Belfast

[KillerB]

I've now decided that as well as asking for help on places to go to in advance of going somewhere, I'm also going to throw in experiences of particular towns and cities.

Belfast turned out to be packed out with people that are just too friendly for their own good, people just want to have a good time. Shame that they had so much crap to deal with for thirty years. The city itself has a centre where the shops are but not where the restaurants are, unless you count the chippy that closed in the evening. The shopping precinct is generally run down but a new development called Victoria Square is sparkly and clean with some good shops. It also has a shed load of chain restaurants - Chillis, Pizza Hut, TGI Fridays, Nando's etc. I had to go there to Pizza Express on Tuesday because there is a problem that really needs to be addressed.

Could not find any restaurants in walking distance that were real restaurants. There were some attached to hotels plus one that didn't look much fun. Food seems to be mostly available from the major bars and there are several major bars. Most famously there are The Crown and Robinson's but also McHugh's, The Northern Whig and The Morning Star.

Monday night - Ten Square Hotel, Donegal Sq. Bar attached to the hotel serves reasonable quality bar food made to look expensive and is thus expensive. Mildly busy.

Tuesday night - Walked around for ages trying everywhere but this is where the problem lies: they all stop serving food at 9:00pm or that's the way it seems. Hence, finding myself at Pizza Express and pigging out. Followed up with a couple of pints of excellent Guinness at the Northern Whig, which was nearly empty by 10:00pm.

Wednesday night - straight to Robinson's which was quiet downstairs and absolutely deas upstairs in the Bistro. Decent enough food but limited, again not aiming very high but enjoyable. I had fajitas which gives a clue to the rest of the menu in what is not a Mexican restaurant. Downstairs had livened up as the second half of Burnley against Spurs was turning into a classic. Couple of pints of even better Guinness helped things along. Trotted over to the Crown for another excellent Guinness before going into the back room at Robinson's which had a pretty reasonable two-piece band on. Now this place was packed and too many pints of their excellent Guinness were consumed.

Thursday night - Just over to the Northern Whig to have better food, nicely presented at a fair price.

Overall Belfast will feed you but will definitely water you. The Guinness is better than I ever had in Dublin but I haven't been there for a long time. Early in the week it is dead on the streets and the shopping area should be avoided in the evenings, nothing happens there. The bars are nicely set out and have a good traditional feel, food adequate but not special, people great.

Happy to return to the place.

[DRT]

I have only been to Belfast once. It was in the mid to late 90's and I went there on business with 2 others for one night. It was much as Alex describes but I had two of the strangest experiences of my life in one night.

We met a couple of guys from the company that were hosting us and were taken for a fantastic meal in a posh restaurant that we were told was run by a TV celebrity chef. We then went to a bar for some Guinness and live music. Given the time in history that this occurred I was gobsmacked to find that the music played by the band was from both sides of the religeous divide. I mentioned this to one of our hosts and was told "shut up, say nothing, just have fun". It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I have ever had and to this day I can scarcely believe it happened in that city.

The second experience I had that night was somewhat more disturbing. We stopped at a kebad shop on the way home through the city centre and after placing our order were stood chatting away about the great time we had had in the pub. Without warning an armoured vehichle screached to a halt outside the kebad shop and a number of armed uniformed men ran into the shop. They dragged three or four of the men from behind counter out of the shop and into their vehicle and drove off. Everyone then behaved as if this event had not happened. I then collected my kebad from one of the remaining men behind the counter and left the shop. Bizzare, and thankfully a thing of the past.

I must go back. It was a really good kebab

Derek

[Alex Bridgeman]

Stories of the troubles in Belfast remind me of the time I was locked into a pub in Portadown during marching season. Outside the pub we could hear a Fife and Drum band getting closer and then all hell broke loose with fighting and missiles being thrown around, police sirens going off and the occasional thump against the door. Three hours later, the landlord unlocked the door and let us out again.

Not a fun experience.

[KillerB]

I avoided talking about the troubles topeople whilst I was there. It was something that they seemed glad not to bring up. I think I would be the same, life's better now so move on and hope it never happens again.