After 2 nights and 2 days in the Isle Of Man, our gang headed out early for our morning flights out.
A twice-a-week ferry does run between Isle Of Man and Belfast, but it runs at midnight and 2:30am in the morning and costs almost as much as a flight.
Given we didn’t want to waste a day, we elected instead to hop on the 45 minute 1:00pm Flybe flight to Manchester, catching the 1 hour 3:30pm flight for Belfast.
Once we reached BHD airport, we took a 10 minute Uber and checked into our lodgings in the city center.
We then hit the ground running, beginning with a quick lunch at Established Coffee and a visit to Saint Anne’s Cathedral. It costs 7£ (4£ for students) to enter!
We then walked over past the Customs House…
…and headed to the waterfront where they began construction of the Titanic at Lagan Boat Co overlooked by the Lagan Lookout Bridge:
We then decided to change plans and walk 20 minutes across the lookout bridge to check out the giant gantry where the Titanic was actually constructed:
Facing the gantry is the massive Titanic Belfast Museum, costing 19.50£ to enter.
An immersive museum experience for any fan of the story of the Titanic, we stayed at the museum for about an hour and a half. It begins with what life was like in Belfast, then an immersive look into the construction of the Titanic, and the aftermath of its eventual sinking.
There’s an optional, slow-moving 6 minute “theme park” ride inside that may or may not be worth the 30 minute wait:
We then took a cab back towards the city center to resume our walking tour at the Albert Memorial Clock:
From there we walked south to the pedestrian malls along Corn Market:
Belfast City Hall, the center of the city, is only a few blocks south:
Don’t miss the array of stained glass pieces dedicated to Game Of Thrones:
Just across the street southwest is the Grand Opera House:
And if you’re into bars, The Crown Saloon is famed for its decor dating as far back as the 1820s:
We then walked east back towards the River Lagan, passing by where St George’s Market is:
Sadly, it’s only open from Fridays to Sundays:
At the end of the street we stopped at the ICC Belfast / Waterfront Hall:
…and turned to pass by Victoria Square to our left:
After a walking tour that lasted not even an hour, we then finished off with 6pm reservations at Ox Belfast.
One of 2 Michelin-Star restaurants in Belfast (the other being Eipic), Ox surprised me at how fine dining can have both an elegant and casual vibe without sacrificing quality. Highly recommended.
This was our 6-course dinner (60£) —
Lough Neagh smoked eel, cucumber, saffrom Gougére, Coolattin cheddar, beer
Pea, lobster, créme fraiche, verbena
White asparagus, lardo, fig leaf, truffle
Scallop, coral butter, lemongrass, courgette
Mourne mountain lamb, spelt, wild garlic, pine nuts
Beetroot, rhubarb, red basil, peppercorn
70% chocolate, pecan, ginger, banana sorbet
Salted caramel, cherry, chocolate, passion fruit
After 3 and a half hours dining and conversing over various deep topics, we then took a leisurely evening stroll back to our apartments.
372 total views
- At time of posting in Belfast, Northern Ireland, it was 14 °C - Humidity: 94% | Wind Speed: 15km/hr | Cloud Cover: rainy and wet