| Belfast PubGuide |
For those who are partial to a pint, there's a fair selection of pubs to choose from in Belfast. I have decided to keep this section for its dusty and nostalgic appeal. I know its out-of-date, but I like it. Here's my account.... Auntie Annies Popular Irish themed bar on the busy Dublin Road servicing the dual needs of UGC cinemagoers and rock n� roll groupies. Good for German beers. Botanic Inn The refurbishment of the 'Bot' five years ago became the benchmark for Belfast bars. All the rest have been playing catch-up. The expensive refit along traditional Irish lines has ensured it remains one of the most frequented nightspots any day of the week. Bouncers are a bit on the over-zealous side - very easy to be turfed out. Crown Liquor Saloon This is the one that's always on telly or tourist brochures. Odd Man Out starring James Mason was shot there and so was an episode of Brookside. The Crown is the ultimate Irish bar with marble floors and wooden booths. Tends to get a bit too packed but what the hell! Worth going to but not necessarily for a drink. Has an upstairs bar called the Brittanic Lounge which is crap Errigle Inn This is the big bar on the Ormeau Road. Recently, suffered an extensive renovation which was much needed Fly Mixed feelings about this one. The old Fly was great, atmospheric and poky. The new Fly is in your face and I can't work out which are the ladies and the gents. But hey the atmosphere rocks at the moment. Hunters Formerly the less than salubrious Ashley bar, now remodelled along the same lines as the Keys in Galway with split levels. Reportedly the most visited pub in Belfast about a year ago, though recently has lost punters to the Fly. Hunters succeeds in being spacious enough to accommodate it's large clientele, however it has the poorest jukebox in town. Despite a large bar staff, it's still hard to get a drink. Recently got itself a DJ and a jet-ski arcade machine. Laverys Effectively two bars rolled into one Lav's is legendary in the history of drinking. Punters go through the doors at the age of eighteen and don't leave until their mid thirties. Upstairs is for students and nurses, downstairs is more cosmopolitan. Always guaranteed to meet someone you know at Laverys. According to folklore, Lavs was the only bar that stayed open at the height of the Troubles. Sounds about right. Limelight Adjacent to Katie Daleys, doubles up as the nightclub for students. Cheap and grotty, but attracts big-name bands. How! Parlour Bar Elmwood Avenue�s venture into nightlife was inevitably going to be a student den, though this one�s better than most. Bit of a shiny and techno place, the Parlour is currently very popular, crowded and loud. No quiet conversations here. There�s lots of televisions upstairs. |