Like a lot of cities, Belfast's bars tend to attract different crowds.

Style Bars

• Apartment, 2 Donegall Square West, Tel: 9050 9777. Belfast's most stylish venue with amazing views over City Hall. Raised above Belfast's bustling streets this cosmopolitan bar & restaurant has it all to offer - whether its coffee & croissants, lunch & cocktails or wine & dinner. At night Apartment transforms from a modern eatery to a busy lounge bar with cool urban beats from some of Belfast's top DJ's. Apartment's ever evolving Cocktail List is the most extensive in Belfast with some of the city's finest & most original blends. With the finest wine & champagne on offer, Apartment is really the place to be seen.
• The Northern Whig, 2-10 Bridge Street, Tel: 9050 9880. The Northern Whig is Belfast's most unique bar oozing sultry European style!! What is most striking about The Northern Whig is the set of huge granite statues depicting Communist workers, which were acquired by the owners after the fall of Communism in Prague. Whether its brunch, lunch dinner or simply drinks The Northern Whig has it all. At night this smart & cosmopolitan venue comes to life with a varied mix of people & live music by some of Belfast's finest Dj's. The Northern Whig has an extensive choice of original & house cocktails which are a must to try!!

Party Bars

• The Botanic Inn, 23-27 Malone Road, Tel: 9050 9740. Affectionately known as 'The Bot', and widely regarded as Belfast's favourite bar, this venue is populated equally by locals and visitors to Belfast. The offering of traditional, freshly prepared food at great value, as well as nightly entertainment ensures that 'The Bot' is not only the biggest bar in Northern Ireland, but also the busiest. A must is their 'Pinch of Snuff' night on a Wednesday, the craic & music is something to savour and enjoy, while Thursday night sees The Bot rock to Belfast's superb three-piece band 'The Usual Suspects'. The recently refurbished nightclub upstairs offers clubbers a unique experience with Northern Ireland's first video wall of its kind! So whether it's a night of traditional music you're after, a taxing table quiz or simply a relaxed atmosphere to watch live sport on all the big screens - 'The Bot' is the place to be!
• The Fly, 5-6 Lower Cresent, Tel: 9050 9750. Centrally located just off Botanic Avenue The Fly is the No.1 party venue in Belfast. The Fly loves a party, infact, the staff are dedicated to it!! The bar/club stretches over three floors and has a great reputation as the place to dance the night away! Open six nights a week The Fll caters for all tastes. Friday & Saturday nights speak for themselves with the place packed by 10pm so get there early to avoid disappointment!
• The Globe, 36 University Road, Tel: 9050 9840. An exceptionally popular university area bar, the Globe is open 7 days a week, serving fantastic food at a reasonable price. With the city's best karaoke and Dj's on every night and more big screen sports than you can shake a stick at, the friendliest staff around will ensure that you won't be able to stop enjoying yourself!

All 3 of these bars are run by the Botanic Inns and this article has clearly been written by them, and none of these above bars are anywhere near the best 'party bars' in Belfast. The Bot is a busy bar popular with students, but usually overcrowded and the "DJ" just plays CDs often with many tracks by the same artist in a row. Perhaps worth a visit on a Thursday night during the University semesters. The Fly bar is now a night club - "Scratch" with mixed reviews although only newly opened it has not had sufficient time to develop a following! The Globe was once a lively venue, but in recent years has become unpopular, except on a Saturday, when it attacts an unsavoury crowd but is usually very busy. Good for food during the day and a good atmosphere for big sports events, other than that it should be avoided!

As an alternative try the Stiff Kitten which often attracts big name DJs and has a very good house DJ. Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday will see this club packed most weeks.

Alternatively Brickies Bar (referred to by its former name - the Speakeasy) in Queen's University Student Union is usually a good starting point for a night out, and the students present will be able to advise on that nights particular popular venue!

• Thompsons, seems to be the place to be. This club plays music too loud and too late, with good DJs and a foggy somewhat underground atmosphere. Next to the City Hall, look for the narrow entry across the street from the Belfast Eye.

Traditional Food, Music & Craic

• The Kitchen Bar, 36-40 Victoria Square, Tel: 9032 4901. One of the most historic bars in Belfast, the original Kitchen Bar dates back to 1859 and was one of the favourite watering holes of the star performers of Belfast's famous Empire Music Hall. Relocated just round the corner from its original site to an old converted warehouse, it retains all the charm and charisma that visitors experienced at the original venue. Real Ale...Real Food...Real Craic...is the keywords for The Kitchen Bar and it certainly delivers on all three points, a must for any visitor to Belfast. Traditional fresh food is served daily including the renowned soda bread based 'Paddy Pizza'!
• McHugh's Bar & Restaurant, 29-31 Queens Square, Tel: 9050 9999. Situated in Belfast's oldest building, dating back to 1711. McHugh's boasts a 100 seater restaurant, a basement bar offering live entertainment and the main gallery, providing enough space and atmosphere for a great night out. The Basement & main bar hosts live traditional music sessions at various times of the week and weekend so make sure you go along and catch one of these free sessions! The restaurant provides impeccable service and great food with sacrificing value. With entertainment, art & culture, McHugh's is a traditional bar with a difference.
• Madison's Hotel, 59-63 Botanic Avenue, Tel: 9050 9800. Set amidst the bustling Botanic Avenue this rather sexy boutique hotel is just a stones throw away from Belfast City Centre, Queens University & Botanic Gardens. The hotel boasts an excellent restaurant serving early morning breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. The main bar in Madison's is popular with locals & tourists alike with live music being played in the bar most nights. Offering all modern features a guest expects today, Madison's has an established reputation for great food, fine wines, amazing cocktails and fabulous entertainment all under the one roof.
• Ryan's Bar & Restaurant, 116-118 Lisburn Road, Tel: 9050 9850. The emphasis in Ryan's is on providing good food, good value and great service. The ground floor provides an informal & comfortable venue for craic & conversation where you can partake of great all day bar food. One thing you have to be sure to try are Ryan's World Famous Chicken Wings - the recipe is a secret but it's no secret just how good they are!! Best washed down with a pint of the black stuff. Ryan's 75 seater restaurant offers a comfortable setting to enjoy traditional meals cooked to perfection. A rather intriguing & tasty choice are the 'Boxty' selections - a kind of irish potato pancake!
• The Parador, 116-118 Ormeau Road, Tel: 9050 9850. The Ormeau Road's Parador Hotel has been given a new lease of life with a complete facelift and a packed schedule of nightly entertainment. There is a mix of live traditional music on a Tuesday, Pub Quiz on a Wednesday and live Jazz every Thursday. The Jazz Session has been described as one of the best in the city which draws jazz lovers from far and wide. The Parador Hotel offers the best budget accommodation in the city starting at only £25 per night for a single room and £38 for a twin or double. There's no need to venture out looking for somewhere to eat either as the hotel provides a great selection of homemade food....

For a younger, alternative, indie crowd

• Auntie Annies Porterhouse, 44 Dublin Road - has a great disco upstairs and live music most nights downstairs.
• Limelight/Katy Dalys/Spring and Airbrake, 17 Ormeau Avenue. A great trio of adjacent venues that open up into each other for live music and alternative club nights.
• The Rotterdam Bar, 52-54 Pilot Street, Tel: 9074 6021. One of Belfast's oldest bars, with great personality and character. Features music every night.
• Pats Bar, 19-22 Princes Dock St, Tel: 9074 4524. Right next door to the Rotterdam, this bar has also great character. What a lot of people do is go between the two pubs.

The following four bars are all beside each other in the Cathedral quarter. These are the best bars in Belfast and get a friendly alternative crowd:

• The Spaniard, 3 Skipper Street, Tel: 9023 2448. A fantastic small friendly bar.
• The John Hewitt, 51 Donegall Street, Tel: 9023 3768. Located in the Cathedral Quarter, this small bar features live music on many nights, including jazz on Fridays. It is popular with professionals, journalists and tourists and is known for its art exhibitions, traditional music sessions and strong contribution to the local arts scene. All profits go the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre, which is located next door.
• Duke of York, 7-11 Commercial Court, Tel: 9024 1062. A very popular bar, check it out on thursday where they have traditional music.
• Whites Tavern, 2-4 Wincellar Entry. Founded in 1630, one of the many bars to claim to be Belfasts oldest. Cosy downstairs bar, upstairs has a jumping alternative disco on Friday and Saturday nights that is usually crammed to the roof.
• The Menagerie Bar, 130 University St, Tel: 9023 5678. This hidden away place near the Holiday Inn Express is a fun, atmospheric place. Dilapidated, but nice. Note: its popularity has declined a lot recently, not as funky as it used to be.

Mainstream Bars

• Cafe Vaudeville, 25-39 Arthur St. A huge over-the-top, 1920's Paris themed restaurant and bar. The upstairs section features Northern Ireland's first "Bollinger bar".
• Europa Piano Bar, Europa Hotel, Great Victoria Street, Tel: 9027 1066. For the more mature drinker, this place is relaxed and offers great views of the Golden Mile below.
• Empire Bar, 40 Botanic Avenue, Tel: 9024 9276. This place, a former church, is a cosy bar downstairs, featuring traditional Irish music some nights. The upstairs section features live music and comedy.
• Errigle Inn, 320 Ormeau Road, Tel: 9064 1410. Unchanged since the 1930's, this bar is a popular authentic Belfast boozer. A great local bar, but a bit out of the way if you are only in Belfast for a short space of time.
• Odyssey Complex, depending on your point of view its either a souless hole of a place populated with underage kiddies, or Belfast's entertainment mecca. It features about 3 bars, 6 restaurants, cinema, IMAX and a bowling alley. At weekends it gets a boozy slightly rough 'beautiful people' crowd. The best place to go to if you want girls in short skirts and guys who look like they're auditioning for a boy band.
• The Cloth Ear and The Bar, 35-39 Waring St. Tel: 9023 4888. The Cloth Ear is The Merchant Hotel’s comfortable public bar. The warm and welcoming interior provides the ideal environment to relax and enjoy oneself in style. Combining both modern and traditional elements with a healthy dose of the eccentric. For example, the many unique items of vintage and antique clothing, the wooden moose and deer heads and the classic 1930’s – 1950’s sheet music that adorn the walls. Alternatively, go next door to the Merchant Hotel's own classic cocktail bar, simply named “The Bar”. The Victorian Grandeur of the building is abundantly evident, with its ornate ceilings, silk damask walls, antique Baccarat chandeliers and a cocktail list to which all the superlatives apply. Also home to possibly the world's most expensive coctail at £750 a go!

Traditional Music

• Robinsons Bar, Great Victoria Street, right next to the Crown Bar, and opposite the Europa Hotel. Has tradional music every day in the back bar (Fibber Magees).
• Kellys Cellars, 30-32 Bank Street, just off castle street. Has traditional music at weekends. Another place with a claim to Belfasts oldest bar title.
• Maddens Bar situated beside Castlecourt Shopping Centre in the Old Smithfield Square. Has traditional music at the weekends, gets an intellectual political crowd. Don't freak if you have to press the buzzer for entry, its a leftover from the troubles days, the place is quite safe.