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Bittle’s Bar (below)

Crown Liquor Saloon (opposite)

Duke of York (right)

Kelly’s Cellars (below)

Morning Star (below)

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Morning Star (Map; 9023 5986; 17 Pottinger’s Entry) One of several traditional pubs hidden away in the pedestrian alleys off High St, the Morning Star dates back to at least 1810 when it was mentioned in the Belfast News Letter as a terminal for the Dublin to Belfast stagecoach. It has a big sweeping horseshoe bar, and cosy snugs for privacy. See also Click here.

White’s Tavern (Map; 9024 3080; 1-4 Wine Cellar Entry) Established in 1630 but rebuilt in 1790, White’s claims to be Belfast’s oldest tavern (unlike a pub, a tavern provided food and lodging). Downstairs is a traditional Irish bar with an open peat fire, upstairs is all red brick, pine and polished copper, with live trad music Friday to Sunday.

Kelly’s Cellars (Map; 9032 4835; 1 Bank St) Kelly’s is Belfast’s oldest pub (1720) – as opposed to tavern; see White’s Tavern above – and was a meeting place for Henry Joy McCracken and the United Irishmen when they were planning the 1798 Rising. The story goes that McCracken hid behind the bar when British soldiers came for him. A bit rough around the edges (a description that could apply to some of the regulars too), it remains resolutely old-fashioned, but pulls in a broad cross-section of Belfast society and is a good bet for impromptu traditional music sessions.

Bittle’s Bar (Map; 9031 1088; 103 Victoria St) A cramped and staunchly traditional bar that occupies Belfast’s only ‘flat iron’ building, Bittle’s is a 19th-century triangular red-brick building decorated with gilded shamrocks. The wedge-shaped interior is covered in paintings of Ireland’s literary heroes by local artist Joe O’Kane. Pride of place on the back wall is a large canvas depicting Yeats, Joyce, Behan and Beckett at the bar with glasses of Guinness, and Wilde pulling the pints on the other side.

Cathedral Quarter & Around

John Hewitt Bar & Restaurant (Map; 9023 3768; 51 Donegall St) Named for the Belfast poet and socialist, the John Hewitt is one of those treasured bars that has no TV and no gaming machines; the only noise here is the murmur of conversation. As well as Guinness, the bar serves Hilden real ales from nearby Lisburn, plus Hoegaarden and Erdinger wheat beers. There are regular sessions of folk, jazz and bluegrass from 9pm most nights. See also Click here.

Northern Whig (Map; 9050 9888; 2 Bridge St) A stylish modern bar set in an elegant Georgian printing works, the Northern Whig’s airy interior is dominated by three huge Socialist-Realist statues rescued from Prague in the early 1990s. Its relaxing sofas and armchairs encourage serious afternoon loafing, though the pace hots up considerably after 5pm on Friday and Saturday when the stag- and hen-party crowd starts knocking back the vodka tonics and alcopops.

Duke of York (Map; 9024 1062; 11 Commercial Ct) Hidden away down an alley in the heart of the city’s former newspaper district, the snug, traditional Duke was a hang-out for print workers and journalists and still pulls in a few hacks. One claim to fame is that the Sinn Féin leader, Gerry Adams, worked behind the bar here during his student days.

Spaniard (Map; 9023 2448; 3 Skipper St) Forget ‘style’: this narrow, crowded bar, which looks as if it’s been squeezed into someone’s flat, has more atmosphere in one battered sofa than most ‘style bars’ have in their shiny entirety. Friendly staff, good beer, an eclectic crowd and cool tunes played at a volume that still allows you to talk: bliss. On Sunday from 9pm to midnight is You Say We Play, with the DJ playing requests only.

Rotterdam (Map; 9074 6021; 54 Pilot St) Saved from demolition in 2008 by the credit crunch (which halted construction of the surrounding apartment development), the Rotterdam is a purist’s pub, unrepentantly old-fashioned and wonderfully atmospheric, with stone floors, an open fire, low ceilings and a perfectly poured pint of Guinness. It’s famed for the quality of its live-music sessions – jazz, folk, rock or blues