Recently taken over (again) and renovated, there is something so homely about Whites. Hidden down alleys on three sides, and behind a low green door Whites is a joy for me at any time, but especially winter. Catch sight and a wave of heat from the turf fire as you walk in and just try and leave after one drink. You'll find you can't, it's just too cosy. As the bar is small, they don't have tonnes of staff, so service sometimes can be a little slow, but once you are settled in here, what's the rush? They also do some pretty tasty pub grub too, but don't leave the food part too late as they top serving at 6. read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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This is one of the oldest pubs in the town, established in 1630, this is the standard 'go to' starting point, for our every other month Friday catch ups with my old work colleagues! It's not that big inside, but as we come straight from work, we always get there early enough to get a table. It's traditional inside and really comfortable. I've only ever been on a Friday night when they have live music and great food, however they do movie nights too, which I look forward to trying in the future! read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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Love this bar and the disco upstairs. Went here a few days ago for lunch. Had to drag my friend who wanted to go elsewhere but I promised her that she would not be disappointed. Inside is dark and authentic with an open fire and a busy, chatty crowd. It feels like an Irish pub should feel. The menu was immense with each item described as a paragraph review. I went for chicken curry with half rice and half chips and my friend ordered a 'boxie' as well as bangers and mash. When the food arrived she actually started to laugh. The plates are like big UFO's - massive and deep and filled to the brim - the portions are awesome. My friend had to put some of her stuff on another table because her plate was so big. I have to say the food was really, really, really, really good - my friend actually said and I quote 'I haven't had a meal like that anywhere in a long time' and then proceeded to rave about the place all day. The boxie is a potato, scallion and butter pie thingy - a real traditional Belfast treat! The bill came to £24 for two mains, a starter and two alcoholic drinks - not bad at all. As we left my friend held the door for two tourists and told them, without them asking; 'Get the bangers and mash 'cause it's beaut!' read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

White's, in some ways is the single greatest and single worst bar in Belfast. How does that work?? It's got such a great atmosphere because it just looks amazing. The ceiling is low, the fire is usually burning and they (apparently) pour a good Guinness. The food is also pretty good pub grub. I used to call in every Sunday with my ex-boyfriend for a pint and a feed. It's usually heaving of a Saturday night. Uncomfortably so, actually. I don't really like going upstairs to the club part because it just gets too warm and too full. If you aren't parked in a spot near the bar, the round trip to get some beverages can take anything up to half an hour, which is far too long to wait when you're parched! The toilets are also fairly grim, so I tend to avoid them until absolutely necessary! One great point in favour of White's is the bbq they have going outside during the summer. No more worrying about the midnight munchies - just nip outside for a hotdog. Winner! read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Whites Tavern strikes me as a place that doesn't really care if its the regarded as the most famous or best pub in Belfast. Its quite content to just exist as it has been for years without competing as a flashy pub. As it only take a few to fill the place I think people are attracted to its blasé approach, I think thats why its always packed. They're not a new age bar with lots of new exciting trendy beers, they just do the standard and do it well. Inside it can be a bit dark during daylight hours but with the open fire is blazing there is a nice rustic feel inside the pub. Upstairs is quite a surreal room as its just decorated to the max in a few different styles. Yeah its great, take a look and if you need to get a babysitter...do it...check it out. read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

We stopped in for Belfast's oldest pub. It is dark and a neat building. Atmosphere is exactly what we expected. They have wonderful servers and an ample supply of beers to choose from. This is their highlight! The food was a real disappointment. We ordered several dishes. The soup of the day was tomato basil and was average. The Irish stew was mostly potatoes and gravy. If you add a LOT of pepper you can make it palatable! We also ordered the fish & chips. When this dish is your highlight, the vinaigrette on your salad should not be the highlight! The fries would have been the highlight if the grease soaked fish wasn't laid on top of them. The heat needs to be turned up on the fryer as that was the greasiest fish I've ever seen! It actually pooled on the fish as it cooled a bit! read more

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Great pint, great patrons and great music. What more can I say? If you want a traditional Irish pub in Belfast this should be top of your list. Smallish bar service area but the staff try their best to get to you fast. Guinness is some of the best I have drank in the North. Open fire is the cherry on the top. Full of friendly tourists. Highly recommended. read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Such a cute tavern. Came recommended from a sales girl at the Titanic museum and we are so glad we stopped. The lunch was amazing, I mean the best cottage pie we've had on this vacation. If you're stopping in Belfast it's a must. Beers are great, location is great, and food was awesome. read more

There's not much to add here that hasn't already been said. However, I would like to attempt to clear up a few things for visitors to Belfast regarding where the "oldest bar" in Belfast is - we wouldn't want a load of visitors returning to their home countries and claiming they'd all been to the oldest bar in Belfast, with some having been to Kelly's Cellars, some to White's Tavern, and others to McHugh's. So here goes... It depends on your definition. McHugh's is Belfast's oldest building, but it's apparently uncertain as to what year it actually became a pub - it's been suggested that this was in the mid-18th century. As far as I recall, the records don't go back far enough to verify that it's the oldest bar in Belfast, but it's the oldest building. White's Tavern has the oldest liquor license in Belfast but, as correctly reported by another Yelper, the business moved premises, presumably some time after Kelly's Cellars opened. - White's had the first license - McHugh's is the oldest building - It's probable that Kelly's is the oldest continuously licensed premises As I said, that's all to the best of my knowledge, and it will depend on you definition of the term "oldest bar". For my money, it's probably Kelly's, but visitors should have a pint in all three, just to make sure their bases are covered. read more

You want an old school pub AND fish and chip you say? This is the place. Off the beaten path but pretty easy to find, this pub will satisfy your craving for a Guinness and good food. Generous portion fish and chips and I like that they leave the potato skins on their chips, which add more flavor. Recommend- go check it out after your double decker bus tour of Belfast. Clean modern bathrooms, BTW =) read more

Whites Tavern - These fish & chips are NO JOKE - simple awesomeness! - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Great place for all round entertainment. Film club is great. Free pop corn and wings. Always new promo deals and offers on. Some of the friendliest staff in Belfast. read more

First time ever in whites, was a bit iffy to honest when going in but was pleasantly surprised at the venue and atmosphere and will def be back, the food looked really nice and the bar was well stocked and the staff where friendly and helpful, the actual venue is a we bit dark but when the building is Belfast's oldest tavern what can u say, we will be back to stay a bit longer next time:) read more

Whites Tavern - Live music! - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

There are good and bad things about White's Tavern. Good - the very nice and well priced food, served on huge plates and perfect for when you're dying from the night before (as a barmaid sympathetically noted to us once).There's also the roaring fire and general look and feel of the place, with its wooden beams and old style atmosphere. And the friendly staff. And just because - it's one of those bars where everyone seems to reflect it, having a good night and being friendly to everyone because somehow the bar itself encourages it. Bad - very busy on weekend nights, and in fact I avoid it then, preferring to go in the afternoon or early evening. The club upstairs, which I've never been to, is also supposed to get very busy. Which brings me to the main negative part about White's, and why I don't go there at nights - the toilets. Or should I say, toilet. There is ONE women's toilet on the ground floor (which also doubles as the disabled loo), which is bloody annoying after you've had a few pints and you have to queue and some people don't get that the point of going into the loo is to, em, pee or whatever, not do your bally makeup and chat to your little friends. I assume because White's is so old that it's a listed building and therefore an extra loo can't be added, but Jaysus. Sort something out before I burst! read more

Amazing cottage pie, lean chunks of beef and gravy to die for.. nice mix of locals and travelers enjoying a pint. Staff are welcoming and friendly, ambience is as hoped for from a 1630 establishment. Beautiful find in Belfast. Lunch specials had hearty portions and were shockingly inexpensive. Tommy took care of everyone/ thank you for a great meal! read more

We arrived at 7:00 pm, looking for good food and drink. Unfortunately, on Saturday night the kitchen closes at 6:00 pm on Saturday. We enjoyed a drink and some loud Irish revelry from the table by us!! Wish we could have tasted the food! read more

Best fish and chips I had on my trip. Our tour guide recommended this place and I'm glad we went. They had a large selection of spirits as well. read more

We had a very short time from our tour bus so we decided to find the most historic place within walking distance. I ordered a cider and they had many options but I didn't specify local and ended up with a fruity something-or-other from Sweden. My mother got an Irish whiskey (something she'd been ordering all over both countries) and said it was one of the better ones she'd had. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for any food but the atmosphere seemed really comfortable and you could feel the history of the place. A great, fast way to experience a bit of Belfast. read more

If you're coming here, ask for Thomas - you won't be disappointed. Such service, such company, you wouldn't believe!! He makes the best signature shots you'll ever have in your life, and ensures you're at your greatest comfort. Thomas for president!!! read more

This place was, at one point, my favourite night out in Belfast. The bar downstairs with the courtyard and the club upstairs on a Saturday night was great to head out to if you wanted a fun, busy night with friends and wanted to meet new people and maybe have a cheeky snog. It's great location and clientelle were a real bonus and I used to not be able to get enough of it. But, things have changed slightly. Whether it is a change of clientelle, the fact that the DJ seemed to play the same music every week or whether the fact it has taken me up to 45minutes to get a drink on occassion, the once pristine gleem of White's has been tarnished. While the prices are ok, the selection of drinks isn't world beating and its small, cosy atmosphere is overpowered by its popularity. A solid night out, but definitely a victim of its own success. read more

Although Belfast natives have more knowledgeable views of White's than me, a relative newcomer to Belfast I favour this place very much. I've been to the funk and soul night upstairs, which is tip top and am planning on going there next weekend. The night is moderately priced, about a fiver in and the tunes are great. Real floor fillers like James Brown, Rolling Stones, Motown or a bit of old skool like Groove is in the Heart or Brimful of Asha. The crowd are usually mixed and up for a laugh. The one downside is the bar. I'm usually good at getting served at bars, employing by feminine charms, ie pushing through people! But the queue at the bar here is like Armageddon. I nearly killed the chancer who tried to get served in my place after I'd waited for a half an hour. I even got a high-five from another disgruntled person fed up of waiting. This place probably does need an extension. There are simply too many people in the place. Sometimes it gets hard to dance too as people are so jammed into the bar. I'm not quite ready for staying at home with the crocheting yet, so I'm still young enough to put up with this. It really reminds of Doyles in Dublin, across the road from Trinity, in that it;s good for a sweaty, fun, unpretentious dance! The downstairs bar is really cool. It's like a traditional pub and has real atmosphere. A lovely place to come in with your mates for a catch up, but equally a great place to come for pints on a Saturday night. The courtyard outside is usually good craic afterwards with lots of people milling about after the pub shuts. Sometimes in the summer, they get a Barbecue going, the smell of burgers and hotdogs tempting everyone in the vicinity. Here is an interesting fact my housemate Sarah bestowed upon me- next time you're in have a look at the glass bunnies in the cabinet beside on the bar. These cheap looking antiques are actually rare collectors items and are worth over £10,000 each! FACT! Ask the barman (as I did) and they will happily tell you! read more

White's is one of those places I always try and take people to when they visit town. What I like about the bar is that it's got to one of the cosiest places to sit and have a drink. On a cold day they usually have the fire roaring and the food itself has been consistently good. In the evening it definitely gets a bit more rowdy with a mix of locals, randoms and at weekends, clubbers getting ready to head upstairs for a bit of dancing. The club area itself is pretty cool in that it looks like a 70's living room. Battered furniture and cranky old light fittings give the place a bit of character and this lends itself to the club with is good unpretentious sweaty fun. A must visit if you're in Belfast. Pros: Great character, excellent food, outdoor seating in summer. Cons: The bar can get totally rammed at the weekend and in the run up to Xmas. read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

I've had some fantastically memorable nights in White's Tavern. It's mostly Christmas that I seem to be here, strange seeing that I'd rather chew off one of my own arms that indulge in festive shopping. But the fact is, I always seem to do my once-a-year catching up with friends (who live outside Belfast and come home for the silly season) in White's. And the craic is always amazing, I haven't had a bad experience there yet. Once, a passing-through English folk band asked the staff if they could play, all woolly jumpers, beards and Roll Out the Barrel. The happiest woman you've ever seen was keeping time with a spoon on a washboard. The punters went mad for them and it's still probably the best gig I've ever been to. I'd love to know who they were. They may have told everyone but I had an awful lot of very good Guinness in me. White's is small, welcoming, charismatic and your clothes will smell of the lovely peat fire when you get home. I bet hundreds of thousands people from all over have had nights as amazing as mine. read more

Whites Tavern - The only photo I have of the best gig I've ever been to; totally impromptu and Roll Out the Barrel. - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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Guaranteed to get a good pint of Guinness, as its recommended in the tourist guides so they all come lookin for a pint of plain! The more constant pouring from a tap, the better the pint (maybe a placebo effect?) Either way, good scoops! The bar will have a trad session on on various nights. There's a club upstairs Fri & Sat night, but it tends to be wedged simply for the size of it. Just like your grannys front room except it has a tiny bar so perhaps allow for a large handbag. read more

Love this bar it became my regular a few years ago quite cheap since its in the center of belfast and usually has a live band on fridays and saturdays at around 6 pm. The bare staff are also very freindly and also has one of the biggest bouncers ive ever seen! (no joke hes huge) so i defintly feel safe in whites tavern too haha read more

Whites Tavern is one of those small places that during the day, you could nip in for a break from your shopping, or during the night, you could drift by and check out. Usually upstairs is opened during a Friday and Sat night with a fair mix of modern and classic tunes. (Entrance is through a seperate door outside) Whilst downstairs is a small friendly bar area where you can get food and whilst the menu isn't wide variety wise, the prices are actually pretty decent for a City Centre pub. Drinks wise the pricing is pretty standard and the staff are helpful. The only drawback is that it can be too crowded from time to time. (espicially in a Friday and Sat night). and the bar area can be tough to get to when it's busy. but it's a pretty decent place for small gatherings. read more

I was in Whites last Saturday (14 December) for a couple of hours. I bought a round of drinks for myself and my friends, and when I brought them back to our table, realised that what I thought was two pints of Magners was actually two pints of Carlsberg. I brought the two pints back to the bar, politely said that an innocent mistake had been made, and asked for two pints of Magners. I was told that if I wanted Magners I would have to pay again. This really shocked me. The barman I was talking to gave me a few reasons why he wouldn't replace them free of charge, including "you've drunk a bit of them". Less than 1cm was gone from the top of the glass - just enough for me to determine that it was _not_ what I ordered. I ended up paying for two new pints, and mentioned to the barman that I hoped the small profit margin on two more pints would be worth losing me as a customer forever. read more

Amazing service amazing food. Very local dishes and gave me what I thought was a taste of the local culture. I had the Irish stew, which was a succulent braised Irish lamb, with seasonal veg covered in a rich gravy and an 8'' Yorkshire pudding. Also ate a Steak and Guinness pie, which was slow braised steak pieces and a rich Guinness gravy in a short crust pastry with a side of champ. If you are in the area this is a place you want to hit up. Oldest pub in Belfast 1630!! read more

This is a great relaxed spot for a few pints with friends. The decor is very relaxed and old Irish pub style. They often have traditional music so it's a great place to bring foreign visitors. The outside space is one of the best in Belfast city centre. They have a decent range of draft beers and are reasonably priced. Well recommended. read more

This was a great find! You feel like you're stepping back in time. Old old old feel! Best bangers and mash I've ever had. Fish and chips were fantastic too! read more

Was in whites with some friends last Monday. Always a nice atmosphere in here. Food was great. Service was friendly. We had a child with us and staff very helpful with high chair. Good food great price. Lunch time special was well worth the money. read more

Great old cosy traditional pub, nestled away in winecellar entry, with a great bar with plenty of selection of drinks and a lovely open fire, traditional live music some nights, and a function room upstairs. Been here loads of times, great traditional interior with that old feel to it, great pub . read more

Was suggested by our tour guide, and was an awesome choice! A little difficult to find, but worth a little zig-zagging(really not that bad). Cozy feel, smaller inside. The best fish and chips I had over my whole study abroad, and there was a good deal of fish and chips on my trip. Huge portions, and good service. read more

Supposedly the oldest in Belfast, est 1630. But a tour guide told me that this is not the original location. Small. My wife ordered bangers and mash and it was a big portion, served in a bowl. My fish and chips had only one piece of cod, but it was good. Seemed to have mainly locals. It's off the road like many pubs, near a gambling house. read more

Came here following reading rave reviews about the traditional steak and Guinness pie that they do - it was good but not absolutely amazing. Their mussels and ribs however - absolutely delicious. Claims to be the oldest tavern in Belfast which is pretty cool. Dark and grungy inside, accessed off a little Lakeway. Good place to lose a few hours in the afternoon. read more

Whites Tavern - Irish Pub Near Me - Belfast, BFS

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A good Guinness, an ok Guinness pie, and great service. Nice small pub for a stop by if you absolutely have to go into the overly commercialised shopping areas. read more

Went after work last friday, seeking a non-pretentious bar in the area. As noted before, standing outside was nice on a spring early evening, although it isn't the nicest alleyway in the world. Inside, some great traditional music was playing. They were starting to fire up the BBQ and we went inside as it was starting to get a bit chilly. Inside, while the decor is very traditional and the old building atmosphere has been kept, the queue for the bar started to get ridiculous. The toilets are extremely cramped, and are more like a broom cupboard. Beside the bar, a muscly gentleman started to 'inquire' at random at of one of our party. We didn't feel at ease, especially with no door staff, so we drank up and left. So all in all a decent pub but probably better for an afternoon pint than staying all night. read more

Cool old Tavern that pours a great Guinness. We didn't eat here, but the food also looked good.

Had dinner here today. Small place, okay food. Chicken goujons were good, but waitress disappeared after serving our food and never returned. Chilling potatoes are interesting, and my friends roast beef special was great. Nice place for a pint... read more

Fabulous old pub with great atmosphere and the oldest pub in Belfast apparently :-) would always go back for a pint or few :-)

thomas our server was exceptionally excellent - suggesting great drinks and customer service that Reaches the heights that only some can covet. thanks whites And thank YOU tom! this is the first place I've been to since lockdown and Thomas was the one who made the experience easy, seamless and a joy to interact with. Promotion rightly earned !! read more