Itinerary
Six stops, one evening, walkable. The night you'd take a friend on a Friday in Belfast.
17:30 — Aperitif · Cathedral Quarter · $ · Cocktail Bars
Heritage Belfast pub. Start polished. Order something stirred and bracing — a martini, a manhattan, or whatever the bar's house spec is. You're warming up the palate, not chasing trends.
22:00 — The destination cocktail · City Centre · $$$ · Live Music
Hotel bar at The Merchant. This is the room you booked for. Lights are lower, prices higher, drinks are tightly built. Stay an hour, no longer.
23:30 — Late-night listening · Cathedral Quarter · $ · Hidden Gems
Heritage neighbourhood pub with a security cage on the door from the Troubles. Move to a music room. Jazz, soul, or a DJ at modest volume. You want a soundtrack, not a club.
01:00 — Last drink · Stranmillis · $$ · Craft Beer
Craft brewery taproom in Stranmillis pouring twelve house taps and the city's most adventurous local beers. End on something simple. A clean martini, a Negroni, a whisky and water. Tip your bartender. Walk home or take a quiet cab.
The order matters. We start polished, peak in the middle, end somewhere quieter than we started. You can swap any room for a closer alternative — every bar listed has at least two backups within a five-minute walk.
Total time: about seven hours. Total spend: depends on you, but plan £80-£150 per person across the night. Save this page, send it to whoever you're meeting, and treat the timings as guidance, not gospel.
Each stop links to the full bar page if you want to dig deeper. Treat timings as guidance — adjust to your pace.