Belfast
Belfast's skyline drinks better than its postcards. The rooftop bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Cathedral Quarter, Titanic Quarter, Queen's Quarter, City Centre all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
CATHEDRAL QUARTER · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage Belfast pub. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CATHEDRAL QUARTER · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Tiny tapas-and-cocktail bar with a serious rum list. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
CITY CENTRE · $ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage Victorian gin palace from 1849. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
CATHEDRAL QUARTER · $ · HIDDEN GEMS
Heritage neighbourhood pub with a security cage on the door from the Troubles. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for regulars and anyone tired of polished rooms. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
CATHEDRAL QUARTER · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail bar above a hat shop. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CITY CENTRE · $$$ · LIVE MUSIC
Hotel bar at The Merchant. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for music fans who want a drink that matches the set. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Belfast or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten rooftop bars that any serious drinker in Belfast would tell you to put on the list.
Heritage Belfast pub. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Tiny tapas-and-cocktail bar with a serious rum list. Order: Bushmills hot whiskey. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Belfast? See our guide to the best rooftop bars worldwide, or compare rooftop bars city by city. Or find rooftop bars near you.