Itinerary
Friday night to Sunday afternoon. Eight stops, properly sequenced for visiting drinkers.
Friday 17:00 — Arrival drink · Cathedral Quarter · $ · Cocktail Bars
Heritage Belfast pub. Drop bags. Find a hotel-adjacent bar within a five-minute walk. Order something simple to anchor yourself to the city.
Saturday 17:30 — Rooftop cocktail · City Centre · $$$ · Live Music
Hotel bar at The Merchant. Sunset. Find a rooftop. Order whatever the house specials around sundown. Take photos but don't lose 90 minutes to your phone.
Saturday 20:00 — Dinner-with-drinks · Cathedral Quarter · $ · Hidden Gems
Heritage neighbourhood pub with a security cage on the door from the Troubles. Eat somewhere with serious bartending built in. The right room is one you order both your dinner and your nightcap from.
Saturday 22:30 — The destination · Stranmillis · $$ · Craft Beer
Craft brewery taproom in Stranmillis pouring twelve house taps and the city's most adventurous local beers. The bar that made you book the trip. The pre-research one. Reservation-only ideally. Stay until last call.
Sunday 17:00 — Last quiet drink · Cathedral Quarter · $$ · Cocktail Bars
Tiny tapas-and-cocktail bar with a serious rum list. Find the hotel bar at your departure airport equivalent — somewhere quiet, low-volume, well-staffed. End the trip on a martini and a clean conversation.
The plan starts polished on Friday night and peaks Saturday late. We've left Sunday afternoon for recovery, a brunch cocktail, and a quiet last drink before you fly out. Every stop is editor-picked and walkable from at least one of the others.
Total spend across the weekend: roughly £200-£350 per person on drinks alone (not counting food). Reservations are essential at any room flagged 'destination'. Book those first; the rest you can walk to.
Each stop links to the full bar page if you want to dig deeper. Treat timings as guidance — adjust to your pace.