South and East Belfast
Things to do
in East Belfast.
East Belfast, BT4 and BT5, is not a footnote on a city-centre list. CLocal treats it as its own map.
East Belfast is a set of high streets rather than one centre. Most of what is worth doing sits on Ballyhackamore and the Upper Newtownards Road, the Belmont Road, the Holywood Road, and the Newtownards Road around CS Lewis Square. Between them are the Connswater Community Greenway, Victoria Park and the Stormont estate, so it is easy to put a good walk and somewhere to eat into the same afternoon without going near the city centre.
Ballyhackamore, BT4 and BT5
Ballyhackamore is the busiest strip in East Belfast, a few hundred metres of the Upper Newtownards Road with more kitchens, coffee and small shops per yard than anywhere else on this side of town. It is close enough together that you can change your mind twice on the way up the road, and it stays busy in the evening rather than closing at five.
The Belmont Road and the Holywood Road
Belmont is the quieter neighbour: a short, well kept parade of independents with a village feel, and Belmont Park behind it. The Holywood Road runs down from the Upper Newtownards Road towards the Arches and has a steady run of small places along it, the sort used by the people who live in the streets on either side rather than by anyone passing through.
CS Lewis Square and the Greenway
CS Lewis Square sits off the Newtownards Road, with the Narnia sculptures marking the writer's connection to East Belfast, where he was born. It is the natural start or end of the Connswater Community Greenway, a path that runs for miles along the river through the middle of East Belfast and links the Newtownards Road to Victoria Park and on towards the lough.
Parks and the estate
Victoria Park is flat, has a lake and a path right round it, and sits under the flight path, which children tend to enjoy more than adults. The Stormont estate is free to walk into, and the long avenue up to Parliament Buildings is the best known walk in East Belfast. Both are big enough to be worth a trip on their own.
When to go
Ballyhackamore is at its best on a weekday evening when it is busy but not queueing. Saturday mornings suit Belmont and the Holywood Road, when the small places are open and the roads are not. The Greenway and Stormont are worth a dry Sunday, and the estate is quietest early.
How CLocal helps
Search for any of this and you get pages written for visitors, ranking the same handful of names. CLocal works the other way round. The independents post their own short stories, so you see the room, the day and the person behind the counter, and the rest comes from people who actually go there. LocalGems, small offers that only exist for a set window, sit on the map around you, and when you are close to one it shows up.
Questions people ask
What is there to do in East Belfast?
Eat and drink around Ballyhackamore, Belmont or the Holywood Road, walk the Connswater Community Greenway from CS Lewis Square, or spend an afternoon at Victoria Park or the Stormont estate. All of it is free apart from what you choose to spend on the high street.
Which postcodes count as East Belfast?
Mainly BT4 and BT5. BT4 covers Ballyhackamore, Belmont, the Holywood Road and Stormont. BT5 covers Castlereagh, Cregagh, Knock and Bloomfield.
Where is the best coffee in East Belfast?
Ballyhackamore has the highest concentration of independent coffee in East Belfast, with Belmont Road and the Holywood Road close behind. CLocal exists so you can see what each place is actually like before you pick one, rather than going by a star rating.
Is CLocal free?
Joining the waitlist is free, and so is the app. There is a paid VIP tier, but you do not need it to use CLocal.
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