Belfast Guide by Nick Cann
Guest Contributor | March 15th, 2007
Story by Nick Cann
Photos by Peter Hunt
A great plus for visitors to Belfast is that it is a city easily explored on foot. Whether shop, bar or restaurant hopping, nearly everything and anywhere of note is no more than a stroll away from the city centre hotels.
If Belfast City Centre were a cake it would easily be cut into four distinct portions: The Cathedral Quarter, The Markets, The University Quarter and The Titanic Quarter; with Belfast City Hall a cherry in the middle.
The City Hall is typical of the type of capitol building marking most British cities (big dome, tall white pillars and marble halls). A hallmark of empire that in past years either reassured one – or unnerved the other of Belfast’s two main communities. More recently both sides of the sectarian divide – sitting together on Belfast’s city council, have shared the building.
And not to miss a trick, the years of conflict – or the ‘Troubles’ – have latterly been recycled into local history and form an essential part of the open-top bus – and black taxi tours around the city which travel up the Falls and Shankill Roads, each with their own distinctive murals charting Northern Ireland’s history from the two viewpoints.
But Belfast has changed vastly since the Troubles, and is rapidly changing still. New buildings and shopping developments are springing up every year, new clubs, pubs and restaurants opening every month. Confidence is soaring. The Odyssey has fast become one of Europe’s most popular music venues amongst visiting artists – if not for its architecture than for the enthusiasm and warmth of its audiences. The Waterfront Hall is now Belfast’s Carnegie or Royal Albert Hall… Everywhere there are signs of refurbishment and redevelopment – signs of a city coming out of its shell.
Highlights? Oysters and Guinness in a pre-booked private booth in the Victorian (and very gothic) Crown Bar & Liquor Saloon, which sits opposite the Europa Hotel on Great Victoria Street (once the world’s most bombed hotel). Next: a walk around the Cathedral Quarter. Check out the John Hewitt – great for a chowder at lunchtime; a pub popular for its music and literary events. The Cathedral Quarter comes alive at night, being home to Belfast’s liveliest bars and nightclubs: The Kremlin (gay) and The Pothouse (straight). The recently opened The Merchant Hotel and The Cloth Ear Bar are also big draws to the area, as well as well-established restaurants such as Nick’s Warehouse and The Spaniard (bar).
Shopping in Belfast is dominated by the usual high street names and labels, but exceptions worth a look are: Smyth & Gibson, Bedford Street for handmade shirts and suits; The Bureau and The Bureau Women in Howard and Wellington Streets, for fashion; Equinox for home and interiors and a wander down the Lisburn Road for the best of Belfast’s boutiques.
New restaurants open frequently led by a generation of local chefs and restaurateurs. At the forefront is Paul Rankin, Northern Ireland’s first celebrity chef, whose portfolio now includes: Cayenne, Roscoff and Rain City. Hot on Rankin’s heals comes Michael Deane who has opened Deanes, Deanes Deli and Deanes at Queens. However Belfast’s most in vogue restaurants at present are James Street South and Zen.
Belfast’s biggest selling point is its people. They are friendly, informative and hard to beat for good conversation, humour and a ready smile; comedians all. And if the locals haven’t quite mastered the finer points of good service yet, then the rate of change and development in Belfast is such that you can bet by the time of your next visit they will have cracked that one too.
Tours
Belfast City Hall, Donegall Sq. + 028 9027 0456
Open-top Bus Tours, High St. + 028 9062 6888
Black Taxi Tours, Berwick Rd. + 028 9064 2264
Places of Interest/ Enetertainment
The Odyssey Arena, Queens Quay. + 028 9073 9074; http://www.odysseyarena.com/
The Waterfront Hall, Lanyon Pl. + 028 9033 4400; http://www.waterfront.co.uk/
Hotels
The Europa Hotel, Grt Victoria St. + 028 9027 1066; http://www.hastingshotels.com/
The Merchant Hotel, Waring St. + 028 9023 4888; http://www.themerchanthotel.com/
Pubs & Clubs
The Crown Bar & Liquor Saloon, Grt Victoria St. + 028 9027 9901
The John Hewitt, Donegall St. + 028 9023 3768
The Kremlin, Donegall St. + 028 9031 6061
The Pothouse, Hill St. + 028 9024 4044
The Cloth Ear Bar, Waring St. + 028 9023 4888
The Spaniard, Skipper St. + 028 9023 2448
Shops
Smyth & Gibson, Bedford St. + 028 9023 0388; http://www.smythandgibson.com/
The Bureau, Howard St. & Wellington St. + 028 9043 9800; http://www.thebureaubelfast.com/
The Bureau Women, Wellington St. + 028 9032 6100; http://www.thebureaubelfast.com/BureauLadies/personal/index.html
Equinox, Howard St. Tel: 028 9023 0089
Restaurants
Cayenne, 7 Ascot House, Shaftesbury Square. + 028 9033 1532; http://www.rankingroup.co.uk/cayenne.php
Roscoff Brasserie, 7-11 Linenhall St. + 028 9031 1150
Rain City Cafe, Malone Rd. + 028 9068 2929
James Street South, James St Sth. + 028 9043 4310
Zen, Adelaide St. + 028 9023 2244
Nick’s Warehouse, Hill St. + 028 9043 9690
Useful What’s On/ Listing Magazine
Go Belfast Magazine
www.gobelfastawards.com
Half English, half Welsh, Nick Cann is a full-time graphic designer and journalist living full-time in Holywood, Northern Ireland. He is also a published novelist being the author of the book: ‘Jake’s Eulogy’. His second novel, ‘Island Fever’ is due for publication later this
year.
