particularly want to see. Unless you specify (and there really is no reason to) you could get a driver from either of the two communities and I have to say that our driver was very biased. He was a useful source of information but I felt that the tour was certainly focussed firmly on the Loyalist community. Nevertheless we did get taken down the Falls, the Shankhill and the Ormeau Roads and the driver stopped the car regularly so that we could take photographs of some of the monuments and murals. The locals are fine about this so long as you don't photograph people. Not only would it be unwise to undertake this tour independently but it would also take considerably longer than by doing it by taxi. We were quoted a charge of 18 Pounds an hour and the tour ended up costing about 23 Pounds.

Like many other British cities, the waterside area of Belfast has been extensively redeveloped in recent years and now boasts various restaurants and bars as well as new residential developments. Nearby there is the new Odyssey Centre which houses more restaurants and bars, cinemas, a bowling alley and a concert venue which hosts concerts by major stars - Cher will be performing later in the year as part of her farewell tour.

Belfast is fast becoming a centre of culture and there are numerous new galleries and art spaces in addition to the more traditional picture galleries. We visited the Ormeau Baths Gallery - a centre for modern art exhibitions in a former swiming pool building. Admission is free but the space is small and you should maybe check out in advance what exhibitions are on at the time.

The streets around Shaftesbury Square are filled with the more alternative shops and bars and this is the area where we seemed to spend most of our time. The Lisburn Road which leads of the Square is known for it's wealth of Indian restaurants and you'll also find Cayenne on the Square itself - this was formerly Roscoffs and is the restaurant of well-known chef Paul Rankin and his wife Jeanne - you may know him from TV's "Ready Steady Cook". We took advantage of the lunch time menu and it was fantastic (I will be reviewing Cayenne separately). Lavery's Gin Palace is worth a visit and typifies the Belfast feeling that anyone is welcome in any bar - it is not unusual to see older people drinking in very trendy hip new bars and it is just as normal to see young people drinkling alongside older men in traditional pubs.

On Botanic Avenue, just off the Square, there is a great second hand and vintage clothes shop called the "Rusty Zip" which is full from ceiling to floor with leather and suede coats, hats, scarves and jeans. There are some more pleasant coffee bars along here and a few pubs which have music on in the evenings - these are heavily frequented by the student crowd but anyone is welcome. Carry on up Botanic Avenue and you come to the Botanic Gardens which are lovely and which boasts a wonderful Palm House which pre-dates the very famous one at Kew in London. Donegal Pass runs from Shaftesbury Square to the Ormeau Road and is home to many antique shops which are well worth an hour or so to browse.

Just outside the city, Cave Hill looms above the houses and gives a tremendous view over Belfast and the Lough. Belfast Zoo is on the lower parts of the hill and we took a quick walk aroundf it one morning (opening hours vary according to season so check in advance). We paid 5.40 Pounds each, (children pay a reduced price), and we thought it very reasonable for the amount there is to see although many of the animals were sheltering from the rain indoors (of course this is beyond the control of the zoo!) At weekends and in summer a small train takes you around the zoo but you should be aware that most of the walking is uphill and it is quite a hike, this is perhaps not suitable for people with walking difficulties. The Sanctuary Cafe is at the bottom of the park but is curently closed for refurbishment and the alternative is the Mountain Top cafe right at the highest part of the zoo! We earned that drink!

Much of the pleasure of a trip to Belfast can be gained just from walking the city streets and stopping off here and there for a pint of Guinness. I would recommend a visit to the Crown Liquor Rooms - probably the city's best known hostelry with beautiful Victorian tiles and fantastic little booths with saloon doors. You can hide away in the booth and not even come out to get more drinks. The speciality of the house is a pint of Guinness and a couple of oysters for a fiver. Close by, Robinsons and the Beaten Docket are also pleasant pubs with friendly locals and good "craic".

If you prefer a more modern establishment, you are now spoilt for choice in Belfast. Apartment on Donegal Square is very good as is the Northern Whig which has been recently refurbished - leather sofas and low tables are the theme here.
The best, though, is Opium (Skipper Street), a tiny bar with only about half a dozen tables. It has darlk wood panelling, dim lighting and a great feature wall with art work depicting Chinese figures and lit orange from behind. The cocktail menu is one of the best I have ever seen with some listed which I had never seen before (try the Papa Doble!). Opium also has a range of more unusual brands of sake.

There are restaurants to match the bars - everything from traditional to very modern and covering a fairly wide range of cuisines. You really should try the "Ulster Fry" for breakfast - it'll probably fill you up until evening! Sauasge, bacon, eggs, beans, soda bread, potato cakes - it's wonderful but you shouldn't have too many of them!

Belfast seems to have accommodation to suit all pockets; we saw loads of signs indicating the location of various hostels and there are plenty of hotels of all grades including several new boutique hotels. Several companies also let out self-catering accommodation in and around the city and Tourist Information will be able to supply details of these.

you may find Belfast quiet in the evenings during the week although locals say this is slowly changing. This is a throwback to the times of the "Troubles" when people worked in the city but went straight home after work and did not spend leisure time in town for fear of shootings and bomb attacks. That said, there is still enough to do in the evenings - there are always concerts at the Opera House and there are several theatres too.

I liked Belfast very much. Although it has become very stylish and fashionable it does not seem to make the city any less appealing for older people. However I did feel, having taken the taxi tour, that this is an expensive veneer over the cracksof a city which has not yet found a lasting solution to it's troubles. While young people may socialise together in the city at weekends, they still go home to their separate estates afterwards. I found this a little sad. Belfast is a city which deserves to find a lasting peace and it's people deserve it too.

 

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