First stop in Belfast was along Hill Street at this fine drinking establishment. Sure, there's food upstairs but after driving from Bushmills and parking the rental car, it was time for a frosty adult beverage. The Dirty Onion was a great little stop. A little dark, a little grungy, a lot friendly. And it got friendlier as a food tour with 20+ tourists all poured in after I'd gotten my beer and found a comfy seat. Yes, I'm also a tourist but it was fun to watch this group of more obvious tourists getting their drinks. Cold beer (I opted not to have a Guinness) in the afternoon. It gets busy and perhaps a bit rowdier (not in a bad way!) in the evenings as I walked past here a few times later during my time in Belfast. A great little bar, I'm glad I stopped in! [Review 1866 of 2024 - 850 in United Kingdom - 22888 overall] read more

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Was in town with some friends on vacation and this place was walking distance from our hotel. Place was packed but we were able to get a seat. Great crowd, live music was good. Talked with some hilarious locals. As Americans we laughed because we realized the live singers seemed to have the same set list. In a great way! They even had a vape machine like we used to have cigarette machines back in the day. Gave us a laugh. Highly recommend if you're looking for some craic read more

Our server was attentive and very kind. The food was great, I'm especially fond of their wings! Definitely going back if I'm lucky enough to be in the city again. read more

This bar is a lot of fun and very lively. We arrived and there was love music playing. It's really quite a good size. It is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. The drinks are reasonably priced and they have heat lamps out side to keep you warm which is a nice touch. The lines for drinks were pretty long. The crowd here was also pretty young compared to other bars we visited this night. It may be just because we aren't used to 18 being the legal drinking age but it definitely felt like a spot for younger people (I'm 28). read more

Great bar with music and wonderful outdoor seating in Belfast. Did not try the food but the bar vibe was great

Amazing and fun place !! Service was excellent. live Music ! The ambience was very relax and you can bring your pet. Locals love to interact with the tourists read more

Love this place. Sometimes chilly but the ambiance and the great live music make up for it. Stop here if you are in Belfast.

I don't remember what I drank. They must have been some kind of ale as I remember holding a pint after a pint. But what I vividly remember was awesome time I had. I came here as a tourist but luckily I had a several friends who are local to Belfast. And they took me here. Most of the space is not covered by the roof. We were bit worried whether the weather would cooperate. But fortunately it did. I don't think this is particular to Dirty Onion, people are wicked friendly. A group of strangers roped me in to dance with them along song after song performed by the acoustic guitar duo. I think this is still a good place to come alone. It's almost impossible to feel lonely here. read more

The sophomore selection of bars on our bar hopping daze wound being quite the party. Make this your very first taste of Irish music sessions. Not the absolute best or authentic, but a total pre-game for the amount of booze and tunes you will be consuming on you trip. read more

I came here with my tourist group and everyone was able to get food from Yardbird and eat it in the bar area, but me. The server with the blue sweater on June 12th denied me service and said if I wanted to take the food to go, I could leave. The bartender in the dirty onion bar said I could eat food in the area so it seemed like the yardbird service was mistreating me. She did serve others too. read more

This bar is in the popular Cathedral Quarter so it is always buzzing. A great looking beer garden out front (with outdoor heaters) and additional large bar. The doors leading to inside seem to be a black hole into Mordor! It is truly horrible. I have been more times than id have liked as its a popular place amongst larger groups of friends. I have just never taken to it. It has zero charm or atmosphere, even the traditional music and fireplaces dont help. It has lines of long table like school dinners and getting served is a nightmare. I think the security should have a lower volume of people cut off point. The chicken restaurant upstairs is very basic but tastes ok. The avocado starter was iceberg lettuce, two cherry tomatoes and a quarter avocado. Not good. They have a good selection of alternative beers. read more

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Big bar on the ground floor good resturant on the second floor. We arrived just before five and were disappointed that after we'd gone over the menu it was after five and we couldnt order the burritos anymore. I got half a chicken which was reasonably priced with chips and it was solid with some good sauces on the table for flavour. I enjoyed it and i'd definitely go back. read more

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A great bar for outdoor drinking - I have even sat inside a few times and they have an open fire which is ideal for the cold winter nights - however the outside has expanded and they even have a cover which means it's still useable when it's raining. Recently they have started to have live bands outside which adds to the atmosphere of the place. You also don't need to walk inside for a drink as they have a fully stocked outdoor bar, and also toilets for convenience. Definitely one for the pub crawl list. read more

The Dirty Onion - Live music - Pubs Near Me - Belfast, BFS

If you're looking for variety then The Dirty Onion is the place for you - it has a large sprawling beer garden, fully equipped with a bar and a canopy to shield patrons from the Belfast elements. Heaters are dotted around the beer garden but you'll hardly need them on a Saturday evening as there's enough body heat coming form the jam packed beer garden to thaw even the coldest heart. The beer garden has a unique rustic charm with the exposed brick work and beams denoting the sites past as a spirits warehouse in the mid 1700's. The beer garden bar was extremely busy but this is nothing out of the ordinary for a Belfast bar on a Saturday night, drinks prices were also nothing out of the ordinary. They have a huge selection of drinks in the inside bar also and the bar staff seemed knowledgeable and friendly. The interior (downstairs) is cosy and understated with a real sense of atmosphere which is only heightened by the traditional band huddled in the corner. There's a real joyous spirit in The Dirty Onion, a sense that the good folk of Belfast's' personalities have been stoked up like the open fire and their infectious warmth is now billowing throughout the premises. Want something different this weekend? Go to The Dirty Onion, you won't be disappointed. read more

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I love this building. The building itself is brilliant, with it's hipster grey paint and battered bricks and beams, and the beer garden also brilliant. I should therefore love the Dirty Onion, but I don't. Perhaps because it is part of the Beanchor mafia encompassing a load of venues along this street, like The Merchant, The National, that poncy club young people go to whose name I forget, Bar 66, it feels like there is a monopoly to make sure you pay loads for a drink. Or that while all the bars have a slightly different character, the staff and feel of the places are all interchangeable. I know I sound like I am moaning for nothing, but hob nobbing with tv weather presenters and guys in cashmere jumpers while paying through the nose just isn't my bag. I'll be in The Duke or The Spaniard instead. I'll finish on a high point, it has a nice fireplace. High praise indeed. read more

The Dirty Onion - Pubs Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Tasty, crisp and brilliant Sweet potato fries, crisper than crisp. Simple and extremely tasteful avocado salad. Tender and juicy chicken. And really good prices. My friend loved the vegetarian wrap, and coleslaw. Casual and rustique atmosphere, for a quick bite with friends. Go there. You won't regret! read more

Super fun Irish pub with a great vibe and full music schedule. We went in to hear the Saturday at 2pm Trad music and were happy that we found a place near the fire. The atmosphere inside is very traditional Irish with the smell of coal burning in the fire, dimly lit nooks and crannies to cozy up in and the sounds of the uilleann pipes and concertina accordion playing. We enjoyed a couple of beers and then checked out the "Yardbird" chicken restaurant upstairs. Super fun place that you should check out when you're in Belfast. read more

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Strolled into Belfast for three days without a real agenda and ended up heading here after a local recommended it. Walked in and loved the setup of this place with the old building frame and exposed steel beams. We then discovered the nice open air beer garden with community tables and then cruised to the inside bar as well. Preferred the outside, even on a chilly November night due to the crowd vibe and live music. The bar had several beer options, both big names and your micro/local brews. While exploring we stumbled on the upstairs restaurant Yardbird by accident, and by looking at what they were serving we decided to come back a few nights later to have dinner there. The bird was great, service was friendly and the place wasn't overcrowded so no wait time for a table on a Sunday night. After a nice dinner we headed back downstairs to the Onion for a few drinks before heading on. In all, a great one-two combo with the Yardbird and the Dirty Onion make this a place to add to your list if you are in town and looking for a place to start the night. Found out later that it's labeled as "oldest building in Belfast 1680" and that it also used to be a whiskey barrel storage warehouse, hence the figure carrying the Jameson barrel in the beer garden. read more

This is one of my favourite socialising establishments in Belfast. The large outside bar is a great place to enjoy a summer's evening pint and if you happen to be a smoker you can enjoy a fag with a nice cold pint. The decor is fairly industrialised with the old exposed beams and columns remaining from when the building was once a whiskey store during the early part of the last century, I personally feel this adds character to the venue. If you don't like the outdoors then there is a decent size bar indoors with plenty of seating and even an old open fire to keep you cosy on winter nights. Each time I have been socialising here I have noticed that the bar staff are quick to serve which is always good! Enjoy your Dirty Onion experience...always drink sensibly read more

A Cathedral Quarter gem, the problem is, everyone knows it. It's packed Friday and Saturday, you'll need to get in early doors, if you want a seat. Don't get me wrong once you get in and find a seat, the warm homely rustic welcome is lovely, a roaring fire, not only feels great, but it smells great, I particularly like it at Christmas, when the lights are up! Really good selection of beers and sprits here, but as with most bars in the area, they aren't that cheap. They have a really good beer garden partly covered, stocked with heaters and an outdoor bar, so if you don't mind wrapping up and staying outside for the night you'll have a good time. They also have a restaurant upstairs, I have never tried it, it seems to be limited to chicken and baked potatoes, perfect if that's what you're looking! read more

Stopped in for a whiskey and to smoke a Cuban cigar. Another great experience while visiting Belfast. The bartender was courteous and informative. The patrons were friendly. Great atmosphere! Would go back there again! read more

On our way through Belfast, I spotted the Dirty Onion on the map and laughed out loud. What a silly name! I never imagined we would eat there at all, let alone enjoy our best meal from Northern Ireland. But as strangers in a strange land, we should have been prepared for that kind of irony. We took a wrong turn and ended up downtown, realized it was early, and decided to stay for some sightseeing before heading to the apartment we had rented east of town. After wandering in and out of churches and intermittent showers, we found ourselves in a bustling, stylish corner of the city. And we were starving. And, hello, rotisserie chicken?! We were in as soon as we saw the menu. It took a little time and ingenuity to find the restaurant, but we first went through the spacious outdoor bar (exposed beams and brushed aluminum fixtures -- very cool) and then up a narrow staircase and found ourselves in a cozy space reminiscent of a diner in the Deep American South: more wood beams, rough wooden tables and jazz-inspired decor. They were serving a special of a whole chicken, two sides and a half-carafe of wine for £20, so we ordered chips and the avocado salad, and before long everything had arrived. The food was fantastic. We were betting that if a place only serves one entree, it's going to be a great one, and sure enough the chicken was falling off the bone, moist and flavorful and even a bit spicy. There were two sauces on the table: I preferred the smoky barbeque to the sweeter chili, but both were nice. The salad was huge and fresh: chopped lettuce, avocado slices and a dressing that was, weirdly, tomato-based -- almost like salsa. It needed lots of salt and pepper, but after that we really liked it. The fries were fabulous, as they are all over Ireland -- again, needed salt, but I think that's pretty standard. Our ice-cold Rose was a perfect compliment to the food. The service was fine, not amazing, but I think that's just the nature of things in the UK. It's no Paris, for sure, but then again, Paris doesn't have the Giant's Causeway. :) read more

Situated in Cathedral quarter this bar is a good addition to the Belfast nightlife. A large bar downstairs with a good sized beer garden and a restaurant upstairs. Whilst I haven't eaten here before I've heard good reports about the food. The place is packed at weekends so expect to wait a while to get served and you will probably have to stand as tables get taken pretty quickly. read more

Excellent restaurant/pub in Belfast. Very unique! Very small menu. Good atmosphere. Great for lunch ($5 euro half chicken + side), dinner, drinks. The chicken is amazing. Staff is great. The street that The Dirty Onion is on is the best street is Belfast. Very cool atmosphere and patio. It must get pretty busy at night. read more

Stopped by here yesterday for a coffee before meeting friends for dinner. Love this place, it's best feature is its outdoor area with its interior a close second. The place is very well decked out (it was once a warehouse) and this is preserved in the beer garden. There's also a fab restaurant which specialises in rotisserie chicken. My coffee was fab....will come back for my bird!! read more

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This is for the yardbird upstairs I love the decor. ... so grunge and different. Friendly staff though took ages to get our bill. Gorgeous chicken. Half is so filling. Fries and coleslaw are lovely but overpriced. Chairs aren't too comfortable for bigger behinds. I'd go again though read more

Walking into the Dirty Onion you get that rustic oak wood smell that is still fresh from the breath taking framework. I have been to this bar both on a week night and the weekend, and my preference is definitely during the week for a catch up with friends. It is one of the very few bars in Belfast with a real fire to enjoy a glass of red to. It occasionally has an Irish Traditional band that gives it that extra atmosphere that tourists love. At the weekend it can be bottleneck at entrance and moving through the inside because of the location of the bar. However it is ideal for drinking during the summer with the outside bar and spacious beer garden. My favourite feature of this bar is the history behind the new establishment. It was once the holding house for Jameson I believe, the owners and Jameson have worked closely to offer something different to Belfast Market. read more

The Dirty Onion is an inviting rustic wooden enclosure. They have numerous large tables to sit, drink, and chat with friends. The dark ambiance was lightened up by festive St. Patrick's Day decorations when we were there a couple days before the holiday. There was also a live performance by harp players! read more

Very cool atmosphere and affordable late night snack! Of course we did find too many spots in Ireland that we would not consider awesome, maybe it is the people that make it an awesome place! read more

If a majassive beer garden is what you're looking for then look no further! Very cool place. Can get very busy though. But who would want to sit in an empty pub anyway? read more

A really nice atmosphere. The outside area is amazing, loads of heaters and loads of ledges to rest yiur pint. Was busy last night although that shouldn't detract from an amazing bar! read more

The rating may be a tad harsh as my biggest issue with this gaff was the weather (and subsequent lack of walls!)... Given the February climate in Belfast a massive beer garden may not be the smartest hangout, although it's clearly a popular joint as it didn't seem to be putting many punters off. An interestingly named bar of which I'm still trying to figure the relevance, if indeed there is any... Maybe I'll head back in summer and try again. read more

The Dirty Onion is a hugely popular bar at the moment. It is a nice, quirky spot. I've never eaten in it but have been in a few times for drinks. I think of it as good not great. Lacks a bit of authenticity somehow - I'd much rather be in The Black Box, Duke of York or The Merchant... read more

go here. get the boilermaker (a classy presentation of a shot of whiskey + a beer) and sit by the fireplace. you will not be disappointed.

Not really my kind of place! Looks unfinished! Staff are friendly but I feel I wait far too long on a drink when it's busy! The price of alcohol doesn't match the experience I had when there. Music is good so no complaints in that department but overall it just wasn't for me read more