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Detail Pages
Robinson's, Belfast
Belfast
BT2 7BA
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about Robinson's
Robinson’s, established in 1895, is a multi-level pub with saloon bar, Lounge and back bar. On the first floor is a bistro and on the floor above is the advertised pool loft, which apparently houses eight pool tables and multiple screens for watching live sports. During a recent midweek visit I only visited the saloon and back bars. The saloon bar has a serving counter along the right wall that is split midway along by a supporting column. Standard keg is available from both sides and I found the staff to be friendly. Either side of the entrance are small banquette seating areas and banquettes run along the front of the left wall and normal tables and chairs the rear. These seating styles are split by a gaming machine area found midway up the left wall. Televisions for live sport are found throughout, Champions League football was muted whilst some background music played. Double doors on the rear wall lead to the rear bar that is named Fibber McGee’s. This bar has a grocer’s shop vibe including shelves with general grocery goods and an old delivery boy’s bike. This is the location for the advertised regular live Irish folk and traditional music. Fibber Mcgee’s has it’s own entrance at the rear, which threw me for a bit. I much preferred this bar to the saloon bar and would have no problem returning.
On 19th September 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about Robinson's
Next door to the nationally-known Crown so thought we’d best pop in. Unlike its next-door neighbour this is a TARDIS place with two large rooms separated via an arch with a lounge to the left closed because COVID. Really nicely appointed and plenty inside to catch the eye; tiled floor, gold moulded ceiling and columns, bottle green banquettes, Victoriana stylings and cabinets filled with Titanic and White Star Lines ephemera. Apparently there also separate bars on the upper floors available during the week when they have events on. A mix of the usual Diageo tosh and some of the Tennants range at the bar; my Heverlee Lager was tinny and very expensive, served-up be-penguined staff. Quiet compared to other places and perhaps the naff beer and expensive prices it isn’t that hard to see why. Well-worth a look for the interior though, you’re going to be next door at the Crown at some point, aren’t you?
On 17th February 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5108 recommendations about 5091 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about Robinson's
An attractive and traditional looking pub, perhaps slightly in the shadow of the iconic and much better known Crown next door, it is nonetheless well worth exploring in it’s own right. It’s a good sized pub internally, and is divided in to two halves with the rear section being used for live music, even on our Sunday lunchtime visit. Fortunately there are doors between the two halves, so this is not intrusive in the remainder of the pub. I believe there is also a bistro upstairs, although we did not investigate this.
Décor wise it’s quite ornate, with a gold panelled ceiling and painted gold columns, and in fact even the air conditioning unit had been painted gold. Victorian style tiling covered the floor at the front of the pub with parquet wood at the rear and there was much etched glass in evidence. A glass display case contained a number of old black and white photographs and there were also various items related to the Titanic including a large model of the ship in a glass display case and a brass Harland & Wolff plaque. An attractive bookcase was built in to the wall at the left, although the TV screen that was also built in detracted from it somewhat. This, along with a larger one at the rear, were showing a sports channel, although the sound was off so this was not too intrusive. A small vestibule to one side housed three or four fruit machines, which I thought was a nice touch to prevent then spoiling the traditional ambience of the pub. The rear room had dark wood panelling on the ceiling, and besides an area at the front set aside for the bands also had an attractive appearance with a depiction of many traditional trades such as hat maker, haberdashery, boot maker, draper, etc., as well as a display of old glass bottles.
The food menu offered a decent enough selection of pub grub dishes, and I opted for the sausage and mash with caramelised onions and gravy. This was a generous portion with two very long sausages and a large pile of mash, and whilst it was all ok it was certainly nothing special. The sausages were a little gristly in places but otherwise ok. Elsewhere on the table, dishes of fish & chips and beef and Guinness pie & chips both looked rather bland, with no accompanying vegetables or salad.
Unfortunately there were no real ales on tap, just the usual keg selection from Smethwick’s and so on. Even worse, there was no coder either, so I opted for a bottle of the Cardons Crisp which was ok, but, like the food, nothing special. This was all the more disappointing as it was such a lovely old pub, and if it were not for this it would have been an easy score of eight.
On 22nd October 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1951 recommendations about 1864 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about Robinsons Bar
Main bar is quite disappointing. No real ale, but some Irish Lager. TV Screens, quite brightly lit and nothing really going for it.
The back room is better - where live Irish Music was played. Quite surreal seeing a large group of Asian ladies doing riverdance to the fiddle music.
On 30th October 2015
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1345 recommendations about 1331 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
David Ross left this review about Robinsons Bar
Sitting in the shadow of its next door neighbour, the famous Crown Liquor Saloon, Robinsons looks rather ordinary by comparison. Being a huge establishment, however, it is a useful overspill venue if the Crown is overflowing, and also a perfectly good pub in its own right.
On 2nd July 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 769 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Robinsons Bar
This is 5 places for the price of one. The back bar is called Fibber Magees and specialises in touristy live music every night of the week. There is a nightclub on the top floor and another in the basement. The first floor Bistro sells fairly poor quality pub grub at restaurant prices. Their idea of a lamb shank pie is to cook the lamb shank then push a piece of frozen puff pastry over the bone, the champ was even made with Smash it was that poor, pathetic. The service was so bad that we didn't leave a tip. This is unheard of in the CAMRA household.
The saving grace is the large ornate front bar. Several distinct areas all well decorated with mirrors and Titanic photos etc. Comfortable seating all round the edges and there's also a small snug right at the front. Efficient bar staff mean that you don't have to wait very long to get served even when it's packed. Standard array of Irish kegs on the bar so I had quite a lot of pints of Guinness and a couple of pints of Harp over the 4 nights we were in Belfast as we called in every night. This is one of my favourite bars in Belfast and the rating reflects that. The "bistro" however would score a 2 at most.
On 25th May 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about Robinsons Bar
Not the sort of place to go if you have an identity crisis but it's interesting to trawl around the different areas and see what they have to discover. The front of the saloon provides the tourist bit with Titanic artefacts on show whilst the rear is where the locals will hang out. The rear bar is a real spit and sawdust place and the décor and atmosphere invokes thoughts of days gone by. The bistro upstairs is very pleasant and laid back and has comfortable leather sofas and armchairs to relax in. Didn't make it to the nightclub.
On 6th July 2008
- rating: 7
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
robert mc intyre left this review about Robinsons Bar
Very pleasent to drink in with a great reastuarant up stair serving good food and good service
On 3rd November 2007
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5 recommendations about 5 pubs]