Valentines in Belfast!

[Arese]

Hey Folks (or should I say 'What about ye?')

My girlfriend and I are coming over to NI on the 13th Feb, staying until the 15th. Flights are all booked, hotel is booked, and restaurant for the 14th is booked (Deanes http://www.michaeldeane.co.uk/. Anyone been there? Is it as good as it looks?).

Anyway, we're flying into Aldergrove on Friday morning so I'm looking for a couple of recommendations from you friendly folks.

Car Hire - wouldn't mind hiring something reasonably nice for a couple of days. I could stick to the usual suspects at the airport, but it's quite expensive even for a poverty-spec E-Class or something similar. I'd prefer something different than the usual Focus (as good as they are).

Touristy Stuff - What can we do on Friday 13th after we land, and Saturday 14th? I'd like to go up to Giants Causeway, and maybe then take the A2 all down the East Coast. I've been to a lot of places in NI with work, but never got to see the nice parts. Is it worth heading for the North-West too? Or am I trying to cram too much into 2/3 days?

Friday night - any recommendations where we could go? We're not into 'boom boom' clubs, but have been known to enjoy the nice wine bars. Is the Botanic area still the place to be? Any recommendations on where to eat on Friday night? Somewhere nice but not too expensive, as Saturday night will be draining all my money!

Appreciate any advice

Edited by Arese on Wednesday 21st January 11:32

[daphantom]

Arese said:

Hey Folks (or should I say 'What about ye?')

My girlfriend and I are coming over to NI on the 13th Feb, staying until the 15th. Flights are all booked, hotel is booked, and restaurant for the 14th is booked (Deanes http://www.michaeldeane.co.uk/. Anyone been there? Is it as good as it looks?).

Anyway, we're flying into Aldergrove on Friday morning so I'm looking for a couple of recommendations from you friendly folks.

Car Hire - wouldn't mind hiring something reasonably nice for a couple of days. I could stick to the usual suspects at the airport, but it's quite expensive even for a poverty-spec E-Class or something similar. I'd prefer something different than the usual Focus (as good as they are).

Touristy Stuff - What can we do on Friday 13th after we land, and Saturday 14th? I'd like to go up to Giants Causeway, and maybe then take the A2 all down the East Coast. I've been to a lot of places in NI with work, but never got to see the nice parts. Is it worth heading for the North-West too? Or am I trying to cram too much into 2/3 days?

Friday night - any recommendations where we could go? We're not into 'boom boom' clubs, but have been known to enjoy the nice wine bars. Is the Botanic area still the place to be? Any recommendations on where to eat on Friday night? Somewhere nice but not too expensive, as Saturday night will be draining all my money!

Appreciate any advice

Edited by Arese on Wednesday 21st January 11:32

Theres plenty of choice in Belfast city centre now for bars + meals. Try Villa Italia opposite Queens university. Good food at reasonable price then walk down towards Shaftsbury square and have a drink in Benedicts or up towards the Botanic Inn. Spoiled for choice these days

[yannon]

I am sure you will enjoy your weekend in Belfast which is fast becoming one of the UKs most popular city breaks.To advise you properly it would help to know the location of your hotel and some idea of your ages.The Botanic area is still popular with students and the under 30s but the Cathedral Quarter in the city centre is the up and coming area for nights out.Belfast Welcome Centre near the City Hall has very comprehensive tourist info and its free.Ring them on 02890246609.

[Arese]

daphantom said:

Theres plenty of choice in Belfast city centre now for bars + meals. Try Villa Italia opposite Queens university. Good food at reasonable price then walk down towards Shaftsbury square and have a drink in Benedicts or up towards the Botanic Inn. Spoiled for choice these days

Villa Italia looks perfect for the Friday night, and only a couple of miles so weather permitting could be a nice walk down there. We're staying in the Hilton on the waterfront.

yannon said:

I am sure you will enjoy your weekend in Belfast which is fast becoming one of the UKs most popular city breaks.To advise you properly it would help to know the location of your hotel and some idea of your ages.The Botanic area is still popular with students and the under 30s but the Cathedral Quarter in the city centre is the up and coming area for nights out.Belfast Welcome Centre near the City Hall has very comprehensive tourist info and its free.Ring them on 02890246609.

We're staying in the Hilton on the waterfront, and we're both early/mid 30's. If we're going to walk down to Villa Italia, can you recommend any bars in particular in the Cathedral quarter? Or give me a rough idea of where that area is so I can find it on a map?

Many thanks for the help guys, really looking forward to this trip now.

[yannon]

Hilton to Villa Italia is quite a trot and a taxi(approx £6)would be adviseable.If you are going in that direction the Cutters Wharf would be a good alternative to VI.They are doing a special of 2 courses plus a bottle of wine for 2 persons at £25.It is a very attractive restaurant which is usually quite expensive and has a lively bar downstairs with music.The cathedral quarter is an easy walk from the Hilton .Plenty of bars to drift into including the John Hewitt and Duke of York.Good hotel bars including the Merchant and Malmaison but they can be pricy.The citysightseeing bus tour is a good bet for sunday morning.

[Arese]

yannon said:

Hilton to Villa Italia is quite a trot and a taxi(approx £6)would be adviseable.If you are going in that direction the Cutters Wharf would be a good alternative to VI.They are doing a special of 2 courses plus a bottle of wine for 2 persons at £25.It is a very attractive restaurant which is usually quite expensive and has a lively bar downstairs with music.The cathedral quarter is an easy walk from the Hilton .Plenty of bars to drift into including the John Hewitt and Duke of York.Good hotel bars including the Merchant and Malmaison but they can be pricy.The citysightseeing bus tour is a good bet for sunday morning.

Thanks again for all that Yannon.

I've had a look on the Cutters Wharf website and it looks good. I think, rather than book something for Friday night, I'll see how the day pans out and maybe ring them later on Saturday.

Thanks again! I'll report back after the event.

[yannon]

I thought you had Deanes booked for Sat 14th.Can`t see you getting into the Cutters on Valentines night without a booking.

[Arese]

yannon said:

I thought you had Deanes booked for Sat 14th.Can`t see you getting into the Cutters on Valentines night without a booking.

Sorry yeah, meant ring them on Friday afternoon or maybe just turn up? We're flying in on Friday morning see, doing the Giants Causeway thing that afternoon, then heading back down to Belfast. It may be that we just fancy a pizza or something, or if something nicer then try the Cutters.

[Stu247]

Arese said:

yannon said:

I thought you had Deanes booked for Sat 14th.Can`t see you getting into the Cutters on Valentines night without a booking.

Sorry yeah, meant ring them on Friday afternoon or maybe just turn up? We're flying in on Friday morning see, doing the Giants Causeway thing that afternoon, then heading back down to Belfast. It may be that we just fancy a pizza or something, or if something nicer then try the Cutters.

Make sure you take the coastal route between Belfast & Giant's Causeway, at least in one direction!

[THE AJP CHIMAERA]

if your looking to go for a drink somewhere www.cafevaudeville.com or the pothouse for clubing www.themerchanthotel.com cloth ear is a good place to start or ten square at the back of city hall www.thenorthernwhig.com

[Arese]

Stu247 said:

Arese said:

yannon said:

I thought you had Deanes booked for Sat 14th.Can`t see you getting into the Cutters on Valentines night without a booking.

Sorry yeah, meant ring them on Friday afternoon or maybe just turn up? We're flying in on Friday morning see, doing the Giants Causeway thing that afternoon, then heading back down to Belfast. It may be that we just fancy a pizza or something, or if something nicer then try the Cutters.

Make sure you take the coastal route between Belfast & Giant's Causeway, at least in one direction!

Something like this?



We land at Aldergrove mid-morning, pick up the car from there, then we're off! Total distance for that trip would be 128 miles. Nicest car I can find at a decent price looks like being a C-Class Merc from Europcar C160 no doubt!

THE AJP CHIMAERA said:

if your looking to go for a drink somewhere www.cafevaudeville.com or the pothouse for clubing www.themerchanthotel.com cloth ear is a good place to start or ten square at the back of city hall www.thenorthernwhig.com

Cheers AJP. I'll print this thread out before we go.

Edited by Arese on Thursday 29th January 10:18

[Stu247]

Arese said:

Stu247 said:

Make sure you take the coastal route between Belfast & Giant's Causeway, at least in one direction!

Something like this?



We land at Aldergrove mid-morning, pick up the car from there, then we're off! Total distance for that trip would be 128 miles. Nicest car I can find at a decent price looks like being a C-Class Merc from Europcar C160 no doubt!

That'll do rightly
You might want to take a slight detour and head to Portstewart via Portrush to take in a bit of the NW200 circuit (look for the painted kerbs and start /finish area after the caravan park just before the town) before back out the coast to Bushmills and then Giants Causeway

[yannon]

Did you make it to NI this weekend and how did it work out?

[Arese]

yannon said:

Did you make it to NI this weekend and how did it work out?

Fantastic!!!

Where to start!?

We arrived on Friday and collected the hire car from Europcar. I had a choice of a poverty-spec C-Class or a fully specced Honda Legend!! Being a big of a Honda fan I went for the Legend, naturally. What a car!! Extremely easy to drive, and quite dull, but the adaptive cruise control and lane-correction thing was brilliant. A bit odd, seeing the steering-wheel move on it's own, but very funky. Great sound system too, Bose, and a decent sat-nav setup. Nice heated leather also, that can also have air-conditioned air pumped through it for the summer months.

We went to Bangor on Friday, had a spot of lunch in The Salty Dog which was very nice. Went back to the hotel after that and had room service as we were both a bit shot from the early start.

Saturday we had a lie-in, breakfast in bed, then cruised up to the Giants Causeway which was beautiful. An added bonus was that we got engaged too. We climbed to the top of what I think is Great Stookan so that we could be alone, and I popped the question! Dinner later on in Deane's was fantastic too. Seven courses, all delicious, the highlight being the Aged loin of Fermanagh beef cooked in hay, buttered green beans, triple-cooked chips, beef-flavoured bearnaise sauce, and bone marrow.

Sunday, another lie-in with a hangover. Then went to Stormont, had a nice walk up to the top and back down again, then had a bit of a drive around Falls, before heading back towards the airport and having a bite to eat in a nice place near there.

Great weekend. Didn't do the coastal road like I wanted too, but we're going back in summer and will hopefully hire a convertible and do it then. I'd like to go to Bushmills distillery too

Thanks for all the tips and advice.

[irish boy]

just noticed this thread....i took the oh up to the causway on saturday then to the smugglers in bushmills for tea....great day out....never fail to be impressed by that torr head piece of road that ends in ballycastle!

glad you enjoyed yourself!

[stevieturbo]

Good to hear you had a good time !!! Often when ya live here, ya take the place for granted.
Nice to hear what tourists think of the place.

[Markh]

stevieturbo said:

Good to hear you had a good time !!! Often when ya live here, ya take the place for granted.
Nice to hear what tourists think of the place.

I agree, had some old friends over from Kent, they loved it

[mylesmcd]

irish boy said:

just noticed this thread....i took the oh up to the causway on saturday then to the smugglers in bushmills for tea....great day out....never fail to be impressed by that torr head piece of road that ends in ballycastle!

glad you enjoyed yourself!

heard they used to hillclimb that road!!