A Tasty Suggestion
Nick’s Warehouse on Hill Street (+44 (0) 28 9043 9690) is housed in a former Bushmills Whiskey warehouse and has a dedicated following in the city. Within a year of opening, the restaurant was listed in the Good Food Guide, Bridgestone, Egon Ronay, Michelin and Ackerman. It is typical of the new range of buzzing and relaxed eateries with its open-plan kitchen, where customers can watch the chefs in action. The inventive menu, which is changed daily, uses seasonal produce sourced from
local suppliers.
www.nickswarehouse.co.uk
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SEPTEMBER 2008: Belfast’s Botanical Garden Show incorporates Northern Ireland’s largest flower show and a food and drink festival. Come and see beautiful flowers, or marvel at oversized vegetables. For more information visit www.gotobelfast.com/
...and here are more great things to do and see in and around
Belfast…
SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER 2008: The Open House Festival is on in Belfast Cathedral Quarter with a week’s worth of traditional arts and music events. Some alternative music includes tributes to Johnny Cash, see www.openhousefestival.com for more information.
OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2008: The Queen’s Festival in Belfast is one of the largest arts festivals in Ireland. Over 250 different events showcase both local, national and international art and film. For more information visit www.belfastfestival.com
NOVEMBER 23 – 30: The Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship is entered by 17 countries and held at the Dundonald International Ice Bowl in the city centre. A Biannual event it has previously been held in Australia and Scotland. To find out more visit www.nitbf.org.uk/
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Trust in the Crown
The National Trust has begun a major restoration project at the Crown Bar, Belfast (+44 (0) 28 9027 9901), one of the finest examples of a High Victorian liquor saloon in the world. The £500,000 project will include work to the bar's ornate tiling, stained glass, mosaics and mirrors, and to its most famous feature - the ten elaborately carved wooden booths, or 'snugs'.
Throughout the project, the bar will remain open to customers and other visitors who will be able to watch some of the specialist craftsmen and women at work. This will include the specialist cleaning of the magnificent ceiling to revive its vibrant original colours of primrose yellow, red and gold. The bar is situated in Great Victoria Street and was built in 1839-40.
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Belfast is the Northern Ireland capital and the second largest city in Ireland. It has had a prosperous history based on the linen trade in the 18th century, and cotton-spinning and shipbuilding in the 19th century. In 1888 its population was growing faster than anywhere in the UK and it was granted city status. In 1925 the population peaked at 400,000 and began to decline along with the shipbuilding industry. The decline continued after World War 2, and the Troubles of the 1960s and 1970s brought the city much bad publicity.
The city now has a population of about 300,000 and divides quite naturally into ‘town’ and ‘gown’ areas. The commercial and shopping area is around Donegall Square, where many new restaurants have opened in recent years. Queen’s University is the focus of the ‘gown’ area to the south, with the Golden Mile being where you’ll find the galleries, museums, and more restaurants.
Icons such as City Hall and the Grand Opera House remain at the heart of the city, but have been joined by new symbols of a brighter future including the Odyssey entertainment complex, and many new hotels. Perhaps the most startling development in Belfast has been Laganside, an area beside the River Lagan, which was ignored until relatively recently. The flagship building of Laganside is Belfast Waterfront Hall, which is a world-class concert and conference venue. Belfast and its surrounds is prospering and Lonely Planet made Northern Ireland its Must See destination for 2007.
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The city centre is compact and you’ll get your bearings in a couple of hours. The best way of doing this is to take one of a range of walking tours (+44 (0) 28 9024 6609), usually starting at Belfast Welcome Centre, 47 Donegall Place.
The best morning tour is the Blackstaff Way Guided Tour of Central Belfast. This takes in Great Victoria Street, the oldest bridge in Belfast, the legend of the ‘Black Man’ and the ancient Mystery Stone from Belfast Castle. Other tours include the Titanic Tour, which introduces you to the characters associated with this doomed ship, built in Belfast. The Old Town Tour traces the original ramparts, revealing the city's 17th century origins, and the Belfast City Centre Tour highlights the sights and stories of Victorian life.
Whichever tour you take, you should stop for lunch in one of Belfast’s traditional pubs. You can’t get any more traditional than Kelly’s Cellars, at 30 Bark Street (+44 (0) 28 9032 4835), which was built in 1720, and where you’ll get a good pint of Guinness and some traditional Irish food. An alternative is the equally ancient Whites Tavern at Winecellar Entry on the High Street (+44 (0) 28 9024 3080).
If you’ve taken a morning tour, take a 10-minute train trip in the afternoon to Cultra to visit the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum (+44 (0) 28 9042 8428), to discover life as it used to be. In the evening try out one of Belfast’s up-and-coming restaurants such as Shu or Cayenne (see Eating Out for listings). Alternatively, catch a top-name band at the Waterfront Hall or the Odyssey Arena. The Odyssey is also the place to go for bars, restaurants, the IMAX cinema, ten-pin bowling, or to watch a game of ice hockey.
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Belfast and the surrounding area offers visitors a large range of quality accommodation. Four- and five-star hotels abound, and you can choose from a bishop’s palace overlooking Belfast Lough or a famous Belfast landmark in the heart of the Golden Mile.
For a luxury five-star break, book the Culloden hotel overlooking Belfast Lough. In addition to a health and fitness club, it’s ideally placed for golf and sailing. The four-star Stormont Belfast hotel is one of the city’s most stylish, overlooking the grounds of Stormont Castle. Guests have free use of the David Lloyd Leisure Club one mile away. The four-star Ballygally Castle Hotel faces the sandy beaches of Ballygally Bay. Built in 1625, it’s perfect for walking the coastline of for golf at Royal Portrush. Book on +44 (0) 871 900 8297. www.flybehotels.com
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By bus: The Belfast City Airlink operates every 30 minutes for most of the day at 10 and 40 minutes past the hour. Single fare £2. It stops at Odyssey Arena and terminates at the Europa Buscentre.
By car: Explore the city and the countryside in comfort and style at great prices! Get the best deal by checking Flybe's partner Avis for the best available car hire rates at www.flybe.com/avis
By rail: A shuttle bus service operates between the terminal and the adjacent rail halt at Sydenham. There is a twice-hourly rail service (6 a.m.-6 p.m.) Monday-Friday to Central and Great Victoria Street Stations. (Hourly after 6 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays).
By road: Belfast City Airport is only 3km (2 miles) from the city centre, with road access from the A2 Sydenham Bypass. Contact Flybe’s partner Avis for thr best available car hire rates. www.flybe.com/avis
By taxi: The fare to the city centre is about £6.
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Some of Europe’s most beautiful scenery lies within an hour or two of Belfast’s city centre. If time is limited, just outside Belfast lies Carrickfergus, the gateway to the beautiful Causeway Coast and Glens. The town itself is dominated by the famous Carrickfergus Castle, built in the 12th century, which is Ireland's oldest and best-preserved Norman citadel.
Other places to visit include the Andrew Jackson and U.S. Rangers Centres located at Boneybefore, the Victoria Gasworks Museum ‘Flame’ based at Irish Quarter West, and the 800-year-old St. Nicholas Church in Carrickfergus itself with its famous stained-glass windows. The idyllic coastal town of Whitehead lies to the east.
Heading west out of Belfast you can go boating on the lovely Fermanagh lakelands or head for the mountains of South Armagh. The Moyle region of Northern Ireland is famous for its history, its legends, and the warmth of its hospitality. Here you’ll see lush green forests, sweeping glens, rugged seascapes, and sleepy villages. Among the splendours of Moyle are the legendary Giant`s Causeway, breathtaking Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, the Glens of Antrim, the rugged beauty of Rathlin Island, and the picturesque towns and villages of Ballintoy, Ballycastle, and Cushendall. Back to top
The Crown Liquor Saloon on Great Victoria Street is an interesting place to have a drink, and unusual in that it is owned by the National Trust (+44 (0) 28 9027 9901). It was built in 1839-40 and is a riot of marble, Italian tiles, and glasswork.
The Waterfront Hall (+44 (0) 28 9033 4455) has a state of-the-art auditorium and enviable list of touring shows, superseded only by the larger 10,000-seater Odyssey Arena (+44 (0) 28 9073 9074). The more sedate Grand Opera House (+44 (0) 28 9024 1919 or www.goh.co.uk) stages both opera and theatre. New nightspots open all the time, among the more recent being Irene & Nan’s on Brunswick Street (+44 (0) 28 9023 9123). Try also La Lea at 43 Franklin Street (+44 (0) 28 9023 0200) and Bar Seven at the Odyssey Pavilion, 2 Queens Quay (+44 (0) 28 9046 7070).
www.waterfront.co.uk
www.odysseyarena.com
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Sailing: There is both a sailing club at Newtownards on Strangford Lough, and a Wet and Wild Jet Ski Centre. If you’re into canoeing, there’s actually a club right in the centre of Belfast (Canoe Association, 2 Rivers Edge, 13 Ravenhill Road, Belfast, BT6 8DN +44 (0)28 9073 8884). This is just across the river from Central Station, and experienced canoeists can hire a canoe and paddle their way out of town up the Lagan River.
Sea sports: The main surfing centre is up on the northern coast at Portrush, which is no more than 40km from Belfast. For all your surfing gear, and to find how the surf is running, call the main surf shops here: Troggs Surf Shop, 88 Main Street, Portrush, BT56 8BN (+44 (0) 28 7082 5476) and Woodies, 102 Main Street, Portrush, BT56 8DA (+44 (0) 28 7082 3273). Or if scuba’s your thing, there is a scuba shop at Enniskillen, over to the southwest in County Fermanagh, on the southern shores of Lower Lough Erne. Visit Atlantic Shores Scuba, 1 Quay Lane, Enniskillen, BT74 6AQ (+44 (0) 28 6632 8383).
Angling: Northern Ireland is one of the finest angling destinations in Europe. There is a wide range of unspoilt locations within a couple of hours of Belfast. Angling fanatics can dip their toes into sea, coarse, fame or pike fishing. Try Irish salmon fishing on the Baronscourt Estate and boat fishing for wild trout in the Fermanagh Lakeland (both +44 (0) 845 603 1552). www.WhereWiseMenFish.com
Golf: Golfers have a huge selection of courses to choose from. In Belfast itself you could try the Royal Belfast Golf Club on Station Road, Craigavad (+44 (0) 28 9042 8165) or the Malone Golf Club, on 240 Upper Malone Road, Dunmurry, BT17 9CB (+44 (0) 28 9061 2758). There are two more to try out of town at Newtownards, the Mahee Island Golf Club at Comber (+44 (0) 28 9754 1234) and Clandeboye Golf Club, on Tower Road, Conlig (+44 (0) 28 9127 0992). Some clubs may require proof of handicap before allowing you to play. Back to top
Belfast City Council has committed to a four-year urban regeneration development agenda called Belfast: Capital City. The city’s property market is thriving and the many sites now available offer a wide variety of choice, convenience and lower costs than its European counterparts. The city has undergone a great deal of physical regeneration and major infrastructure projects. Redevelopment has been focused on the office, hotel and retail space and also residential areas. On the residential side of the property market, there are now 68 estate agents operating in the city.
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Albert Memorial Clock - The Albert Memorial Clock was erected in 1865 to commemorate Queen Victoria’s consort, Prince Albert. Built on land reclaimed from the River Lagan, the clock now leans 1.25 metres off vertical making it Belfast’s very own leaning tower. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9032 0202.
Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory - This small shop on Castlereagh Road has been recreated to mirror the original one of 1953. Let your imagination drift back to bygone days as you gaze at the colourful displays of goodies on show. Watch handcrafted candy being made to recipes over 100 years old. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9073 2868 or www.irishcandyfactory.com
Belfast Castle - On the slopes of Cave Hill, it is a great place to sample excellent cuisine, historical atmosphere, beautiful gardens and friendly service. Don’t miss Cave Hill Visitor Centre and Country Park. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9077 6925. Open daily, admission free. www.belfastcastle.co.uk
Belfast Cathedral - Belfast Cathedral is an imposing Hiberno Romanesque monument to persistence – it was partly completed and opened in the 1890s and finished nearly a century later. The awe-inspiring bapistry is by local architect WH Lynn, the angel heads of the front by Rosamund Praeger and the mosaics by Gertrude Stein. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9032 8332. Open daily, admission free. www.belfastcathedral.org
Belfast City Hall - A fine example of Classical Renaissance style, this Edwardian masterpiece (1906) of Portland stone is the home of Belfast City Council. Take a tour to see the ornate dome, grand staircase, oak furnishes Council Chamber and John Luke mural. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9027 0456. Admission free.
Belfast Zoo - Situated on a 50-acre site on Cave Hill, Antrim Road, about 6km (4 miles) north of the city, with views of Belfast Lough, this is a good day out, especially for children. Over 160 species of rare or highly endangered animals are housed in award-winning enclosures, which replicate their natural environments. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9077 6277 www.belfastzoo.co.uk
The Grand Opera House - Located on Great Victoria Street, architect Frank Matcham’s late Victorian masterpiece (restored 1980) is also Northern Ireland’s premier theatre, bringing world-class entertainment including theatre, musicals, opera, ballet, comedy, concerts and pantomime. Don’t miss a drink in the interval bar over the pavement of one of Belfast’s liveliest thoroughfares. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9024 1919. www.goh.co.uk
Pirates Adventure Golf - The whole family can enjoy 36 holes of Pirate Adventure Golf. The landscaped courses – Blackbeards Adventure and the Captains Challenge – offer players the opportunity to test their skill and win ‘Golden Doubloons’ in exchange for free games. Open 10am-10pm, located next to the Icebowl, 111A Old Dundonald Road. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9048 0220 or www.piratesadventuregolf.com
St George’s Market - Located on May Street and Oxford Street, this elegantly restored building, built in 1896, is the oldest continually operated market in Ireland. Market days are Friday and Saturday but special craft and design fairs, exhibitions, festive events and concerts are also held here. Check out the excellent Oxford Exchange Grill Bar Restaurant upstairs. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9027 0386.
Titanic Tours - Belfast is busy regenerating the Titanic Quarter of the city, including the creation of a dedicated Titanic visitor attraction. This will be open in time for the centenary of the launch of the Titanic in 2012. In the meantime, there are a variety of tours, which visit and/or the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum to see the Titanic Exhibition; the Harland & Wolff Shipyard; the Titanic Memorial in Belfast City Hall and memorials to Thomas Andrews, Titanic’s chief designer, in Comber, and to John Simpson, the ship’s surgeon, in the Abbey graveyard in Bangor. Try Titanic Tours (boat and bus), which can be arranged through the Belfast Welcome Centre (+44 (0) 28 9024 6609). www.uftm.org.uk
www.belfastcity.gov.uk
Ulster Museum - Botanic Gardens, Belfast Metro 8A. A truly great museum and art gallery that deserves a full day. Rich displays of archaeology, ethnography, art, history and natural sciences. Don’t miss Treasures of the Armada featuring intriguing and spectacular items recovered from the Spanish galleass Girona. Displays and exhibitions are complemented by a series of events for adults, children and families throughout the year. The café overlooks the ancient Friar’s Bush graveyard. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9038 300. Open daily, admission free. www.ulstermuseum.org.uk
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Belfast’s shipbuilding industry declined after 1918, leading to heavy unemployment, and the city was badly bombed in 1941 during World War Two. Sectarian violence accounted for damage to 25,000 buildings during the worst years of the Troubles between 1968 and 1976. Despite these threats to its fabric and spirit, the city is experiencing something of a resurgence in recent years as the threat of sectarian violence gradually recedes, and business confidence returns. A symptom of this renaissance is the confident and successful development of Laganside, and the ability of its 10,000-seat Odyssey Arena concert venue to attract the world’s top bands.
Chamber of Commerce: +44 (0) 28 9020 0201.
Belfast City Business Club: +44 (0) 28 9032 0202.
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If you really want to get to know Belfast, you need to understand its pubs. Bailey's Historical Pub Walking Tours (+44 (0)28 9268 3665) start from the Crown Dining Rooms (upstairs in the Crown Bar, Great Victoria Street) and take you inside six of the most colourful and historic establishments.
Alternatively, take a cemetery tour, with history etched deep on every gravestone, from City Cemetery, resting-place of those who shaped Victorian Belfast, to Milltown, a memorial to the dispossessed and rebellious (+44 (0)28 9074 2255). You could also try one of the walks organised by Belfast Safaris (+44 (0)28 9022 2925).
Belfast is a great little city, but like most cities, it’s also good to get out of it once in a while. You can be out of the city limits in no time at all, and the countryside around is beautiful no matter what direction you take.
If you’re into watersports the loughs around Belfast give you plenty of opportunity to indulge yourself or escape to the river for a different perspective on the city. There are some great surfing beaches beyond the city in Portrush and then there are opportunities to scuba dive in Enniskillen. And, of course, golfers are simply spoilt for choice.
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