Where to eat near the Ulster Hall Belfast before a gig

Bedford Street is short, and everything you need is on it or round the corner. Eat on the street, have a pint on the same street, and walk in with five minutes to spare. The Crown and Robinsons are a few minutes away on Great Victoria Street if you want the old-Belfast version.

Places to eat around Ulster Hall

Walking routes calculated with OpenStreetMap, for guidance only.

1. 1 Robinsons Bar · Five bars, the Bistro serves food daily 3 min walk · 247 m
2. 2 The Crown Bar Bar · Victorian pub with snugs, for a pint 3 min walk · 255 m
3. 3 Nando's Restaurant · Centrepoint, Ormeau Avenue 4 min walk · 270 m
4. 4 The Bridge House Bar · Wetherspoon, cheap food, 8am to 1am 4 min walk · 281 m

On Bedford Street

• The Bridge House, 35-43 Bedford Street. A big Wetherspoon, open 8am to 1am every day: cheap food, cheap pints, and room for a crowd. Under-18s are only allowed in until 9pm, which matters for all-ages gig nights.
• The Seahorse, on the second floor of the Grand Central Hotel, 9-15 Bedford Street. Its pre-theatre menu runs Wednesday to Saturday, 5pm to 6.30pm, two courses from £35. The splash-out choice.
• Nando's, at Centrepoint, 24 Ormeau Avenue, at the Ormeau Avenue end of Bedford Street. Peri-peri chicken, open to 10pm Sunday to Wednesday and 10.30pm Thursday to Saturday.

Round the corner

• mrDeanes and MeatLocker, 28-40 Howard Street. Two restaurants from Michael Deane, the Belfast chef who has held a Michelin star for nearly 30 years. Book ahead for gig nights.
• The Crown Bar, 46 Great Victoria Street. The National Trust's Victorian pub, with tiles, carved ceilings, gas lamps and private snugs. For a pint, not a quick meal.
• Robinsons, 38-40 Great Victoria Street, next to the Crown. Five bars under one roof, including the Bistro, which serves food daily, and Fibbers.

Inside the Ulster Hall

The hall opens its bar on event days. Things to know:

• Card and contactless only, no cash.
• One person per group goes into the bar area to order, so send your fastest friend.
• Beers, spirits, wine, soft drinks, coffee and tea, plus sweets and snacks. Do not count on a meal.
• No outside food or drink. Staff can bin anything you bring.

The 2009 refurbishment turned the old Group Theatre, next to the main hall, into circulation space, a bar and a café, so there is more elbow room than the 1862 building suggests.

Timing it

Frequently asked questions

What pub is near the Ulster Hall Belfast?

The Bridge House, a Wetherspoon on Bedford Street, is the closest. The Crown Bar and Robinsons are a few minutes' walk away on Great Victoria Street.

Can you buy food at the Ulster Hall?

Only snacks and sweets at the bar, alongside drinks. Eat before, as outside food and drink are not allowed in.

Does the Ulster Hall bar take cash?

No. The bar is card and contactless only, and only one person per group may go into the bar area to order.

Where can I get a pre-theatre meal near the Ulster Hall?

The Seahorse at the Grand Central Hotel, on Bedford Street, runs a pre-theatre menu Wednesday to Saturday from 5pm to 6.30pm, two courses from £35.