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1 Our Favourite Places To Eat In Belfast
Tao’s
Basically, this is an all you can eat costing anything from ยฃ7.99 for lunch, to ยฃ13.99 for a weekend dinner, both of which includes a great selection of deserts.It’s a buffet restaurant based in the Victoria Centre so you get to do some shopping before or after.They serve Sushi, Dim Sum, Indian, Teppanyaki, Pizza, Noodles and Asian as well as a ‘live cooking station’.Make sure you’re hungry when you visit them though, as there’s around 200 different dishes to sample.They are based in the Victoria Shopping Centre, about 20 mins walk from the apartments.www.cosmo-restaurants.co.uk/Belfast.php
Deane’s Deli
In my opinion the nicest of his 4 restaurants
Its casual, relaxed and the food is just as good but less expensive
Michael is often seen here helping out the other staff or perhaps just relaxing
There’s a great atmosphere here on a Friday 5-7pm when a live musician plays. From memory, the musician then goes next door to his other restaurant for another couple of hours
Google Maps estimates a 5 min walk to here
www.michaeldeane.co.uk/
Nando’s
INando’s is a Portuguese chicken restaurant only 5 mins walk from the apartments on the main Dublin Rd just beside the BBC building.
It’s great for a family meal as well as a quick snack with freshly grilled chicken with various marinades and sauces.
Wetherspoons – The Bridge HouseWho hasn’t heard of Wetherspoons in the UK?You simply take your table number to the bar and place your food order, pay an embarrassing low sum of money and wait for them to bring it to the table
Great if you’re on a budget and want a few drinks as well
They’re open first thing in the morning serving ‘Ulster Fry’s’ (until noon) to pretty much near midnight serving both food and drink all day
Belfast is a great place for children to visit as they’re so well catered for and made to feel welcome as most establishments
Only 5-6 miles from the apartments this is a great little park to let them loose in. Buses run from the Dublin Rd up the Lisburn Road on a regular basis
Sir Thomas & Lady Dixon’s Park
Fondly known by locals simply as Lady Dixon’s I have happy memories of coming here as a child
Its a large park with some great rides for the kids and lovely walks around the gardens
No entrance charge
The international rose trials are held here each year
The Movie House
There’s always something new on here and with multiple screens there’s generally something you can all agree on
Odyssey Bowling
Kids love bowling and this is just the place to take them. It takes about 30 mins to walk from the apartment, just long enough to tire them a little before the game
The apartments are within easy walking distance to Belfast City Centre Shopping so I’ll list a few of them and also our 2 Outlet Centres out of town which you’ll either need to drive to or get a bus
Victoria Square Shopping Centre
The big new multi million complex with House Of Fraser leading the way
A great new fresh complex with restaurants, cinemas, etc all under the one glass dome and accessible from many directions
Apparently there are some very stylish up market shops here and some people (Jane included) can spend most of a day
Monday -Tuesday | 9:30 am – 6 pm |
Wednesday – Friday | 9:30 am – 9 pm |
Saturday | 9 am – 6 pm |
Sunday | 1 pm – 6 pm |
The original shopping centre in Belfast and still a draw for both locals and visitors alike
All of the big names can be found here under 1 roof and of course there’s plenty of eating places
Monday | 9.00am to 7.00pm |
Tuesday | 9.00am to 7.00pm |
Wednesday | 9.00am to 7.00pm |
Thursday | 9.00am to 9.00pm |
Friday | 9.00am to 7.00pm |
Saturday | 9.00am to 7.00pm |
Sunday | 1.00pm to 6.00pm |
Donegall Place
From the Belfast City Hall to the bottom of Royal Ave this is probably the main shopping area in Belfast
It contains the big High St names like Marks & Spencer’s, Boots, etc
A 10 min walk to the start of the shops here according to Google Maps
Royal Ave
A continuation of the shopping area in Donegall Place soon to be pedestrianised
Corn Market
The hub of the shopping area of Belfast and one of the entrances to the new Victoria Square Shopping Centre
This is pedestrianised and full of cafes, etc
Here you may find a more unusual mix of shops
Only 13 mins away according to Google Maps
The Lisburn Road
The Lisburn Road is home to many up market boutiques and art galleries
Take a stroll along it and ponder which cafe on just about every shop corner to stop at, but be warned it can be expensive
Mon – Wed | 10am-6pm |
Thurs – Fri | 10am-9pm |
Sat | 9am-6pm |
Sun | 1pm-6pm |
Situated in the Cathedral area this is one of Belfast’s best bars to enjoy live traditional Irish music
Its played most nights and at weekends during the day. Its also the place to rub shoulders with some very famous people who frequent it from BBC TV journalists to playwrights to politicians
La Boca
Nice little bar / restaurant with an easy listening guitarist playing from 5-7pm on a Friday night, perfect before a night out
This Argentine bar / restaurant also serves up some really nice food also; look out for the platter to share with a bottle of wine all for ยฃ15
Lovely way to spend an early Friday evening
ust across from Belfast City Hall Google Maps suggest a 13 min walk
Auntie Annie’s
This is sneaking in under 2 headings as we list it above for a great little place to stop on the way back to the apartment for a pint outside (weather permitting) and some home made chips, but by night
They often have live music but it tends to be more in the way of rock / heavy music genre – a bit too young for us though
About a min’s walk according to Google Maps
Spring & AirbrakeGreat sounding music when you’re walking past, but generally for the younger generation. We might get a few odd looksJust around the corner or 5 mins walk according to Google Maps
http://www.cdcleisure.net/spring.php
Katie DalysMore live music but again check out their listings onlinehttp://www.cdcleisure.net/katys.php
Public tours are available at the following times:
- Monday to Friday – 11am, 2pm and 3pm
- Saturday – 2pm and 3pm.
They are available on a first-come, first-served basis (no booking needed) and leave from the reception area inside Belfast City Hall.
There are no tours on Sundays, bank holidays or public holidays.
http://www.nmni.com/um for the Museum and
Crown Liquor Saloon
It’ll cost nothing to go into the bar though of course you’ll have to pay for your drinks, but its still worthwhile visiting one of Belfast’s landmarks.
http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/Albert-Memorial-Clock-Belfast-P3434
Cupar Way Peace Wall
The Peace Wall still divides both communities but hopefully its only a matter of time before it comes down
In the meantime people from all over the world visit including Bill Clinton. You are welcome to sign your name and a message on it
As its nearly a couple of miles away it might be best to take a taxi and hear some of its history, but be careful to try to hear it from both sides of the divide!
Belfast Free TourThis is a walking tour which leaves the front of Belfast City Hall and is free – however a tip to the tour guide is expectedWe haven’t actually taken the tour ourselves as yet; maybe you can enlighten us
Part of the joy of a trip away (be it business or vacation) is the excitement of experiencing new cuisine and eating at new restaurants. Although often expensive, the costs can be drastically cut by the use of the ‘Hi Life’ card by enjoying 2 meals for the price of 1. Jane and I have been using this card for the last 5 years and it allows us to eat out on a regular basis without ‘breaking the bank’
The Hi Life card allows diners to enjoy up to 3 free courses when they eat with at least one other person. Basically, the cost of the cheaper meal is free for up to the 3 courses. For example, 2 diners order 2 starters (one at ยฃ5 the other at ยฃ6), followed by 2 main courses (one at ยฃ11 the other at ยฃ13) and finishing with 2 deserts (one at ยฃ3, the other at ยฃ4)
The final bill (excluding drinks and side dishes which are both excluded from the offer) means you pay for only –
ยฃ6 for the most expensive main starter
ยฃ13 for the most expensive main course
ยฃ4 most expensive desert
Total saving is ยฃ19 and the bill which would otherwise have been ยฃ42 is now only ยฃ23
The Hi Life is generally only available for a full 12 month period at a cost of ยฃ69.99 but we at Self Catering Accommodation Belfast have negotiated a very special deal which allows you to purchase a card for only ยฃ10 and covers a rolling 31 day period in any of their member restaurants in Ireland (north or south). Furthermore, if you are from the UK or Ireland and like ourselves are amazed by the benefits of using the card, Hi Life will allow you to extend your 1 month for your own region to a full years membership with a ยฃ10 discount
There are around 60 restaurants in Belfast city centre to choose from which are on the scheme, most of them shown on our map within easy walking distance from the apartments or just a short taxi ride away. A full list is available at http://www.hi-life.co.uk/Search.aspx?Area=Belfast%20City%20Centre .You even have the opportunity to read their reviews and sort them by ‘Food’, ‘Service’ and ‘Decor’. It’s then your choice whether to add your own review or not, but be warned that these are censored and not all reviews are posted. These restaurants range from small family run cafes and wine bars to Michelin star establishments
We do recommend that you read the How It Works and FAQ’s on their website. If you would like to take the opportunity to avail of this offer, please contact Alison from Hi Life by emailing her at alison@hi-life.co.uk or please quote promo code SCA15 on their website.