The Parlour

The Parlour is a place I go to every week nearly. The food is alright, the drinks are fine, the prices need fixed though.
Like many people in January, i felt like ‘Dry January’ would be a good idea, and also, money is fairly tight, so when i went in to the Parlour I though with my lunch I would be good and get a pint of coke… Big mistake. FOUR POUNDS it cost me. It is 70p more expensive than a pint of beer, which I would normally get. Ugh.
Besides the extortionate prices of soft drinks, it is a nice, student-​friendly bar/​restaurant. They have an inventive menu, with things like ‘Pizza Burgers’, and a ‘Frites’ menu (Basically just chips with different toppings).
I have had most of the stuff on the menu and even completed the ‘Wall of Flame’ pizza challenge (hot as hell!) and got the tee-​shirt and certificate.
The parlour is nice. My ‘old faithful’.

Great pizza and cheap drinks with good student deals. It’s a young crowd and quite dressed up at weekends.

Went to the Parlour for dinner one evening and had the burger, it was nice for a light dinner, I say light because it wasn’t that filling but it was tasty. The atmosphere was enjoyable, a lot like when I used to go here regularly in my student days. The reason why I have not given this a four star is because the toilets were a state and smelt really bad as they obviously had not been checked by staff in a while.

I really like The Parlour. I’ve only ever visited during early evening and lunch time, so can’t vouch for its credentials as a night time spot. However, there’s a tranquil vibe to this place, the staff are amiable and I just feel right at home here. I’ve also only ever visited outside the main student times, so I don’t view it as a student bar at all — which it probably is.
The décor is pleasant with super comfy sofas, armchairs and huge sturdy wooden dinning tables. Food is perfectly good pub grub — burgers, wings, pizzas etc (the goats cheese pizza is especially delicious — and amusingly named ‘Pure Class’ on the menu — only in Belfast haha!). Prices are low, drink is good and there’s a superb, sun-​trap of a beer garden out back.
All in all, a prime spot to relax with friends and enjoy a reasonably priced, informal and easy-​going few hours. Love it!

I used to go on nights out in The Parlour quite a lot. Whether it was a casual night out for drinks in the downstairs bar, or an energetic night out in the upstairs club, we always had a good night. Nowadays if I go it’s normally for lunch or dinner and a drink. The Parlour have lovely pizzas and often sell them at a low price. They are very tasty and I’d recommend them. They also have meals like burgers, hot dogs and so on which are all nice. There are often drinks promotions so you can have a cheap night out here.

I used to go here every Wednesday night whilst at uni. I loved it, cheap, just down the road and generally plays feel good music. Hadn’t been in years, and just recently went to it as a last resort a few weeks ago. Have to say, it’s a lot quieter than what a Saturday night used to be. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Still cheap, good fun and plays the same kind of music. It was a rare find that night, and lead to a fantastic night out. I was always the first to say I would never go to the parlour again, well I was wrong. Pleasantly surprised. I’ll def be going again. :-) the staff are all lovely aswell, all up for a laugh.

Am comfortably over 30 but still enjoy this place greatly. Good beer and good reasonable food — try the calzone.

The Parlour is a bar regularly frequented by students due to the fact that it is a mere stone’s throw away from Queen’s University. During my experiences of socialising there, I found it to be both a spacious and relaxed bar with great drinks offers (e.g. three bottles of Magners cider for £5) as well as a host of cocktails. I would personally recommend the Long Island Iced Tea or Cosmpolitan cocktails!
Unlike many other bars in South Belfast, the vast majority of The Parlour’s club nights are usually free, which is a welcome sight to those on a tight budget! During the summer there also tends to be a series of ‘Movie Nights’ in the downstairs bar, where latest releases are often shown– alongside candyfloss and popcorn machines!
There are also a number of areas that can be exclusively reserved (with a buffet if required) for free or a nominal fee, which is great for a private function. I recently attended a private party in the Club Room and was pleasantly surprised to find that we had been provided with our own security staff.
One downside is the distinct lack of a cloakroom, which would be extremely useful in the club area!
Although the club nights upstairs may not suit everyone’s taste, there are plenty of comfy sofas (as well as a lounge area) downstairs for those who want a slightly quieter evening.
The fairly recent addition of the Beer Garden also makes it the perfect venue to spend a sunny day, availing of its £5 pizza and pint meal deal.

The Parlour is a student haven, right beside Queen’s Student Union, that I have very little time for.
During the day when a lot of pubs are nice enough, the Parlour is still charmless, especially when hordes upon hordes of clueless students have been enticed in with offers of £1 pizzas. Isn’t that enough to make you wince with sympathy for the chefs?
I’ve called in once or twice over the summer for a brief pint, but I tend to leave wondering why I bothered in the first place.
And night time, bloody hell. Upstairs is a nightmare of epic Josef Conrad proportions. Walled in with a million other beings, no chance of getting served even though you tipped one of the staff a fiver last time, an overwhelming urge to just go home (but you can’t because it’s a good friend’s leaving do), maybe it’ll all be over soon…
Horrendous. Fair play to the staff who’ve stuck it out for a while.

The Parlour divides opinion across the board, at first when I landed down here, wet behind the ears a shed with a Guinness pump would have impressed me)
I first had a pizza with a friend here about seven years back. At £5 with a pint, the crispy wood-​fired traditional doughy goodness impressed me. Since then I’ve had a few sweaty, confusing and heavily alcohol laden nights in my youth, everyone of them being wholly disappointing.
At night this place is not the bar you want to go to for a quiet one, or in fact if you want to see anyone under 25. The upstairs club is a travesty. Packed, sweaty, awful homogeneous popular gigged up dance music with a gaggle of the pretentious and underwhelming. It did make me chuckle though to find out that former Pantera frontman and Down singer Phil Anselmo and company arrived here for their ‘after party’… not sure how that went down…

You know, despite being a proper grown-​up now, the Parlour will always have my heart.
It was my venue of choice for most of my time at Queen’s University and still to this day, I’ll go back the odd time for a wee visit…
First things first — this is a student bar. If you’re over the age of 24 and go during term time on a weekday, you will feel old. Weekends tend to be anyone’s guess, but it will generally attract the younger population of Belfast.
Daytime is a bit different. People who work nearby are likely to be seen enjoying the food along with the students.
The interior really lives up to the place’s name. The whole pub is wooden, there’s a fireplace in the back and a proper old-​fashioned snug (get there early if you want that spot though). The downstairs couldn’t be cosier. Upstairs is much the same, but with a dancefloor which is usually packed out most nights.
The bar itself is standard. I recall there being cocktails on offer, but generally it was just lots of alcohol thrown in a jug with lots of fruit juice, so don’t expect Tom Cruise style cocktail-​mixing.
The food is good. Surprisingly good for the price of it, actually. The pizza’s are particularly good and there’s always some kind of offer on (right now, for instance, you get your pizza for £1 when you buy any beverage — how’s that for recession friendly?)
Overall, The Parlour is a relaxed, student venue — cheap, hassle-​free and friendly.

Extremely studenty bar, thanks to its location right beside the University and Student Union. Going to the parlour and getting completely out of it is a bit of a right of passage for students at QUB so beware if you are expecting a nice drink or a quiet bite to eat.
That being said, I can’t deny I havent had fun here and there are usually some drinks promos on upstairs and there is usually a pretty good atmosphere for a bit of a boogie and usually lots of young singles about if you want to chance your arm and try and get lucky.
The food is good here, nice and simple. The stonebaked pizza is made to order and is delicious is you get a good one, which happens more often than not. They’re big enough to share so this can help keep the costs down.
I once met Gruff Rhys from the Super Furry Animals in here after I saw them play at the Mandela Hall across the street which means this bar will always have a place in my heart.
A definite draw back is the door staff who can be a bit arsey sometimes and I always think that leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

My first trip to the Parlour was way back before I ever made it to University. Coming from a small town, any pub in the bright lights of Belfast shone brighter than anything I had ever seen before. It is only three years after which I feel my judgement on what is good and what is bad in Belfast can actually hold some resonace.
The Parlour is quite literally a stone’s throw from the front of Queen’s University, one of the most prestigious universities this side of the continent. Obviously with Queen’s, and in turn the Student Union opposite, you are more than likely going to bump into a student or two. Chances are they will be very friendly. The loutish students tend to go elsewhere.
Upon entering the Parlour, you will notice how clean and spacious it is. Pubs tend to ram in as many people as possible, yet the Parlour has a more relaxed atmosphere. The tunes are pumping, but not at the sort of level where your ears bleed and the only way to speak to anyone is through a series of dangerous hand gestures. I have been in many places where drinks have taken a tumble because people cannot understand my erratic gestures. Thankfully, for both me and my friends, The Parlour poses no such difficulty.
Upstairs usually hosts themed club-​esque nights where most of the scantally clad clientele would go. It is free in which is a massive benefit to anybody and the music varies throughout the week so there is guaranteed to be at least one night where you bring your dancing shoes.
A recent introduction has been the smoking area/​lounge area out the back, complete with bbq, picnic benches and mini beach.
The Parlour, unlike many other pubs I have stepped into, makes actually nice food! Fancy that?! The food is far from the microwavable, cheap rubbish you would usually associate with pubs. Here, the food is tasty, reasonably cheap, and made infront of you in a huge stone pizza oven. The menu specialises in the £5 meal and portions tend to be well stacked but from personal experience, you cannot beat a pizza.
The Parlour has offers on a variety of drinks, from wines, cocktails, beers, etc. Something for everyone, whether you are a student after a «hard» day’s work, or a 9 – 5 person who has actually earned a drink!
The Parlour in that respect has something for everyone. No matter what you go in the door for, you are likely to enjoy it and recommend it to your friends.

I’ve always had a good night out here, although more recently I have started to feel a little old compared to the average age of the usual clientele! The bouncers, however seem to ask every single person for ID, and while I’m flattered mate, I really don’t look under 18. They are a little on the control freak side to be honest, and a little intimidating with two or three of them standing in the one doorway.
Apart from that, the music upstairs is always guaranteed to be good, and even though the dance floor can get really, and I mean really cramped, there are never any bad moments, and everyone seems to get along. It takes forever to make a trip to the loo though, because it’s miles at the other end of the big long room and you have to fight your way past crowds of people dancing and waiting at the bar. But the cocktails are great, we usually get a big jug of them to last us a while, and the drinks in general are good value because they are appealing to the student crowd. Good night out, but anyone over 30 will feel like a spare part.

I love the parlour! It is my favourite place to eat in Belfast.
Its pies are amazing They aren’t like regular pie, they are pie sauce mixture in a bowl with a puff pastry type thing placed on top delicious!
Granted, The Parlour isn’t normally graced by those over 30 years of age due to its student image and reputation. It has low seats and high tables for lounging, and movies or sport playing on the old-​style televisions.
This venue also boasts themed nights such as ‘Doctors and Nurses’ and ‘Vicars and Nuns’ nights where prizes are awarded for best costumes and drinks promotions are very cheap.
The prices for food are also excellent, and the food portions generous.
The décor is fabulous very sophisticated with 1930s lights handing from the ceilings providing light from flicking candles and the ceiling tiled with beautiful black tiles.
The staff are also very friendly and efficient, and seem to have a good time with their workmates.
However, this place gets very busy at lunchtimes from 12 2, where you might not even get a table so be warned!
A place to definitely visit for a good meal and good time!

If you are over 30 or not a student you may find it hard to understand the attraction. It’s a dream come true when you can get the sofa for the rugby/​football/​any sports. Prices are ok and bar staff tend to be a bit hit and miss, but the baked beans pizza is amazing! Food is student-​orientated, as are the prices.