We had a wonderful experience at The Crosskeys Inn. It's Ireland's oldest thatched roof pub and we…read moregot a brief talk about thatching, so look up as you're entering! Watch your head, unless you're as short as I am. We were on the CIE Scots Irish tour. We somehow got a table directly next to the band and had a wonderful time, let folks come and sit with us, got Guinness with Blackcurrant (which depending on who you ask is WRONG ... I thought it was fun). We had a BBQ buffet dinner that was good with plenty of food. They let us take home our placemats which are maps of Ireland. Also, there was a gift shop with some lovely items that came home with us, as well.

To the naked eye, it looks like a quaint country cottage with a thatched roof, but don't let the…read moreunassuming exterior fool you. This pub has been standing since the 17th Century, they know a thing or two about hospitality. Our party of five made ourselves cozy in the sessions corner as the pub keeper offered to light a peat moss fire for our comfort. They sell tee-shirts and tourist patronize this place, on account of it being a very old, beautiful Irish pub, but there were a few locals enjoying a pint when we stopped in. One of the owners is American, and I was surprised to see JFK Memorabilia in the smaller room. They have antique oil lamps, old firearms and assorted things on display for patrons to muse. They proudly serve Bushmills and even their own brand of Crosskeys Whisky, but I got a gin and tonic and enjoyed the Northern Irish craic that was on full supply on this June day.

Athena'srestaurant is great - the pub is like walking back in time 50 years! Never been anywhere…read morelike it - hope I never do again!!

My husband is from Culdaff, and every time we go to visit his family we spend a few nights catching…read moreup at this cozy, family-owned pub. Drop by, chat up the locals, enjoy some music out back in the summer.....or find a corner and stare out the window awhile. Either way, a classic Iocal Irish pub, in the best way possible.

Went for a pint after dinner and ended up staying late thanks to the hospitality of the regulars.read more

Stayed here for 2 nights in September 2013. The Room was spacious though the bathroom small. Was…read morenice to have the pub and the nice waitstaff so close. Seemed a tad pricey but I think maybe everything was in the area. Very close to Bushmills

Wonderful little place. We were actually going there for the Gorta Museum that they've created on…read morethe second floor, but we found the most charming pub of our trip. The owner Dermot is absolutely delightful. Fifth generation owner. We ended up going back that night for the local music. It is a very special little place. It is a pub, a restaurant and they have accommodations along with a very well done and very interesting museum upstairs. This is a true hidden gem. Thank you, Dermot for your hospitality. It was a pleasure chatting with you.

Great experience! We came to Friel's as part of a cruise ship excursion in Belfast. Our bus was on…read moreits way back from Glenshane Country Farm, where we learned about sheepherding, which was great as well. We thought we were simply coming for lunch, but it was so much more than that!! Dermot, the fifth-generation owner, gave an interesting presentation on the building's history and shared some great stories about the original owners while we sat in the beer garden. Then we were taken to the museum/visitors center where we learned about the town's history with Gorta, Swatragh's Famine Story. We entered an interactive room that told the story of Dr. Mooney and his wife, Sarah, who operated a surgery and dispensary at this location. They had also set up a soup kitchen during the potato famine. In 1992, the Friel family found an original famine soup pot from Dr. Mooney's time. They also discovered a window when renovating during COVID. It was thought that people would come to the window to get their soup. We toured the rest of the museum, which was very interesting. Then we went to the restaurant for lunch. I loved the interior and the whole vibe. The exterior is also beautiful with plants and flowers. Since we were such a large group, we were given two choices for lunch, chicken or beef. Plus, we got one free alcoholic drink. I chose a nice cold beer. I had the grass-fed beef, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, broccoli, and carrots. The beef was so tender, you didn't need a knife. The meal came out piping hot! Even the carrots were delicious, and I'm not a big fan of carrots. The service was great, considering they were serving so many people at once. It was honestly the best meal I'd had during our entire cruise vacation.

A few years back we got to to here as the Belfast telegraph had a promotion on and even though its…read morea fair distance from Belfast we thought we'd take a gamble on it, definitely worth the drive as the food and atmosphere were above expectations with being in the winter and the open fire lit, really nice and cosy. The tables by the entrance are the best but don't be fooled by the small appearance its like Dr who's tardis as the space through the next set of doors there's a massive room for dining or dancing. You have to park in a car park on the opposite side of the road which is a bit inconvenient but its just added character and the food was nice too. We'd love to go back sometime soon .

Found Saltwater Brig by pure chance on a filthy dark winter night while on holiday from Scotland…read more But what a welcome inside! The staff were so friendly and helpful with my disabled Wife. As for the food, we have eaten in a lot of places in a number of countries but this was as good as anything we have come acrooss. And the finishing touch was dining beside the huge log fire on a freezing winter night. It was so good that we went back another couple of times during our week's stay. We are going ti Ireland again shortly on holiday and Saltwater Brig will be our number one priority for another visit. We were back in Ireland for another holiday in November. The Saltwater Brig was top of our agenda for a return visit.......and we weren't disappointed. Once again everything about it was superb - the beautiful location beside Strangford Lough, the cosy surroundings and the welcoming staff (especially Olive who is the friendliest waitress you could meet). Then there is the food. The extensive menu is fantastic and we cannot speak highly enough of its quality, and all very reasonably priced. If you enjoy "a taste of Ulster" put The Saltwater Brig on your MUST VISIT list. We guarantee you will love it.

We visited at the weekend on (another) wet afternoon with the kids in tow, just for drinks and…read morereally enjoyed it. We sat at one of the tables right in the windowand a charming young man took our drinks orders, waiting patiently while number one son deliberated carefully between orange and blackcurrant cordial. Not an impatient sigh to be heard so definitely a good start. Around us was a complete mix of people, ladies having coffee (never understand people who go to a pub and have coffee but let's not judge), young guys having lots of pints and other families. We were lucky in getting our seats at the window and enjoyed the beautiful views of the sea and cliffs, just breathtaking. I was equally delighted by the fact thatthey serve mini bottles of Chardonnay as most bars seem to serve only that vinegary muck known as sauvignon. The kids were quite noisy but not out of control noisy and everyone seemed happy with that. Well, I was anyway. Only downside was that they had no crisps which for us are a must when you're not having a meal. A great spot for day drinks for a family ot group of friends.

Driving along the coast, saw a sign for the Porthole Bar & Restaurant, and decided to stop in…read more Ann, our server, was excellent, she never stopped moving. We both had the leg of lamb, it was delicious,, and the portion was high. Reasonable prices, nice atmosphere

good friendly local bar with a great juke box no food. good parking public car park out the back,…read morepool table and fantastic staff good bar