The Washington Bar

I must update my review for The Washington after going for a night out there on Saturday. The Washington is somewhere that I would never ave previously thought of going but it turned out to be a good night. We arrived around 10:30pm and there was no queue at the door. We immediately went upstairs to the Club Area. It was busy but not packed and you could easily nudge in at the bar. As the night went on the bar got busier and so did the dance floor.
There was an upstairs heated smoking area that I never knew existed and there was plenty of space to sit or stand. The music was cheesy, I heard some Westlife as well as the usual UK top 40. Not my cup of tea but good to sing along to for a laugh.
My one criticism would be that despite being well staffed the barmen seemed happy to ignore people at the bar and have banter among themselves. This only seemed to happened towards the end of the night.
Drinks prices were reasonable, there were no promotions but a bonus was that there was no entrance fee! A-​Ok for a different night out in Belfast!

I remember coming to this place 25 years ago and it was as good then as it is now! Despite changing the name several times they’ve gone back to the Washington. The food is very good quality and tasty, just enough to set you up for a few of the lovely cocktails they have to offer. Friday afternoon is buzzing with shoppers, after work ppl and those wanting to start the weekend early. They do 2 4 1 cocktails, buy 1 get one free beer and wine for less than a tenner a bottle, whats not to like.

The food was absolutely delicious but the service was terrible! The staff were actually so rude, I couldn’t believe it! I was so torn when deciding whether or not to return, but decided that I couldn’t face more rudeness, even for the exceptional food.

Went here with my friends for food recently it was yummy and reasonably priced and went with the other half not long after on a night out staff were friendly and drink was cheap!

Date night was held in the Washington tonight as it is my partners favourite place to go. I’m not really fussed on the place myself as last time I ate there iceland had better quality food but tonight I had the ‘belfast buger’ which had a thick beef patty with cheese, bacon and onion rings to top it off. The food was average but the service was very good with very polite and attentive staff! I have to say my favourite thing this evening was the mini bottle of rose wine which went down like water!

The washington bar is my favourite spot. It has a wide range of food. I got a burger when I was there. The burger was just cooked right. If you want food or just to go and chill with friends for drinks it is the ideal location. The staff are very attentive and the prices are cheap. Good quality for small prices.

Lovely atmosphere! I loved the live music and the antique rustic vibe. This was my first time having fish and chips and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was the perfect place to spend my one day in Belfast. The sticky toffee pudding was amazing. Perfect score.

Loved it! Brilliant service, food was lovely. I had a beautiful cocktail which was huge!!!. Will definitely be back very soon.

The Washington is one of those bars that’s like a dirty little secret, you don’t particularly want to go there or be seen there, but you love their cheap alcohol and food and when you get suitably hammered you head up stair and dance to some cheesy music before you need to stumble home.
I called in last night to get a few cheap 2 for 1 cocktails with the girls before we headed elsewhere. The place was rammed, and there was a guy on the guitar singing a way, unfortunately too loudly. But we got a couple of seats by the bar and had a peruse of the cocktail menus which actually seemed quite extensive. When we went to order we were told the Long Island ice tea, the raspberry mojito, and the strawberry Daiquiri were the only 2 for 1 options. Fine! 2 Mojitos and 2 daiquiris ordered. We got substantial brain freeze from the pint of frozen daiquiri, and the mojito tasted like Ribena. Not great.
To be honest we kept being jostled at the bar and having to move, and there were no tables free, I think people literally get in there as soon as they finish work and don’t move all night! Service was pretty slow too.
So we moved ourselves on after just the one drink. I think if I worked in the city centre id be in here with work ones regularly enough but I wouldn’t spend the night here.

Service was great, good drinks, fish and chips were wonderful. They were out of a lot of things… It was very crowded. Average but worth the visit if you’re in the neighborhood.

The Washington is a relaxed, welcoming city centre bar, however due to it’s popularity it can be extremely busy. If you’re lucky enough to secure a table beside the huge windows overlooking Howard Street it’s a great spot in which to chill whilst watching the world pass by.
I find the food enjoyable and on my last visit had a nice pita bread with roasted mediterranean vegetables, cheese, salad and chips. Service is pleasant and the cocktails are delicious. Unfortunately there could be more vegetarian options on the menu. Nonetheless a warm, genial and comfy bar which I like and would recommend.

love the place. brilliant drink offers on a friday and the food is lovely too

We were here recently for food and drinks. We went for burgers and fries, and really enjoyed them. The burgers were large and packed with fillings, so the meal was very filling. We still managed to squeeze in desserts which were lovely too. The cocktails were lovely, we had strawberry daiquiris which were actually on offer for buy one get one free.

Glad we happened upon this place. Nice dinner and nice bunch of bartenders. Had the steak special and was pleasantly surprised on how good it was.

Great dinner special. 2 steaks with sides & a bottle of wine. Great service. Really nice atmosphere.

I really liked this spot. The saloon style wallpaper. The TV in a mock antique frame. The warm fire. The lush leather seats. The rich red carpet.
£5.40 for our hot whiskies — you would not get that value down south.
We did not eat here but lots of folks filtered in Sunday afternoon for grub. I would be curious to know what the spot is like at night, as often times the character of a bar during the day is not indicative of the night time clientele.
One fail was the loos. I really don’t need a full length mirror on the inside door of the cubicle. I didn’t know where to look, so I closed my eyes. Sometimes things should be left to one’s imagination.

The Washington is a fairly new bar following an extensive makeover on a previous business called Skye. Skye was notorious for it’s £1 drink offers (and as such, I never set foot in the place). You’ll not find any of that lunacy here now, just good deals on bottles of wine, and slightly odd American Revolution-​themed names for their burgers.
There is also a set aside dining area which I have availed myself of a couple of times, and the food is pretty good value for money. While the redesigners have gone for a more opulent kind of feel, all dark wood and squashy leather chairs, it’s not as polished and fancy as they were expecting it to be. I still like it though — a good spot for lunch and an afternoon pint. And while it’s still a very busy pub, give me that any day over hordes of mindlessly drunk kids deranged on £1 vodka.

There’s something unmistakably cheap about this little place since it’s had its face re-​lifted and been renamed.
The Washington seems to attract a mixture of people although the majority are those in their 30s out for a heavy session, comprising of the Belfast millie brigade and multitude of hen nights.
It’s not the sort of place I’d probably go back to. I had one pint of Guinness with a friend and although we did have a look around at both levels we ended up sitting outside beside a couple from Germany who looked as decidedly unimpressed as we were.
The level of competition between bars in this area is ridiculous. A quick walk around the corner and you have the Cathedral Quarter at your midst and a flock of superb bars.

The Washington is becoming quite a popular spot for a night out. Friday and Saturday nights have a pretty good mix of music. Friday night is 80’s night upstairs, which is a good laugh, and Saturday is a mix from the 70’s throughout the decades to the present day. They seem to be going for a bit of an older crowd with an over-25’s policy at the weekend, and it’s set in comfortable, modern surroundings. The big comfortable armchairs and seats look very well, even if they do make you want to go to sleep when you sink into them.
The smokers seem to really appreciate their accommodation upstairs — well sheltered with seating and heaters: I’ve seen many of them spend the majority of their night out there! It’s also in close proximity to Thompson’s Garage, which makes a great night out for weekend visitors who want to experience as much of the variety of Belfast nightlife as possible in the one night.

A great pub firmly set in Belfasts history. Its split over two levels-​downstairs consisting of the retaurant/​lounge furnished with big comfy leather armchairs and upstairs is a funky beer garden popular with the smokers. They also offer seating outside so you can get that alfresco feeling while enjoying your pint or some grub!
The food is definately a must try! They serve all the usuals-​burgers, chicken, steaks pasta and salads and the kithchen can be viewed from the lounge downstairs which adds to the charm of the place. I’d definately reccomend steak and a pint!
The Washington is also a great night out with no real target age group so can be enjoyed by everyone which is somethin I love about the place. It had that old rustic charm you’d expect from a pub in Ireland with the hearty food to match!