Slide is a newly opened gay friendly bar/club bang in the centre of Belfast. It is situated on the…read moretop floor of an old Victorian building and in order to get up there you enter by a little door next to the pizza parlour and you have to climb a lot of steep narrow stairs - I'm not grumbling but it was kind of hard in heels. The bar itself is situated on two levels. In the lower bar there is a massive bed which patrons can feel free to lounge on while they drink - the first night I saw it there were about 8 people on it - cosy! The music was so good - from Florence and the Machine to Stevie Wonder, our group danced the night away without being squashed as the dance floor was only comfortably crowded and the bar was easy to get too, which for me makes the night. I do remember dancing on top of a speaker and theoretically playing a full sized piano placed near the dance floor - thankfully it doesn't make any sound. As far as I'm concerned there were only two drawbacks to slide: the smoking area is tiny and not sheltered and the toilets are one floor down - narrow, steep stairs and booze isn't a great combination. All in all a fun-filled night - I'll be sliding again soon.

In my quest to seek out new venues i've come across a nice new gay/lesbian bar which seems to be…read moretucked away out of site, the bar? Well its called 'Slide' and is based on Ann's Street, Belfast. Its a persian styled venue with table service on one floor and on another a small but comfortably sized dance floor, considering this is like a well kept secret size here really isnt important. The staff were extremly friendly and welcoming which is a plus point considering some of the other LGB venues in belfast tend to employ staff who dont exactly know how to smile. For those who cant find it, its above Little Wings Pizzeria, on Anns Street Belfast.

Great atmosphere on a Friday night very welcoming will be back next week good crowd too and nice to…read morebe able to vape inside too

Un-ions make your eyes water…read more... Union Street Bar is a gay institution in Ireland. Its where all the fun and excitement takes place. Firstly there is something on every single night from around 9pm. If you are on Gaycation or from the city, you will always find something to keep you amused. The bar has recently had a face lift, long over due if you ask me. The atmosphere in here is unrivaled. Union Street has some of the biggest names on the drag circuit in Ireland (Tina Leggs Tantrum, Trudy Scrumptious & Glitzy Glamour). Each queen has a night or two of their own and you are guaranteed a laugh. The most entertaining days are Saturday afternoons and Sunday nights. Saturday afternoons in Union Street is Tina's T-Oke & has become Hen Party central. Good luck getting a seat or a table to eat food as the restaurant is usually booked out weeks in advance. Don't let the Hen party comment put you off. Tina Leggs Tantrum hosts and keeps them in check and still tailors her show for the gay collective. Sunday nights are the biggest gay-fest with the Famous Sunday Bingo Show. Join Tina Leggs Tantrum and guests on stage to enjoy cabaret & bingo. For any first time people attending its important to be open minded, the content is meant to be funny and close to the bone. Expect to struggle to get a seat as the die hard fans will queue religiously from 7:45pm on wards at the entrance to the Shoe Factory (entrance through Union Street Bar) just to get a seat. This can make Union Street extremely busy. Drink promo every night from 7pm to 9pm £2 a drink on selected products.

Xenophobic bar. During the last pride party, Saturday 26th…read moreJuly, I was expelled of the bar with no justification. The security guard communicated me the reason was "inappropriate behaviour" inside the bar, which is quite unlikely, as I never went inside the bar, and I spent my whole time in the outside. The supposed video of the CCTV cameras that showed this presumed inappropriate behaviour was not shown to me. It was not specified what kind of behavior I had, quarrels, fights, harassment, nothing was specified. Of course, no chance was given to me to prove my correct behaviour, asking the people I was meeting in the place, for example. When I asked for a complain form, it was denied. The person who said to be the manager, identified himself as "Andrew", finally showed up. But he said that he was too busy so he will not give me any complain form. In my opinion, the only inappropriate behaviour, it was to be a foreigner. Paradoxical, that a xenophobic bar celebrates a party of tolerance.

So, I was in Belfast for a night and spent most of it drinking and dancing here!…read more Maverick is a gay bar in the "Queer Quarter", but is very welcoming to all ;-) The bar itself has pretty cool decor, if not a bit mishmashed and bizarre (which is good). I was there on a Saturday at about 6pm, there was very nice live music and a good atmosphere. After checking out a few other bars, my mate and myself returned to Maverick later that night. The bar had filled up and the dance floor was open, so it was time to party. The dance floor is in a room in the back of the bar that has real....... charm. The room is quite small yet they managed to fit a fairy-light covered car, obviously the DJ is in the car, and two tables with candelabras on them. The candelabras were burning candles (fire hazard) so there was an added feeling of danger. The music was great, lots of dancing, and there was a good crowd. I would definitely head back here if in Belfast again.

A shocking way to run a business. Not allowing people who spent money to get a taxi from a…read morerestaurant to visit their bar and be told that as we're not regulars, we can't go in. Looks like this happens to a lot of people - why do this? Why not name yourself as a private members bar? It's discrimination on a wide spread scale, a waste of our time and money and downright rude. You'd have had an extra £200 in your till last night - shame isn't it?

Boombox is Belfast's latest addition to the gay scene…read more Located above the Maverick bar this night club certainly entertains. The club itself is oddly shaped and smaller than most nightclubs in the city. The club is open on certain nights but plays host to biggest midweek scream "Bitch Please". Hosted by the comedic duo Rusty Hinges & Roxy Tumbledryer this club night provides drink promos £2 a drink and normally a guest appearance by some of the biggest names from Rupaul's Drag Race. As you may or may not know Rupaul's Drag Race contestants are a pretty big deal and they tease every gay in the land out from their hiding hole. This means the smaller than most club fills up pretty quick so be prepared for lots of spliced drinks / people pushing / standing on you. If you can cope with this then you should feel at home. Weekends are a different affair most of the time. There is a good crowd but you can still sashay your way up and down the dance floor. Sadly Boombox lose out on my 5th Star due to poor crowd management. We stood for 5 hours in the club (after being told get down early) to see a guest appearance. After queueing to get or photo taken in the actual queue. The door steward told us that as we where indeed not VIP we would have to go to the back of the line. His attitude was pretty poor too - although the door staff here are always friendly, this guy must of been on his "moons". I get the club was busy, but perhaps knowing it would be busy, the club could have better planned for their meet & greet.

Belfast's nightlife has a lot of variety to offer, and for a city that's still up and coming as a…read moredestination for nights out clubs like Rain have a captive audience. When I visited Rain I expected a slightly meat-market style student night out, but was pleasantly surprised when I stepped through the busy front doors. The punters were largely student-aged, though I didn't feel I stood out as there were plenty of people accompanying me in the mid-twenties and older age bracket, providing a welcome relaxation to the atmosphere. It felt as though this was a city venue, not a necessarily a student-aimed do. The club is quite luxuriously decked out, so there's a bit of an upmarket air that departs from the grottier feeling of some of the city's other venues. Rain is sizeable with a large main dancefloor as well as upstairs lounges for those looking to drink and chat instead of sweating it out to the music. The outdoor beer garden is surprisingly huge, with a band performing on the night I visited, providing an equally Saturday night atmosphere while you're cooling down or simply resting your ears from the impressive volume levels indoors. The music is the usual mainstream fodder, with chart stuff, pop and a bit of hip hop thrown in for good measure. I wasn't expecting anything less or more, so was quite impressed with the selection of music on offer. In a larger city this club could fail, but since it's a cut above many of the student bars in Belfast it's worth a visit. Just don't forget to change out of your trainers first.

I hated rain. I'd rather stand in a club where it was actually raining. It'd be more fun than Rain…read more It has preposterous music, gaudy looking girls who wouldn't go amiss on Snog Marry Avoid and boys who don't have any body hair and favour David Beckham style diamond earrings. I was here after a gig with mates, it was a Sunday and all the good places were closed. I knew I would hate it. I'm sorry to be so harsh but places like this make me cringe. I remember standing on the dance floor with a gin and tonic in hand and watching as a group of kids who looked like they were jumped up on sugar, or err booze and hormones bumped and grinded to 300 beats per minute pop tunes mixed in with dance music. Eek! I tried to dance, but just couldn't. It also didn't help that I had just come from a gig and was wearing a wooly jumper! My friends and I made our way down to the smoking area to find our friend Fiona. She was puffing away on a ciggie looking like she would kill the next page 3 wannabe who bumped into her. "I feel like a geriatric in a f**king zoo!" she exclaimed. And with that we left. Never again!

I have been going to el divino for a few years now and I have never had a bad night in the place…read more My favourite night to go to is 212 on a Friday night as it is mostly R&B and hip hop music they play and that's the music I listen to but there is also kneedeep on a Thursday and Tabu on a Saturday which are also great nights It is a great place for a group of people to go to as you can book tables out on any of the 3 floors and the drink promotions are very good. The only fault I would have with el divino is the bouncers can be annoying sometimes and try not let you in for the silliest of reasons such as dress code and if you're with a big group.

So last night I went with a group of friends to El'D as it's currently known, and fair play to the…read moreorganisers cause the place looked outstanding, the music was pure class and the floor staff were friendly, but whoever does the interviews for the bar staff would need to take a class in customer service, cause what i witnessed was stand clear, lack of enthusiasm, poor attitude, no smile, slapped the change on the counter.. Usually I wouldn't mind but the queue was four lines back and the bar staff simply made us feel like we were taking the money for the drinks out of their own pockets. It's not to often I'd complain but last night was stand clear bad service, go to this club for the music but don't expect anything more.

I shouldn't really do a review based on a drunken night! But I think I had a good night..we had…read moredrinks in the bar at the top of a very steep staircase & then we ended up in a club like place with a dj booth..dance floor & big cave like bed areas. I don't think I'm explaining this right at all. Off the side of the dance floor they have leather bed like seats..anyway this was great for when the dancing feet got sore. Drinks wise I think all I tried was the tequila shots...gooood & then they do Estrella bottles which are v gooood in my eyes!! I must try this spot again soon..don't even know if it's still on the Belfast hot list as this was back in May this year..hope it is though.. I'd like an Estrella, a dance & a wee lay back on them beds!

Firstly I would have loved to run off with the painting on the stairway. That was the first think…read moreI noticed the painting and furniture were totally my taste. Love that it is situated over three floors. Although not so sure how good that would be if you were drunk. It can get very busy quickly. If personal space is a issue, then this isn't the place for you. I had to grab into my chair for fear of being absorbed into the dancing mass. The music was great, the bars on each floor are tiny. Had a good night. But too truly finish the review I would need to go back when I'm drinking. Purely for a health and safety, stairs to drink risk you understand.

Yello is a nightclub which occupies a high place in Belfast's Gay scene. Its an after hours club…read moreand doesn't open its doors until 11.30 at night and is bar far my favourite place to go for a real chance to dance the night away! I'd advise getting there early though if you're not a fan of queueing as its certainly popular! Its also in no way an exclusively Gay club and you will often find a great diversity of people here. And its a great place to be if you love dancing as you can really dance the bight away till 6am! They always have live DJ's and sometimes even live bands. The dance floors are slightly elevated and there's plenty of seats! I would say if you're an exclusive beer drinker you wont be getting any here as it serves spirits exclusively! But this place really has an amazing atmosphere and great music!

I went to Yello after a drunken Thursday night at the Belsonic festival. I had never been before…read morebut after the frivolity of the festival my friends and I decided to go to Yello because it was the only place that was open after 2am. I don't know if this is a compliment for a gay club but I didn't even realise it was one until one of my friends told me. From what I remember there was no entrance fee on a Thursday night but the place wasn't jam packed like I thought it would be, the crowd were friendly, but not over friendly if you know what I mean and getting to the bar was an absolute gift. Drinks prices were pretty standard for Belfast but not extortionate, you know the usual £3 a pint. I had a really good night in Yello and I will hopefully go back in the future.

I visited 21 Social last night for a quick meal with a couple of friends before going to my…read moreThursday evening Wine Appreciation Class. Sadly it was one of the most disappointing meals I've had in a long time. There are only a couple of Vegetarian options on the Dinner Menu, a 'Homemade Herb Gnocchi' and a 'Ricotta & Beetroot Tart'. Well, I assumed they were Vegetarian judging by their description, however this wasn't clearly stated on the online menu I looked at before visiting. I ordered the Gnocchi as I liked the description of 'Homemade Herb Gnocchi' with 'wild mushrooms, shaved radish, parmesan, rocket pesto' - it sounded good. Ten minutes after we ordered our food the waitress returned to our table to let me know the kitchen had run out of Gnocchi! She suggested a pasta dish (linguine) in either a tomato based sauce or the mushroom, radish, herb and parmesan dressing the gnocchi would have been in. I opted for the later. It looked good when it arrived and was set down in front of me. Unfortunately it didn't taste so good. It was bland. I would go as far as to say that it was one of the most disappointing, tasteless pasta dishes I have ever had in my entire life. I ate half and left half. In hindsight I should have complained and sent it back to the kitchen - I wish now I had done so. The restaurant itself had zero atmosphere and we were the only diners there. In fairness it was early (6pm), however other restaurants I passed on the way to 21 Social had more people inside and looked livelier. Our female waitress was nice so I can't fault the staff or service and this is the only reason they are getting one star from me. I will not be returning to 21 Social. I was dissatisfied by the extremely limited Vegetarian options (I'm not even sure the meal I had was Vegetarian as Parmesan isn't always Vegetarian), dishes not available as they had run out of ingredients and flavourless, tasteless food. My two friends liked their meals but my personal experience of 21 Social was a big let-down.

Good club upstairs! It seems to have well dressed people lol! So dress well to ensure you get in,…read moreand arrive early, queues tend to build up quite quickly lol! Anytime I've been I've had a good night...their pints of coors are particularly delish...then again everything is after a few It does be kind of packed, so if you don't mind dancing round your handbag old skool style, then go and have a laugh! Updating review as went to a hen party here on sat night Bit of a mixup with our booking, we had booked two vip booths, and had paid £100 deposit, and had £100 left to pay on the night, only to be told we'd have to pay an additional £5 per head? Good thing is we had a copy of our confirmation to prove otherwise...not that they were cheeky of anything, far from it, and it got sorted right away Had a brill night, the barmaid was kind enough to find me some safety pins for my outfit too when another hen broke the back on it lol! The 4 stars still stand, great wee night and well looked after

Best Nightclub in Belfast Tuesdays with the greatest EDM music in town and if you like mosh pits…read morethis is the place

Zane Lowe was playing a DJ set at Thompsons. While trying to get tickets, I asked a passer by…read morewhere Thompsons was and he replied "It's down there, but don't bother it's sh...engus anyway." And it seems that lots of other people think this too. Maybe it was Zane Lowe and his set; I don't know if it maybe brought in a slightly different crowd, but I had a great night. The drinks were pretty cheap and there is a great little rooftop smoking area. I danced like a retarded monkey 'til the wee hours and left feeling drunk but happy. Getting a taxi home was quick and easy, since Thompson's is next to City Hall and the centre of things. I didn't see any trouble, but I don't think I'd go out my way to go to Thompson's on a regular night. It was cramped and a little pongy, but I was all over Zane Lowe (his music people, just his music) like a big dirty rash, so much that I didn't care.