Date spot in Belfast

Ulster Museum

Browse art, natural history and the story of Ireland's north under one roof, from fossils and an Egyptian mummy to Irish painting and the history of the Troubles.

The Ulster Museum's pale stone front with tall columns, joined to a blocky modern extension, behind a wide flight of steps

Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Road

Address: Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis Road, Belfast BT9 5AB
  • Culture
  • Rain-proof ☔
  • Free

Why it's a good date: It's free, it's got a bit of everything, and it's easy to split up and meet again at whatever you each liked best. Pair it with the Palm House for a whole afternoon in the gardens.

Photo: Bazonka, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)

More from our Belfast guide

  • Inside the Crown, a row of carved wooden snugs with stained glass panels down one side of a long bar under a patterned ceiling

    The Crown Liquor Saloon

    Great Victoria Street, city centre

    Address: 46 Great Victoria Street, Belfast BT2 7BA
    • Bar
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Cheap and cheerful
    • Cosy

    Squeeze into a carved wooden snug at Belfast's famous Victorian gin palace, all coloured tiles, stained glass and gas lamps, and ring the bell for a drink.

    Why it's a good date: A snug to yourselves in a room this beautiful is about as romantic as a pint gets. It's busy, so go early in the day or the evening to get one, and the Grand Opera House is just across the road.

  • St George's Market's red-brick front on May Street, with a tall arched entrance and green iron gates

    St George's Market

    May Street, city centre

    Address: 12-20 East Bridge Street, Belfast BT1 3NQ
    • Restaurant
    • Rain-proof ☔
    • Cheap and cheerful
    • Foodie

    Graze your way round the stalls in the Victorian covered market, from local cheese and fresh fish to street food and baking, often with live music playing.

    Why it's a good date: Each of you picks a stall and you share. It's at its liveliest on a weekend morning, so go hungry and take a bag for whatever you end up carrying home.

  • Old painted brewery and stout signs on the whitewashed wall of the Duke of York, under a window box of red geraniums

    The Duke of York and Commercial Court

    Commercial Court, Cathedral Quarter

    Address: 7-11 Commercial Court, Belfast BT1 2NB
    • Bar
    • Cheap and cheerful
    • Big night

    Find the cobbled lane of Commercial Court in the Cathedral Quarter and settle into the Duke of York, a pub crammed with old whiskey mirrors and signs, with live music on many nights.

    Why it's a good date: It's the warmest welcome in the Cathedral Quarter, and there are a few more good bars within a minute's walk when you're ready to move on.

From our guide to date ideas in Belfast

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