Great wee bar and I mean wee! But I guess for this establishment great things come in small packages! I love calling here for a quiet pint or two, its a bar where you can enjoy company with your friends or here yourself think as the music playing in the speakers is purely for background noise and not deafening like some places. The drinks on offer are great, a huge selecrion of local craft beer, well known household names and probably the best selection of whiskies you could find in any bar. The décor is pretty cool also, paintings of local politicians, sporting heros and characters from the world over.
Niamh R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Belfast, United Kingdom
Very very very small bar but I have to say I loved it!!! It has a huge range of whiskeys on offer and a good sized drinks menu which suprised me. It’s abit dated but I think you have to like that sort of décor(which I do) will definitely be back.
Casey H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Meriden, CT
If you are looking for a bar that serves beer and lots of it and nothing else, you found your spot. It’s also a good place for conversation and people watching. Several of the locals were in there and apparently frequent this place. If you are looking for an Irish or um British experience, then make this place on your list of places to stop. We were just on our way out of Belfast and I just had to stop over here. We had one Guinness and and I had some Francesco Ale, not sure what it was, but it was good. If I ever make the trip back to Belfast this will be on my list of stops again.
Chris C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Belfast, United Kingdom
Great bar with a great selection. Plenty of locals frequent here too. A noted whisky bar and loads of local beers.
Stevie M.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Belfast, United Kingdom
Bittles Bar is the last remaining old man pub in Belfast City centre. The nice thing about Bittles is the mix of people you get in the establishment, tourists mix with the local patrons seamlessly. The décor in Bittles is a little bit dated but has a certain charm. Pictures and caricatures of politicians and some of Belfast’s favourite sons adorn the walls and the ceiling is still stained from late 90’s smoke. But this all seems to add to the authenticity of the place. They have a good selection of draft beers but you can’t go wrong with a pint of Guinness in Bittles, they know how to pour a pint of the black stuff.
James M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Stockbridge, GA
Great little bar. Good for a beer. Cash only.
Katherine C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Belfast, United Kingdom
If you are touring the bars of Belfast be sure to include Bittles in your itinerary. This is small bar which is dedicated solely to having a drink and a chat. No dancefloor, no live band here — there simply wouldn’t be room for either. Its distinctive shape is like a smaller version of the Flat Iron Building in New York — we’ve got class just the same as they’ve got over there! It is an old traditional bar and many of those present are both old and traditional. However this bar is not the preserve of locals, and so wouldn’t be the sort of place where you get stared at when you cross the threshold. If you are looking to catch up with an old friend over a few pints this is one of the best places in Belfast to do so.
Tia C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Belfast, United Kingdom
Really like this bar. Situated near the back entrance of Victoria Square and just across from the kitchen bar, sits this established and distinguished bar. I really enjoyed having a pint here with a friend who was up in Belfast visiting. We whiled away the afternoon in Bittles relaxing old school surroundings. Bar staff were 100% and seemed to know what they were talking about. They had a great selection of German beers try the Erdinger or Warsteiner as well as some quality looking whiskeys. I really liked the decorations and pictures of the troubles and characters from Irish culture. Classy, old school and full of character, thumbs up.
Magz G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Belfast, United Kingdom
Bittles Bar is one of those bars that I just never thought to visit, but I’m glad I finally did! The bar is a must for tourists as the artwork on the walls is really cool and depicts scenes from the troubles in Northern Ireland. But not in a grim way. The bar is a strange shape– a triangle, and seems to close to a point t the top but I think this adds to the charm of the place. They specialise in whiskey and have quite a collection on the go, and the staff are apparently keyed up in all things whiskey related and they put up weekly specials. So if you’re a whiskey fan, or want to be, then it’s certainly worth a visit! Plus any bar which sells great German beer is up in my books!
Judith C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Belfast, United Kingdom
Bittles is a little oddity in the city centre. Like Diarmuid P said, it hasn’t fallen foul of the trappings of modernisation like its neighbour, the Kitchen Bar. It has maintained its character and is all the better for it. Tiny inside, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d stepped back in time to old Belfast, but don’t run away. The bar is really cosy, the whiskey selection is great and the punters are usually welcoming. It’s not a place I’d spend my whole Saturday night, but for a few post-shopping pints? Absolutely!
Michael M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Belfast, United Kingdom
Stood proud beside the glitz and glamour of the Victoria Centre is this rather odd, occasionally fun little bar. It’s been around for as long as I can remember and drank there on countless occasions. The bar itself is pretty standard, pricing and selection doesn’t hold too many surprises but there is definitely a bit of an atmosphere to it that you don’t get in many city centre bars. Maybe it’s down to the mix of the people. barflys, students, musicians, out of towners etc and there’s normally a few interesting conversations going down if you fancy an earwig. The shape of the bar is weird as well being situated on a ‘pointy’ corner so its actually silghty bigger than you think. Nice to see it keeping it’s character(and the local characters within) over the years. Pros: Good location, can be very entertaining. Cons: Not to everyones tastes.
Conor K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Bittles bar is the oddest shape I have ever seen. It’s triangular which means towards the back, the place gets… cosy. Bittles claim to fame is it’s huge selection of whiskeys. There are hundreds to choose from, from all over the world and a lot of them are much older than myself! The staff all know their stuff and help you to learn yours by doing ‘whiskey of the week’ offers and write description boards under different brands each week, detailing their little differences. The place itself is covered in lots of painting, mostly jokingly depicting the local politicians or some local historical figure having a drink at the bar.
J K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Belfast, United Kingdom
I’d been living in Belfast for five years before I actually called in to this long running little pub adjacent to The Kitchen Bar. It has now become one of my favourite places for a pint… and it’s only a short trip from my apartment. Bittles is a popular bar for an older crowd of regulars, generally during the day you’ll find the same faces with the occasional spattering of younglings and the odd tourist. It’s a fantastically decorated little joint. There’s an amazing array of artwork covering the troubles, politics, Irish literature, sporting achievements and in general Irish culture. They are of varying quality but some are absolutely superb and it’s the sort of place you could sit by yourself quietly admiring the handy-work while sipping a pint. My love for this bar has grown over the last few months, primarily due to the increasing range of decent beer available. There’s the familiar range of bottled ales from Hilden, Whitewater and a spattering from the superb Bridge of Allan brewery, along with a couple of Belgians and the usual popular German wheats. One little gem which tickles my fancy on many occasions is Sam Smiths bitter on tap, sadly not cask but it’s a fantastically sessionable little ale and puts the mass produced red ales to shame. I do have a penchant for whiskey and or whisky to be particularly anally retentive and this place has a stunning range. Primarily Irish whiskies which make up the majority of the shelves on behind the tiny little bar. If you are reading this and you’re visiting Ireland you’re bound to love this place, if you’re not then you should visit any way.
Paul G.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Belfast, United Kingdom
A strangely-shaped no frills little pub in the city centre that’s been around for years. It’s a bustling little pub with plenty of atmosphere and character. The staff are very friendly here, and the manager/owner can often be seen running around making sure everything is running smoothly. He also seems genuinely glad to talk to any of the patrons who decide to engage him in conversation. This place is also one of the few pubs to also supply drinks from the Hilden Brewery, which is a small independent brewery near Lisburn, and apparently Ireland’s oldest independent brewery. The names for the Hilden drinks are a bit random, but I do like their(comparatively mundanely named) Titanic Quarter beer. Anyway, a nice little pub with a warm atmosphere and a friendly welcome.
Suzi B.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Whiteabbey, United Kingdom
I used to think Bittles Bar was purely a sleazy ‘old mans pub’, that was until a friend brought me in for my lunch one day and showed me the true feel of the place. Wow, am I glad he did. I totally didn’t appreciate it’s real character any time I’d been before. The pictures hanging on the walls are brilliant depictions of Ireland/Belfast over the years(they’re also beautifully framed), the wee old man behind the bar seems like he’s been here for centuries(and he probably has!) and I certainly am glad to note that they haven’t succumbed to the modern update of Victoria Square(as Diarmuid notes below) The price for lunch is still exceptionally cheap despite the competition of all the new restaurants opening around the area. It offers a real Irish experience being here. OK, so the majority of the clientele ARE old men but this only adds to the feel of the place.