Belfast 2026 - Day 2

We started Day 2 with a 9am breakfast at Blinkers, a classic, bustling Belfast restaurant right in the city centre. Mel went straight for an Ulster Fry — the full Northern Irish experience — while I opted for scrambled eggs. We lingered over fresh orange juice and what felt like gallons of tea, reading the morning papers and easing into the day.

At 10am, our driver arrived for the famous Black Cab Taxi Tour, one of Belfast’s most essential experiences. These tours began during the Troubles, when black cab drivers ferried locals safely through divided neighbourhoods. Today, they offer an intimate, balanced look at the city’s complex past. Our guide walked us through the history from both sides of the Peace Wall, explaining the political, cultural and religious tensions that shaped decades of conflict. We visited murals across the Shankill and Falls, each telling its own story — memorials, tributes, warnings, hopes. Some stops were sombre, marking sites of atrocities that still echo through the city’s collective memory.

It’s staggering that the Peace Wall, first erected in 1969, still stands today — extended multiple times and now stretching over 20 miles. Belfast remains one of the most segregated cities on Earth, yet the fragile harmony is real, lived, and deeply felt. The tour was eye‑opening, emotional and absolutely unforgettable.

After two absorbing hours, we needed a breather — and a pint. We headed to Nancy Mulligan’s, a lively pub where we settled in with a couple of Beamish stouts while watching the afternoon football.

Back at the Airbnb, Mel grabbed a quick kip while I took myself on a solo wander down the Shankill Road, seeing the murals up close and soaking in the atmosphere. I stopped at The Royal Bar, a traditional loyalist pub dating back to the early 1900s, long known as a community hub during the Troubles. Then onto The Rex Bar, another historic Shankill institution with deep roots in the neighbourhood’s identity. Both were fascinating in their own right — raw, real, and steeped in history.

A couple of hours later, Mel joined me and, with the rain now pouring down, we grabbed an Uber back into town. First stop: The Duke of York, where we randomly bumped into a friend from Kidsgrove — small world. A couple of pints later, we continued the crawl.

Kelly’s Cellars

Next was Kelly’s Cellars, one of Belfast’s oldest pubs, built in 1720. It’s famous for its vaulted ceilings, open fires and its role in the 1790s United Irishmen meetings. A proper slice of history — and a cracking pint.

Maddens

From there we headed to Maddens, a legendary traditional bar known for live folk music and fiercely loyal regulars. It was absolutely rammed, shoulder‑to‑shoulder, so we stayed for one before moving on.

The Crown Liquor Saloon

Our next stop was The Crown, Belfast’s most famous pub and a National Trust treasure. Built in the 1820s and restored in Victorian splendour, it’s full of stained glass, mosaic tiles, carved snugs and gas lamps. Strangely empty for a Saturday night, but still stunning.

To finish the evening, we headed to Nu Delhi, where I had a rogan josh and Mel went for a chicken korma. We shared chips, rice and naan, all delicious, and the bill came to £57 — not bad at all for a hearty Belfast curry.

We rolled back to the Airbnb around 11pm, full, content and pleasantly exhausted after a day that blended history, culture and classic Belfast hospitality.