• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Belfast BT7 1NH

Donal said
Great food and drink offers
Formerly known as The Elms, The Globe has dropped its previous bookworm status and re-invented itself as a hip student hangout. Featuring regular karaoke and football nights on the big screen, there is always something for the person seeking a fun night out. Musically, it caters for the hip-hop / RnB crowd, and as such, features all the usual chart hits. Where The Globe excels however, is not with the music or the themes, but with its student-friendly “Meal and a Pint for a Fiver” promotion, which is unbeatable. A huge feed plus a pint of your choice, or glass of wine, is the perfect precursor to the night’s festivities. The service is good, and the staff are very chatty and friendly. Usually pretty packed on a weekend night, it’s nevertheless moderately easy to get through the crowds. Excellent bathroom facilities are on offer too, and even some 20p gumball sweety machines for those feeling peckish at 1am. With plenty of seating and a canopy outside, smokers will be able to spend their time in comfort, and the Globe comes highly recommended for a comfortable, cheap night out.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast BT9 5AJ
028 9066 8100

Donal said
Best Indian in Belfast
Indie Spice has attracted a huge number of people to its Stranmillis Road location due to the quite amazing story of the American visitor. Some time back, a rich American was eating in the restaurant, and was so impressed when he got back, but paid, out of his own pocket, to have the chefs flown over to the US, cook for him and his friends, and then fly back home again.


With that kind of a reference, it would be lunacy not to check it out. And you will most certainly be glad you did. The staff are excellent, and make you feel exceptionally welcome in the small interior. The menu is very well stocked, with promotions available for set numbers of courses. Where it particularly shines however, it with the staggeringly good food. Cooked to perfection, served with a smile, the taste is sublime. It is, without doubt, the best Indian restaurant in Belfast, and I would urge you to check it out, even if just to see if the legend holds up.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Belfast BT7 1JQ

Donal said
Beautiful venue
Years ago, the Empire bar was a place of worship, and this converted church is one of the most distinctive and refined looking venues in all of Belfast. With two levels, the normal bar and stage downstairs, and the gig venue upstairs, the Empire is able to host two nights at once. This frequently consists of a singer / songwriter downstairs, with a touring band upstairs. Inside, there’s lots of room, with a balcony area upstairs meaning lots of good views for the stage. Tribute acts to famous bands regularly appear, and always manage to pack the place out. Downstairs, food is served, and is of little too high a standard to suit the place; the menu just seems wrong. Drink is expensive, averaging £3 for the cheaper beers, but the atmosphere more than makes up for this. Clientele wise, it’s a broad spectrum of people, but they all share the same characteristic of being lovers of live music.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Belfast BT9 5BQ
028 90381994

Donal said
Top student hangout
Directly opposite the Botanic Inn, The Eglantine, or more well known as The Eg, is one of the top nights out for students and regular folk in Belfast. Sporting a highly distinctive bi-layered layout, with a staircase, The Eg creates a brilliant use of space, making it seem as if the bar is twice as big. Usually populated by students, the drinks are cheap to reflect this, and regular promotions are available. Good pub grub is on offer during the day, and is a welcome surprise. Musically, it’s dance and chart music you’ll hear on a night out, and regular student nights are on during the week. Being so close to the Bot, it’s not uncommon to see groups of people flitting between bars on a night out, which adds to the variety of the night’s partying.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Belfast BT9 6RU

Donal said
Crowded but popular
The Botanic Inn, or more commonly known as The Bot, is one of the most recognised venues for students in Belfast, who make up almost the entire clientele. It’s a gorgeous pub on the inside, with cultural murals on the walls, and lots of wood fittings on display. Drink is cheap and food is of a surprisingly high standard. With a nightclub upstairs, and side bar next to the large bar downstairs, the Bot is hard to beat for those seeking a fun night out. Where it falls down however, is with the nightclub. Open several times a week, the bouncers don’t put a limit on the amount of people they in, which makes for an extraordinarily crowded night out. Getting the bar is impossible, the music is so loud it makes conversation impossible, and moving from one end to the other will take the guts of 45 minutes to an hour. Avoid the upstairs, and stay downstairs. Much better fun, and a far better night out.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast

Donal said
Great venue for live music, but be careful
The Rosetta bar has, over the years, attained legendary status on the live music scene, catering primarily to metal and rock bands. Due mainly to the recently retired sound engineer, it was ranked as THE place to play your gig if you wanted a crystal clear setup. Recently renovated, the new addition of a gorgeous beer garden with scattered heat lamps means that you’ll spend a lot of time outside, even if you don’t smoke! Drinks and food are both very reasonably priced, and the pub grub on offer is of a satisfactory standard. Gigs have re-started in the Rosie, and it is once again starting to draw the old faces out of the woodwork. The upstairs bar is the place to be, quite spacious with brand new toilets, and a good view from anywhere in the venue. The downstairs section is to be avoided however; due to the bar’s location, those with a southern Irish accent will invite trouble for themselves from the non-gig going clientele, as this reviewer discovered to his dismay one night, and indeed, his friends on subsequent nights over the years. That aside, it’s still one of the top venues for live rock and metal in Belfast.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Belfast BT1 1LU

Donal said
Great cocktails
The Northern Whig, located in the heart of the city centre in Cathedral Quarter, holds the proud rank of having the best cocktails in Belfast. Populated mainly by the young, affluent professionals, there is a certain air of money being thrown about in here, and the clientele do tend to dress up to go out there. There is always a strong post-work crowd sipping drinks in there, and it’s quite packed at the weekend, with several no-nonsense doormen on display. Is it worth going to though? In a word, yes, if only once for the cocktails. Although quite expensive for what they are, the drinks are well worth the money, and the spectacle of seeing them made is a great experience. The cocktail list is extremely well stocked, as is the wine list, with some top quality bottles on offer. The décor is one of comfortable luxury, and it’s easy to kick back and relax in the Whig.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast BT3 9QQ

Donal said
Brilliant atmosphere
Situated upstairs in the Odyssey entertainment complex with a great view of the surrounding area, La Tasca is one of the premier Spanish restaurants in Belfast. Dedicated purveyors of the tapas style of dining, it is advisable to come as a group here, and order a wide variety of dishes to share, as there are too many good choices on the menu for just a couple of people! Vegetarians are well accommodated for here, with a strong selection of meat-free selections. The staff are all ethnic Spanish, which makes the atmosphere electric, and coupled with the excellently attired interior, you could be forgiven for thinking you were sitting in a Spanish town eating their food. The food and drink are priced well, and the service is both friendly and professional. This one comes highly recommended, your main problem will be trying to pick which dishes from the amazing menu to go for!

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Belfast BT7 1DH

Donal said
Oxfam glam
Formerly Culpa, formerly a pizza joint, The Stiff Kitten down the side of the Movie House Cinema on the Dublin Road has finally found its niche pandering to the indie crowd. Upon entering, the lack of lighting is quite striking, and instead of creating a sense of atmosphere, it’s just, well, a bit dim. Food is served during the day, but with the very low tables and dirty glasses, eating there isn’t a very comfortable experience. The bar is frequented by the type of person who wears a scarf indoors and does all their shopping in charity shops to attain that “Oxfam glam” look, which means introspection and shoegazing is the order of the day. The music is pretty much the standard chart angst-ridden rubbish, and at weekends you will be charged £8 for the privilege of entering. Ghastly place.

• Added: 25th of September 2008
• Area: Belfast
• Category: Restaurants

Belfast

Donal said
Belfast's best kept secret
This is, without doubt, Belfast’s best kept secret. Located at the top of Botanic Avenue and looking from the outside like the side entrance into a barn, the wooden door of Molly’s Yard is entirely unassuming and blends into the background so much that one could walk right past it and never see it. But what an experience they’d be missing! On entrance, the place in tiny. Probably one of the smallest restaurants in Belfast, what it lacks in size it makes up for in sheer class. The menu is fantastically different, unlike any other, and caters for every exotic taste, from a wide variety of cuisines. The staff however, are what pushes Molly’s Yard from a great restaurant into an outstanding one. Easily the best service in Belfast will be found here, with staff quick, friendly and very professional. It’s a tad on the pricey side, but you are really paying for the quality of the food and the service. Check it out, and make sure you book beforehand, as those in the know are likely to have booked your table before you!