Thirsty? Come along and join our Belfast virtual pub crawl where you'll be able to sample some of the best pubs in Belfast at the click of a mouse. If you missed the first article in the series, go back and take a look. We'll have a pint while we're waiting.
In this part of the tour, we're going to focus on Belfast's historical Cathedral Quarter, located just to the north of City Hall.
It's easy to miss The Spaniard, as it is down a cobbled alleyway and not along any of the more well travelled streets of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter. But, believe us, it's one of the best pubs in Belfast and well worth seeking out. Named after everyone's favorite mad Spaniard, Salvador Dali, the place isn't much bigger than a shoebox, and can get very crowded at night, but their selection of beers and mixed drinks is well worth it. The walls are festooned with loads of, well, let's face it, crap, but it still looks cool. Candles in wax covered bottles on each of the tables only adds to the surreal atmosphere.
The best part of the Duke of York isn't the pub itself, but the cobblestoned alleyway that serves as the pub's front porch. The place is jam-packed on weekends, but it's worth it and, who knows, you might meet a new friend or two. The courtyard is heated, so it can be crowded even on a cold winter weekend. The most annoying thing about the heaters, though, is that they are on timers. You have to push a button for heat, which only lasts for a few minutes, then you have to press it again. Luckily, there's always some drunkard you can con into being the "Keeper of the Heat".
Sunday nights features traditional Irish music. As always, this changes, so it's best to phone ahead.
The Hewitt is the queen of Belfast's "literary pubs". It's also, oddly enough, a charity. The pub serves as a fundraiser for the unemployment center next door. The Hewitt has a separate stage just for music and other events. The beer selection at the Hewitt is among the best in town. In addition to the regulars (Guinness, Harp, Carlsberg) , the Hewitt features a number of locally crafted brews. The best part about the Hewitt is that they have their "drink up time" clock set a little slow. It's possible, for example, to catch last call at the Duke of York and then walk down the street to the Hewitt and grab one more for the road.
The Northern Whig
The Whig is located in one of the oldest buildings in the Cathedral Quarter, dating from the early 1800s. The bar is spacious and filled with dark wood and dim lighting. It's a favorite of Belfast's young and hip set, so expect a wait if you try to get there on a Friday or Saturday night.
Scott Calonico - Scott Calonico holds a BS in Communications from the University of Texas at Austin and an MA in International Journalism from City ...
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