Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, is a remarkable place to visit. It is a fine dinning hot spot in the UK and has a beautiful countryside that is a short distance from urban centers. Jimmy was born here so that’s one of the key reasons we went, but also because his father moved back to the area (from Canada) and we wanted to visit him. We made four trips there, between 2012 and 2015, that included excursions to Lisburn, Bangor, and the North Coast.
Our most recent trip was to attend Jimmy’s dad’s funeral in Bangor. A sad occasion, but we are both glad that we had a chance to spend time with him in the years before he died to build pleasant new memories, and bring closure to old painful memories. In his late 80’s he still had a dry wit and was always making jokes. It was great to meet him and it’s easy to see the similarities between Jimmy and his dad. For us, Belfast and Bangor will forever be imprinted with the aura of his dad. We will visit again.
The metropolitan area of Belfast has a population of about 1.4 million, with about 550,000 in the city itself. It has become a foodie haven and has some great tourist attractions, like the Titanic Museum. And it certainly has a history. It was not much of a tourist destination in the past because of “The Troubles”. I won’t go into the politics, but I recall in the 1970’s two war zones that stuck in my mind: Beirut and Belfast. Neither were places I thought I would ever visit. However, because of Jimmy, Belfast has become one of my favourite destinations. The city is, thankfully, a calm and peaceful place these days. The people are reserved, but pleasant with a witty sense of humour, and the food is outstanding.
A bit of history:
Belfast was a center of the Irish linen, tobacco-processing, rope-making and shipbuilding industries: in the early 20th century, Harland and Wolff, which built the RMS Titanic, was the world’s largest and most productive shipyard. Belfast played a key role in the Industrial Revolution, and was a global industrial center until the latter half of the 20th century. It has sustained a major aerospace and missiles industry since the mid 1930s. Industrialization and the inward migration it brought made Belfast Ireland’s biggest city at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, Belfast remains a center for industry, as well as the arts, higher education, business, and law, and is the economic engine of Northern Ireland.
Key Attractions:
- Titanic Museum
- Tour of the City – includes Falls Road, Shankill, Belfast Peace Wall
- Crumlin Road Gaol – old Prison open for tours
- Ulster Museum
- Lagan Harbour Boat Tour
- St. George Market
- City Hall
- Victoria Square Shopping
- Customs House Square and Albert Memorial Clock
- Great Victoria Street – Crown Bar, Europa Hotel, and Grand Opera House
- Ulster Hall
- Cathedral Quarter
- Belfast Zoo
- Food festivals
- Music festivals – Belsonic,
- All Roads Music Festival
- Ulster Folk and Transport Museum – see how people lived in the past: historic working class homes recreated with all the furniture, utensils and artifacts. Highly recommended.
The Titanic Museum is at the top of the list of “must see” attractions. It is a fascinating display not only of the history and building of the Titanic, but also of worker life in industrial Belfast. There is a lot to see so plan on at least half a day. They use holograms and video to show you the living quarters, dinning rooms and engine rooms.
Excuse the poor quality of the video, but it still allows you to see the ship from its bowels to the top first class area.
And there is a “ride”, like a roller coaster, that takes you through a display of the ship building process. It was interesting to see the Riveters; whose only job was to install rivets into the steel – they had left handed and right handed Riveters working side by side for efficiency’s sake.
A tour of the city is a good way to see, and hear, the history of Belfast and the key locations during The Troubles. The Peace Wall was a surprise to me. I had no idea the city had this long divider between Catholic (most of whom are nationalists who self-identify as Irish) and Protestants (most of whom are Unionists who self-identify as British). During the time of the Troubles, they would shut the gates on the weekends and at night (or during strife) to minimize the violence between the two groups.
Where to Stay?
There are several great hotel options in Belfast. The best place to stay is downtown so you are walking distance to most attractions. The city core is not large and easy for strolling around.
My favorite hotel is The Merchant, a former bank. I love the old world style. It takes you back to another era. It is a 5 star luxury hotel with gorgeous interiors.
On one visit we stayed at the Malmaison which is 4 star and reasonably priced, but has that old world charm and very friendly staff. Conveniently located near the Victoria Square shopping center, Cathedral Quarter and waterfront.
The lounge is very cosy, has a nice ambiance and great snacks.
We stayed at the Fitzwilliam Hotel twice. It is a modern 5 star hotel, on Victoria street close to The Crown Bar, Opera House and Europa Hotel. It is also within walking distance to most attractions. Victoria Square and the shopping area is further than from Malmaison, but it isn’t too far (about 15-20 minute walk).
The rooms are minimalist, but well designed and comfortable. The bathrooms are stunning!
Where to Eat?
Now for the best part: Belfast is a foodie mecca! It has some of the best restaurants in the world, along with annual food festivals. The produce is super fresh and the menus are unique. Top chefs are making Belfast their home, and bringing the most mouth watering concoctions to the city. We were both very impressed with the food in Belfast. Good food is all about sourcing, and in Ireland the farms are close by. Animals are raised in a natural environment with no hormones and stress. Even the corner store had egg salad sandwiches using free range eggs! Here are a few restaurants that we tried:
The Great Room at the Merchant Hotel
The room itself is worth the price of the meal. It is elaborate and unique. The food and service was outstanding. We had lunch in the Great Room on a few occasions and loved it. It is one of those places that you just have to stop by on every visit. And we do.
Deanes
Michael Deane, Northern Ireland’s longest-running Michelin-starred chef, has multiple restaurants and bistros in Belfast. His flagship restaurant, EIPIC, currently has a Michelin star (he obtained his first star in 1997). We ate at Deanes Meat Locker and Deanes Deli Bistro and can confirm the food is superb. I once had a chat with Michael Deane himself, and it turns out that he worked at The Savoy in London at the same time as a well-known Toronto chef, Michael Bonacini (whom I worked with at the Windsor Arms in Toronto). Small world. Nice man and great chef. Deane’s restaurants are an essential stop when visiting Belfast.
James Street South
James Street South was awarded a prestigious Michelin ‘Bib Gourmand’, which recognizes establishments offering “good food at affordable prices”.
We ate here a few times. There is a casual restaurant and a more formal dining room. In the main dining room we had the tasting menu with wine pairing, which is probably the best way to go if you want to experience what chef Niall McKenna can do. The lunch menu in the casual restaurant is very reasonably priced with high quality food.
OX
Since it was opened by Stephen Toman, former head chef at James Street South, and Alain Kerloc’h, the former manager of Deanes, locals have packed it every night. Today, it, too, has a a Michelin star.
It is a tiny restaurant, so reservations are necessary. We went there for lunch and had a meal cooked to perfection, albeit quite small. We both thought the Creme Brûlée was the best we have ever tried. That rich Irish cream takes it to another level.
Malmaison Brasserie
We had a delicious lunch at the hotel brasserie. It may not be fine dining, but it has good food at reasonable prices.
Fitzwilliam Hotel Restaurant
Another good choice for fine dining.
Simply Fish & Chips
Located at the George Market, this is a great little spot for delicious fish & chips. Casual, inexpensive, and very tasty fast food.
Belfast has come along way since Jimmy’s youth – both in terms of fine dining (when everything was fried or boiled to death) and a cultural and architectural resurrection. It is now on the map as a stimulating and fun travel destination.
Enjoy your trip to Belfast!
For more photos please visit Wonderland Photography.
