The JOHN HEWITT Bar
Donegall Street, Belfast
Belfast's newest bar 'the John Hewitt' has opened just in time for Christmas. The bar, owned by the Unemployed Resource Centre, is named in memory of Belfast writer John Hewitt, a socialist and protestant.
The bar serves excellent lunchtime food.

CONLON'S BAR
Waring St  Belfast BT1
It's probably the only old-fashioned, nicotine-stained bar that hasn't been restyled as a quaint old Irish boozer. Conlon's is unaffected and essentially come-as-you-are in style, a location that's barely been touched since it moved here from York Street in 1941 with a Blitz licence, following the German bombing. Formerly the meeting place for reporters and Communist Party members, the bar still attracts an interesting clientele, savouring the unspoilt nature of the place while it still lasts. "It's coming down soon," says the barman. "The foundations are away with it. They'll soon be turning it into a hotel bar and restaurant."
Stop Press: Sadly no more, Conlon's has finally been demolished! In its place 'the Press Box,' a temporary bar solution awaiting the day when it too will be swept aside for a hotel bar and restaurant.

THE
PARLIAMENT BAR
2-6 Dunbar Street  Belfast BT1  Tel: 01232 234520
By day, it serves upmarket pub food to a cosmopolitan clientele. In the evening, The Parliament is famous for club nights such as Pink, Lust and Bitch In Heat. 

THE CROW'S NEST
Skipper Street Belfast  BT1
Tel: 01232 325491
The recent refurbishment of the bar has emphasised the sea-faring associations of the area, with hurricane lanterns, mock rigging and the DJ booth that's shaped like a ship's prow.

DUKE OF YORK
11 Commerical Court  Belfast  BT1  Tel: 01232 241062
It's half-hidden down a cobbled alley, but the Duke Of York is a popular drinking spot, and the host to many legendary week-end music sessions, normally of the
alternative and raucous variety. No-one at the bar claims to know exactly when the spot became a public house, nor is their a plausible explanation for the brass horse shoes embedded in the foor path outside. The decor of the bar itself reflects the importance of journalism in the area, with printers blocks on the walls and portraits of many famous writers of yore.