12 Best Nightlife in Central District, Northern Ireland

Named after its former bank occupant, the National underwent an eco-friendly face-lift in 2019 to enhance the overall experience at this café as well as food and drink offerings. The £425,000 renovation included a new retractable roof, energy-efficient natural-gas heating in the popular beer garden, and the introduction of a closed-loop system enabling all parts of the fruit to be used in cocktails without waste. Ingredients in the food are sourced within 64 km (40 miles) of Belfast and, to cut down the amount of glass or plastic, the bar filters and carbonates its own tap water. Quality deluxe sandwiches with beef brisket, chicken, or pulled pork, along with tapas, croques, and salads span the menu throughout the day; to wash your food down choose from hangover cures, low-alcohol gin, or bracing cocktails such as the National Spritz, Nitro Espresso martini, or Irish coffee made with Powers whiskey (all £10). The upstairs nightclub has also been rebranded as Sixty-6. In the beer garden, look for the quirky art installation "Living Barrels." It was created by French artist Sylvain Ristori, who collaborated with Jameson whiskey brand to produce a sculpture using recycled materials from the barrel staves of Midleton Distillery.

Belfast's only dedicated jazz bar offers live music seven nights a week and excellent cocktails in surroundings calculated to evoke New York at the height of the golden age of jazz.

Colorful drawings of political, cultural, and social life hang on the walls of this triangular Victorian pub on the fringes of the Cathedral Quarter which claims to sell more pints of Guinness per square foot of floor space than any other pub in Ireland. The drawings are by talented local artist Joe O'Kane, a pub patron. From a selection of rotating taps, Bittles serves local craft brews such as Farmageddon cider, Hilden ales, and Beavertown IPA (a company founded by Logan Plant, the son of Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant). As well as premium Irish whiskeys, the bar also stocks a large range of craft gins, including Gunpowder from Drumshanbo in Leitrim, and two local ones, Shortcross, distilled at Crossgar in County Down and Echlinville Pot Still from the Ards Peninsula.

This first-floor New York--inspired bar beside City Hall is named after a formidable character who was born in Ireland and raised hell with the Dead Rabbit street gang, one of the infamous Gangs of New York in the 1800s. Drinks, such as Mulberry Street, Paradise Square, and Gentleman Jasper reflect the connection. The food, served from noon, includes mussels with Guinness and garlic, falafel burgers, chicken stack, waffle fries, or shrimp cocktail.

A massive statue of Lenin above the front door greets patrons of the undisputed center of the Belfast gay scene. The over-the-top Soviet theme continues inside. Superstar DJs regularly fly in to perform.

A popular locals' favorite near the Castle Court mall, Madden's has live music nightly and traditional tune fests with set dancing on Wednesday night.

In Belfast's oldest building (1711), McHugh's has three floors of bars and restaurants, and live music Thursday to Sunday. Food is served from lunchtime in the downstairs bar, while dinner—including special "on the hot rock" steaks, cooked to your liking—is available 6 pm--9 pm in the upstairs restaurant. McHugh's retains the character of an early-18th-century dockside inn and exudes a homey feel with open fires.

Spectacular sunsets and nighttime views over the city are the key selling points of the Grand Central Hotel's posh penthouse lounge. It's the highest bar in Ireland, with an imaginative cocktail list and a swank clientele. Dress to impress.

A must for every traveler, this bar named after one of Ulster's most famous poets (who ironically wasn't a big drinker) is traditional in style with a marble counter, waist-high wooden paneling, high ceilings, and open fire. It channels Hewitt's socialist sensibility, as it's owned by the Belfast Unemployed Centre (which it helps fund with its profits)—top pub grub is served from noon to 4 pm and live music is featured most nights. Irish artisanal cider and bottled craft beers are the most popular.

A gay-friendly bar near the Cathedral Quarter, Union Street is housed in a converted 19th-century shoe factory. The three-story redbrick Victorian is one of the city's few gastropubs, with a more formal upstairs evening restaurant that's popular with local foodies.

White's Tavern rather trades on its reputation as "Belfast's oldest public house." It serves decent pub grub and there's live music in the downstairs bar on weekends, but for young locals the big attraction is the new alfresco White's Garden, a covered alley where patrons can drink, socialize, smoke, and vape while kept warm by patio heaters even in winter.

A roaring fire greets you as soon as you enter White's Tavern. Friendly staff serve pub grub until 8 pm, although a better bet is to head upstairs, which has been redesigned as the elegant Oyster Rooms restaurant. Its bare, thick-walled brick and high ceiling remain the same, but the culinary options step up a gear and include fresh and firm Carlingford Lough oysters, served on the half shell and dressed in vinaigrette (six for £12), steak tartare, beef and Guinness stew, pork belly, or sole. Live-music sessions are held in the downstairs bar on weekend evenings.