Dining

Best for a spot of lunch:

Made In Belfast Cathedral Quarter
If you picture Made in Belfast decor think Vivienne Westwood meets Aladdin’s cave of wonders – with menus that are full of Irish and European favourites with a modern twist. The quirky little touches make it a unique dining experience – food is served in vintage jars or on mismatched plates. And what food! Free-range Irish beef with red wine and black pepper butter is just one of the options on a winter menu of epic proportions, and even-more-epic portions.

Where: 23 Talbot Street, Cathedral Quarter, Belfast BT1 2LD. Tel: +44 (0)28 9024 4107

Website: http://madeinbelfastni.com/cathedral-quarter-gallery/%20

Best for local grub:

Sawers Deli

Sawers Deli has been providing Belfastians with bread, cheese and sausage since 1897 and it shows no signs of stopping. Home to the traditional ‘Belfast Bap’ – a crusty roll slathered with local butter and stuffed with dry-cured bacon – and other local favourites like shellfish, and even edible seaweed, Sawers is a family-run business that aims to please. For a taste of real Belfast life, you can grab a table outside for lunch, make a picnic from the fresh breads and local produce on display, or take home a hamper of the store’s homemade chutneys, preserves and pickles.
Where: Fountain Centre, Belfast BT1 6ES. Tel: +44 (0)2890 322021.

Website: www.sawersbelfast.com

Vintage

Best vintage shop:

Oxfam Castle street

If you love to shop, Belfast will not disappoint. There’s a great mix of high street and independent boutiques to tempt even the savviest shoppers, and one of the hidden gems in the city centre is the Oxfam shop in Castle Street. As any good vintage shopper knows, it’s sometimes a hit-or-miss affair as to what you might find and a good rummage is always necessary, but it’s well worth a visit if you’re out and about – you never know what bargain you might come away with!
Where: Oxfam, 8 Castle Street, Belfast, +44 (0)28 9031 5760.
Website: http://www.oxfamireland.org/ 

Day trip

Best traditional treats:

Aunt Sandra’s Candy Factory

Kids will love a visit to this Wonka-esque fudge palace, where they can watch chocolates being made by hand to traditional recipes. The hour-long tour, guided by Aunt Sandra’s own nephew, demonstrates the making of sweets and chocolates using the store’s original 1950s methods and machines. There are no everlasting gobstoppers, but homemade treats like Leprechaun’s Gold Honeycomb, Chocolate Raspberry Macaroon and Wild Cherry Drops mean it’s impossible to leave empty-handed.

Where: Aunt Sandra’s, 60 Castlereagh Road, Belfast BT5 5FP. Tel: +44 (0) 28 9073 2868

Website: www.auntsandras.com

Best excursion:

Mountains of Mourne

Take the time to get out of town for a day and head to the misty Mountains of Mourne, which are as sombre and brooding as their name would suggest. The inspiration for C S Lewis’s Narnia, these peaks have seen a fair amount of literary pilgrims, especially since the release of the latest Disney films, but are equally popular with outdoorsy types who are keen to enjoy first-class walking, cycling or kayaking. An hour south of Belfast town centre, in the midst of the mountains, you can even try your hand (or, rather, legs) at Ireland’s only mountain boarding centre, Surfin’ Dirt, part of the Gravity Action Sports Park.

Where: Gravity Action Sports Park, Tullyree Road, BT34 5LD. Tel: 07739210119

Website: www.gaspactionsports.com

Best for history:

Titanic tours

Where other cities have skyscrapers as monuments to industry, Belfast has the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding cranes. These 350ft-high monsters, nicknamed Samson and Goliath, which dominate the city’s skyline, are an icon of the great shipyard that was responsible for building thousands of ships, none more famous than the doomed 'Titanic'. With 2011 marking the centenary of the launch of the  ‘unsinkable’ ship, and 2012 that of its chilly and tragic end, the city is hosting a year of events to commemorate Belfast’s shipbuilding past. It’s also in the throes of a £15 billion rejuvenation of the former ship yard into the swish ‘Titanic Quarter’, which will include hotels, bars, restaurants and museums. Before the new development gets overrun with tourists, it’s the perfect time to find out all about the building and birth of the world’s most famous liner. Take a walking tour through the quarter (everyday at 11am), led by a self-confessed ‘Titanorak’, and get a better look at the massive tools that shaped Belfast’s past.
Where: Meet outside Titanic Quarter Premier Inn, 2A Queens Road, Belfast BT3 9DT. Tel: +44 (0)75 4648 9875.

Website: www.titanicwalk.com

Culture

Best architecture/area for a night out:

The Cathedral Quarter

Some of the oldest streets and buildings in Belfast are found in the Cathedral Quarter, one of the best areas in Belfast to explore on foot. It’s full of history and was one of the main areas of trade for the shipbuilding and linen industries in old Belfast. St Anne’s Cathedral is at the heart of the Quarter and gives the area its name. Cobbled streets and old shop fronts sit side-by-side with great bars and trendy warehouse-style restaurants, reflecting how much the city has changed over the years, but still retaining its historical charm. Tip: When you’re finished exploring the Cathedral Quarter, check out the Spaniard bar on Skipper Street for an early evening meal and a drink in a seriously cool and quirky bar!
Where: The Cathedral Quarter, roughly located between Royal Avenue and the Dunbar Link in the city centre, Belfast; The Spaniard, 3 Skipper Street, Belfast, Tel: +44 (0)28 9023 2448.
Website: Cathedral Quarter: http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/; The Spaniard: http://www.thespaniardbar.com/ 

Best for... Best:

George Best Tour

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.” So said Northern Ireland’s most famous footballer, George Best, whose influence can still be seen everywhere in the city, from the name of the airport to ‘Belfast Boy’ souvenir T-shirts emblazoned with his cheeky face. For die-hard Manchester United fans, or just admirers of Best’s unique philosophy, there’s the George Best tour, run by local cabbie Ken Harper (who also does political and CS Lewis tours). This taxi tour takes in Best’s childhood home, school, football practice fields, and – of course – several pubs, where you can spend your money as wisely as the man himself.
Where: Contact Harper Taxi Tours by phone +44 (0)7711 757178 to book and arrange pick up from your hotel
Website: www.harpertaxitours.com

Best for the 'craic':

Empire Bar and Music Hall

It’s telling that the Irish have their own word for ‘having a good time’, and when you’ve seen them party you won’t wonder why. Apparently there are more pubs and restaurants per head of population in Belfast than in the whole of Finland, and the city’s visitors certainly have their pick of nightlife. One drinking den of note is the Empire Bar and Music Hall, where a bar, live music venue (upstairs) and regular Tuesday night comedy club combine to make one über venue. Elsewhere in the cultural Queen’s Quarter – named after the imposing university – are other cultural venues, including the Lyric Players' Theatre, Crescent Arts Centre and the university’s union, Mandela Hall.
Where: Empire Bar and Music Hall, 40 Botanic Ave, Belfast BT7 1JQ. Tel: +44 (0)28 9032 8110
Website: http://www.thebelfastempire.com/