november-2010

Located one fl oor up
in the Kunsthalle, this
spacious designer bar
with lovely high ceilings
is a great place to meet
for cocktails before
or after the theatre.
There’s also a bar in
the ground-level
courtyard for warm
autumn evenings.
LIVE MUSIC Cargo
Bar (46 St Johanns-
Rheinweg, tel: 06 1321
0072) The tiny Cargo
Bar on the Rhine hosts
many of the city’s best
up-and-coming jazz and
rock bands three or four
nights a week. Beat the
crowds and get there
early, ensuring yourself
a spot by the window,
and a great view of the
river as it drifts by.
LATE & LIVELY
Club 1900 (3 Rue des
Halles, Mulhouse, tel:
03 8946 1100) Club
1900 is the place for
those who believe
there’s too much rap
music interfering with
French music these
days. Get ready for rock,
disco and funk, the way
it used to be.
THIS MONTH
SHOP If you’ve got a
sweet tooth, you may
wish to steer well clear
of Confi serie Sprüngli,
which has been
serving up some of
Switzerland’s best-loved
sugary creations since
1836 (14 Steinenberg).
SEE Cité de
L’Automobile in
Mulhouse is home
to the Schlumpf
Collection, which is,
with 520 vehicles, the
largest car museum in
YOU’RE
the world. Come and
see the great range
of antique and luxury
cars, including the
world’s largest
collection of Bugatti
motors (collectionschlumpf.com).
GO Just 10 minutes
across the border
from Basel, Weil am
Rhein is a pretty little
German town. Come
to experience its
interesting combination
of cultures, thanks to
its position, practically
on the border of
France, Switzerland
and Germany. The
Vitra Design Museum
has really put this town
on the map, so don’t
miss out on a tour
while you’re here.
Look out for great
architectural exhibits
from the likes of Zaha
Hadid and many others
(design-museum.de).
ESCAPE If you
absolutely need to hit
the slopes early in the
year (and many do),
the most reliable snow
is to be found on the
glacier at Zermatt,
just over two hours
from Basel. Slopes
generally open in
the last few weeks of
November, depending
on conditions.
NO WAY!
While the Swiss
continue to be as
wealthy as just about
any other people on
earth, surprisingly,
they have the lowest
rate of home ownership
in western Europe,
at only 34%.
Richard Harvell
Belfast
UK
DIALLING CODE +44
CURRENCY £
FLY FROM
Alicante,
Amsterdam, Barcelona,
Bristol, Edinburgh, Faro,
Geneva, Glasgow, Ibiza,
Krakow, Liverpool, London
(LGW, LTN), Málaga,
Malta, Newcastle, Majorca,
Nice, Paris (CDG), Prague
FROM THE
AIRPORT
BELFAST INT.
TAXI
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs £25.
Translink run an
Airbus service to
the centre. Tickets: £7
single; £10 return.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
CITY AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
1998
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs £8.
Translink runs an
Airbus service to
the city centre. Tickets:
£2 single; £3 return.
Visit the Europcar
desk for special
easyJet rates.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Little
Wing (10 Ann Street,
tel: 028 9024 7000)
Situated on the übertrendy
Lisburn Road, this
funky and informal pizza
restaurant is perfect
for a quick, thin-based
pizza, with a wide range
of toppings available. It’s
also close to the Chelsea
Wine Bar, which is a
great spot for a pre- or
post-dinner drink.
UP TO €30 Rhubarb
(2 Little Victoria Street,
tel: 028 9020 0158)
This tiny restaurant is
something of a hidden
gem. The food – a
mixture of classic British
and French – is delicious
and very good value.
It’s only open in the
evenings at weekends
and you may have to
book. It doesn’t have
a licence but you can
bring your own wine.
UP TO €50 The
Welcome (Stranmillis
Road, tel: 028 9038
1359) Forget all the
clichés about Chinese
restaurants having
slightly naff décor.
Established in 1973,
this stylish Chinese
restaurant has won
numerous awards and
serves fantastic food.
Located in the leafy
suburb of Stranmillis.
EXCLUSIVE Beatrice
Kennedy (44 University
Road, tel: 028 9020
2290) This brilliant little
restaurant is situated
yards away from
Queen’s University’s
Lanyon Building, so it
tends to attract a lot of
academics. Housed in a
classic Belfast Victorian
terrace, this place is well
worth a visit.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY White’s
Tavern (2–4 Winecellar
Entry, tel: 028 9024
ON TRACK FEEL THE EXCITEMENT
DRUMBO PARK
FOR A GREAT
NIGHT OUT
PRICES FROM £10
FINE DINING WITH A VIEW
RESTAURANT PACKAGES FROM £29.95
DESTINATION GUIDES | 115
3080) This historic bar
is a great place for a
contemplative drink.
Call in for a pint of the
black stuff (Guinness)
and if you’re lucky,
you might catch some
live traditional Irish
music, too.
LIVE MUSIC The
Empire (42 Botanic
Avenue, tel: 028 9032
8110) The Empire has
live music on two fl oors.
The upper fl oor is the
larger and tends to play
host to indie bands
and tribute acts. It also
has a terrifi c comedy
night every Tuesday.
Downstairs caters
mainly for acoustic acts.
LATE & LIVELY
Ollie’s at the
Merchant (16 Skipper
Street, tel: 028 9023
4888) Housed in the
basement of the swanky
Merchant Hotel, this
cavernous nightclub is
a great destination for
a big night on the town.
It has lots of nooks and
crannies to get lost in
and it has also recently
HILLSBOROUGH
ESCAPE Around
16km from Belfast,
but a different
world away. There
are lots of bars and
boutiques. After a
walk along the bright
terrace houses, stroll
around the centre.
CALL NOW TO BOOK
028 9061 0070
www.drumbopark.com
57 BALLYSKEAGH RD,
LAMBEG,
LISBURN
had a refurb, making
its interiors almost as
bling as its clientèle.
THIS MONTH
SHOP The Steensons
Ltd shop specialises in
high-quality jewellery
handmade in Northern
Ireland. The owners, Bill
and Christina Steenson,
design their own pieces,
but their outlet also
stocks work by many
other leading designers
(Bedford Street, tel:
028 9024 8269).
SEE The Belfast Music
Tour is a bus ride that
leaves from the Ulster
Hall every Saturday
and takes passengers
on a tour of Belfast’s
rich musical heritage.
Among those artists
featured are Van
Morrison, Stiff Little
Fingers and Snow Patrol
(belfastmusic.org).
GO Over the last
decade the historic
Cathedral Quarter has
become the nightlife
centre of the city. There
are dozens of great
bars and restaurants
to eat and drink in.
Wander around by day
and take in some of the
cultural sights, then
pop in to the Duke of
York for a pint, or Nick’s
Warehouse for food.
NO WAY!
Although most people
will assume that he
is the quintessential
Australian, the actor
Sam Neill was actually
born in the provincial
town of Omagh in
county Tyrone.
Chris Sherry/
Ulster Tatler