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    The Spaniard

    3.9 (49 reviews)
    ModeratePubs, Cocktail Bars
    Open 12:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)

    The Spaniard Photos

    THE SPANIARD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Classy

    Recommended Reviews - The Spaniard

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    Chilled out tunes
    Ru T.

    THE best pub in Belfast... Small and intimate surroundings, ALWAYS a great music playlist and Guinness, brilliant food, wonderfully eclectic décor, great selection of wines, beers and spirits and truly great bar staff and located in Belfast's lovely Cathedral Quarter... Why wouldn't you go and try it out...? Just go and have a pint, you'll see what I mean!

    The Spaniard, calm before the dark and stormy.
    Jules S.

    I accidentally went for a few school night drinks last night and accidentally ended up in The Spaniard. OK, the venue wasn't an accident, I love The Spaniard. It's small and cosy and always has a great atmosphere whether it's a quiet Monday afternoon or a heaving Saturday night. It has been a stand out feature of the Cathedral Quarter for years and despite plenty of new places opening around it, The Spaniard remains a firm favourite. It prides itself on having the best rum selection in town, but even though I hate rum there are loads of fine cocktails and gins to keep me happy. A special mention also needs to go to the tunes, they always rock. I also love the lounge upstairs which has a very strong religious theme. I've seen plenty of shocked faces on seeing it for the first time, but if a little imagery offends you, what on earth are you doing in a bar in the first place! ;-) Long live The Spaniard!

    I have a feeling that The Spaniard is fantastically overrated. Hear me out before you start booing... Why would you want to stand shoulder to shoulder, rammed in like sardines (sorry for the cliché) in a tiny little room with people delighting in their own over-exuberance because they think that they're in the coolest pub in Belfast? Why wouldn't you want to go somewhere with a bit of breathing space? Yes, the place is interestingly decorated, but so are a handful of others in the nearby area. At the risk of sounding like a right old misery guts; In some of those places, you might actually be able to sit down and stretch your legs out. I've never really had an enjoyable experience in The Spaniard as I'm clearly mildly claustrophobic. It's not for me.

    Andrew B.

    One of the smallest pubs that I have ever been in there are literally three tables with chairs and some stools at a small bar...I have never been here when its busy...thank goodness...I'm not sure it would be that enjoyable...But it would be nice to be on the inside looking out one Friday night...I went for food here for a birthday a couple of years ago and I have recently heard some good reviews from friends so I guess their food is still up to scratch..only go with friends here if you are all very thin and/or small...its not gonna really work otherwise!!!!

    Yeah yeah, I know...everyone loves the Spaniard. And you know what, I do too. As far as bars go this has got to be one of the best I've ever visited. It's got that right mix of quirk and practicality, the right blend of anarchy and fun that most bars will never have. It's waaay too small so it's easy to spend most of the night peering in the front window at luckier seated bods but what I find is the clientele is ever changing over the night so be quick and you'll maybe get your bum on the sofa. One minute you'll be surrounded by the after work crowd the next they'll have moved on and the latest hip young musicians will be gathering to plot world domination. It's a curious mix but it all hangs together really well. Special mention must go to the bar staff who have a great turn of phrase and give you the impression that they've seen it all. Décor is great as well, loads of vintage album sleeves and some hanging curios fill the ceiling...don't stare too long or you'll zone out. As I type the place may have become overrun with poseurs but hey, when a bar's this cool... Pros: Great character, does food as well. Cons: Smaller than small.

    The bar!

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    11 years ago

    This bar is pretty cramped....but what it lacks in size it makes up for in character! Very trendy, great atmosphere and great location.

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    18 years ago

    You can't beat Cathedral Quarter. Pop in here for a pint of the black stuff and a game of darts.

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    10 years ago

    One of the best small bars in Belfast. Great surroundings and staff are very pleasant.

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    The Spaniard Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - The Spaniard

    it is set in the cathedral quarter which is seen by many as the best and most trendy place in belfast.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

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    The Crown Liquor Saloon

    The Crown Liquor Saloon

    3.8(214 reviews)
    0.5 miCity Centre
    ££

    On our last day in Belfast, I said I need to experience dining in or have a drink at The Crown Bar…read more I was lucky enough to get a reservation at the dining room upstairs. The ground floor bar area was packed and busy! It was a good vibes. We sat and had dinner in a quiet setting upstairs. We enjoyed our food and drinks. My margarita was delicious. The lamb irish stew was yummy, finished it. It was a great experience!

    I wanted a place where I could try multiple classic traditional Irish dishes, and I found this…read moreplace - a very popular spot! During the time I visited, it wasn't very packed so I was seated swiftly. The kind staff accommodated my request to get a corner table. The vibe can be describe is a classic. I really enjoyed all the dark stained wood furniture - gave it such an "old Irish saloon" vibe...maybe because it is haha. I did not have much time to spend in Belfast, so I tried to taste as many traditional dishes as possible with being just one person. With that being said, I ordered a few of their notable dishes - Crown Bar Irish Stew, Steak & Ale Pie, and to finish it off, the Sticky Toffee Pudding served with both the custard and ice cream (really thankful the server offered to give me two toppings, and they were both delicious). All the dishes were great, and are definitely hearty. The stew as well as the pie filling had a rich roux - nice, thick and flavorful. I will say, the pie pastry was not as flaky as I would have liked it; kind of too thick. Overall, it was a great taste of Ireland

    Photos
    The Crown Liquor Saloon - Wooden Dragon

    Wooden Dragon

    The Crown Liquor Saloon
    The Crown Liquor Saloon - Margarita

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    Margarita

    Katy's Bar

    Katy's Bar

    4.4(30 reviews)
    0.6 miCity Centre
    ££

    This would probably be my favourite bar in Belfast. I'm not quite the party animal I used to be…read moreback in the olden days, but I do like a night out from time to time, and Katy's is right up our street in terms of the crowd that go there, the music they play, and the general ambiance. They are in a handy city centre position and can be easily reached from anywhere in the city centre. If you're not drinking, there is parking right out the front (if you get there early enough!) if not there are plenty of side streets too! For weekend visiting, be sure to get there before 7-ish, or you may find that you won't get a seat, although it does calm down later on in the night when the Limelight opens and some of the patrons move next door to the club. I must make a point of going back to Katy's soon, it's been too long!

    I have travelled a fair bit in my time. Unkind people tend to put it as I've been around a bit, but…read moreI prefer to think of it as romantic wanderlust. Anyway, apart from the wonderful Public Bar in Melbourne, and possibly Dubliners in Tokyo (actually no, their Guinness is questionable and their 'soda bread' is in fact wheaten), Katy Daly's is my all time favourite bar in the world. This says quite a lot if, like me, you fled screaming from these shores at the first possible opportunity and spent several years abroad. But I've come to realise on my frequent returns, to sign on, that Belfast is actually quite a cool wee city. And Katy Daly's is one of the main experiences for me that encompasses that vibe. Imagine my shame and horror last year in Australia when one of the lead items on the news was the spides in the Village burning the Roma population out of the area. And when any July overseas the pictures beamed in from Belfast are of riots, bottle-throwing spides and triumphalist sweaty-faced Orangemen doing their damnedest to make sure no-one can get down the Lisburn Road. 'Belfast isn't like that!' I'd wail to anyone who'd listen, and plenty who wouldn't. 'Look at Katy's for example!' A rock bar with great music both live and on the jukebox, an unpretentious and friendly crowd, the best pub quiz I've ever been to (yes, even better than Melbourne's), friendly staff who remember your usual (ahem), and good food at good prices, makes Katy's a must visit for any tourist who thinks Belfast is all burning buses and bodhráns. Oh, and most unusually, and welcome, for an average city bar - the ladies are normally outnumbered by the men. Most of whom are of an alternative ilk and not decked out in Ben Sherman and Timberlands, and therefore are generally gentlemanly instead of trying to cop a quick grope as you go past them on the way to the loos (Bot, I'm looking at you). Many of them are long-haired and tattooed to boot. Yummies. In fact, I'm sitting in Katy's right now writing this. Goddesses bless mobile broadband.

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    Katy's Bar
    Katy's Bar - Cosy pints

    Cosy pints

    Katy's Bar

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    The Spaniard - pubs - Updated May 2026

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