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The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon), Belfast
Belfast
BT2 7EJ
Pub Type
J D WetherspoonReviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
The Bridge House is a Wetherspoons in two adjoining buildings so the interior has two distinct sides. In the left there is a bar on the rear wall that faces open plan seating to the front floor to ceiling windows. Down the right hand side is more seating that is a little quieter than the main seating area. Out the back is a beer garden with covered booths along the back fence and upstairs is another bar with only standard and premium keg available. This is not the case for the downstairs bar that also supports eight hand pumps that were drawing Maxim Brewery’s Double Maxim, Ruddles, Whitewater Brewery’s Belfast Black, Brain’s SA Gold, GK Abbot Ale, Sharp’s Doom Bar, Ringwood’s Fortyniner and Cameron’s Strongarm Ruby Red Ale. The usual JDW food menu is in operation. This isn’t the greatest Spoons I’ve visited, but it was very busy for a midweek evening and £1.10 for half a Belfast Black stout can’t be sniffed at.
On 22nd September 2022
- rating: 6
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
A straightforward two floor Wetherspoons (bar on each) décor’d in some colourful modern art, light colours and a bit of wood. Which in most cities in the UK would elicit a ‘meh’ but in the cask ale desert of Northern Ireland its appearance was a blessed relief. Three genuine guest ales; my Rudgate Chocolate Stout was well looked-after (NBSS 3.5) and it was interesting to note that plenty was being sold, maybe there isn’t enough call for cask to be on it most places in Norn but those who do like it will certainly congregate where it’s known to be decent. Ate here as well, JDW usual fayre. One downside was a lack of table clearing. A solid Spoons and in the context in which it operates, you’ll probably want to pop by. Note that It opens from 8am but alcohol is only available from 11.30.
On 17th February 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5107 recommendations about 5090 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Blackthorn _ left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
A good sized Wetherspoon’s pub on the periphery of the central area, it’s relatively uninteresting compared to many of their outlets and has little in the way of any character. That said, it was full to capacity on both of our visits over the weekend, with no tables free on either occasion.
Internally it’s divided in to two areas, with a larger area to the left and a smaller one to the right. Some sort of wooden laminate was on the central walkway and around the bar counter, with the usual JDW carpet elsewhere. Cream plasterwork was on the walls, with dark wood panelling down below. A few random, and colourful pieces of artwork livened up what would otherwise have been a very bland room. The only feature of any note was an unusual copper sculpture in the middle of the room, although what this represented was not clear. Seating was a mixture of the usual tables and chairs that seemed very tightly packed in, along with some copper coloured Chesterfield style bench seating to one aside.
There was at least a decent selection of beers on tap which seems rather unusual in Belfast, and on this occasion consisted of Ruby Abbott, Ruddle’s Best, Arkell’s 3B, Titanic’s Another Pint in the Wall, Adnam’s Cashmere IPA, Castle Rock’s Heart of Glass and Robinson’s Cascade IPA. Ciders meanwhile were Magners, Strongbow, Strongbow Dark Fruit and Thatcher’s Gold, the latter being a welcome respite from the dross available from other pubs in the vicinity and went down a treat.
On 22nd October 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 1951 recommendations about 1864 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
This is a large Wetherspoons pub on the fringes of the City Centre, located in an area that seems to house a few ‘drinking barn’ style establishments. The pub is split into two distinct sections, the largest of which is to the left, where the servery can be found running along the rear wall. This is a carpeted room with tables and chairs through the centre, high tables and stools opposite the bar and banquette booths along the left hand wall. Modern art prints on the walls help add some much needed splashes of colour to an otherwise featureless room and there is a large, abstract stone sculpture which has been plonked in the middle of the room with no apparent explanation forthcoming. The bar has a long counter with a faux art deco counter front and plain mirrored bar back. The counter has been split two-thirds of the way along by a huge pillar which has some nice old pictures of the city hung on it. A central walkway leads from the entrance to the bar and this space has a few more high tables and stools through it. You need to cross this walkway to access the right hand side of the pub, which has been set up like a cosier lounge bar. The area is partitioned from the main bar area by some sections of wall and offers plenty more seating options, more modern art prints, some TV screens showing muted news coverage and a centrally positioned fireplace, making it quite a pleasant spot to settle down in.
Belfast doesn’t seem to be a city of ale drinkers, but they have found a way to support seven hand pumps, three of which had ‘Spoons regular ales on whilst the other four were pouring guest beers. I tried a pint of the Wickwar A Christmas tale for £2.39 and it was in reasonable condition – maybe a little tired and suffering a touch from a lack of through pull.
There wasn’t all that much here to distinguish this place from your average city centre Wetherspoons branch, but the comfortable lounge area was at least a nice place from which to enjoy a few drinks. With ale options rather limited across the city, this place should be on any itinerary, even if it’s just for a quick pint.
On 24th January 2019
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
Belfast's JDW is a fairly typical busy city centre Spoons which I visited on a few occasions. It seems to have been the result of merging two different buildings with the bar area in the left hand one. I failed to visit the upstairs bar. Fixtures and fittings are all fairly typical. It seemed to attract people of all ages although I didn't get to visit it in daytime apart from a breakfast. The reason there are no "Old Soaks" (see below) in at 09:30 is probably the Ulster licensing laws making Beer O 'Clock 11:30 rather than any temperance! Ulster is even worse than Scotland in that respect.
On my first evening visit there was just the JDW Trio Of Doom with one of them doubled while the other four hand pumps had Brains SA, Maxim Double Maxim, Titanic Nautical Mild and Nottingham Rock Mild. In England and Wales this wouldn't be regarded as a good choice but in Ulster it certainly is. I tried the Nautical Mild (£2.59) which was in good nick.
One thing that really struck me about this one was how well it was run. All the staff I noticed seemed to be on the ball, knowing exactly what they were doing and doing it well. It's GBG 2018 listed.
On 1st May 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
Quite an inconspicuous building from a distance, but the understated façade does have a few features of interest if you take a closer look. Inside, the main bar is rather dark and characterless, but the smaller upstairs bar is rather lighter and generally more appealing. Also has a small front patio area on the pavement. Six of the eight handpumps were on when I last visited; mostly usual suspects, but a couple of local Hilden beers were available at £2.29. Although not the most interesting bar in Belfast, it is certainly worth a visit if in the area.
On 27th July 2013
- rating: 7
[User has posted 8117 recommendations about 8117 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Bridge House (JD Wetherspoon)
One of the best JDWs I have ever been in for service & atmosphere. We were staying at the Holiday Inn across the road and so had breakfast here each day rather than pay the £13.95 that they wanted. The Ulster fry was very good. Unlike almost every other JDW I been in there were no old soaks drinking beer at 9:30 a.m. and that was for 4 days running. The pub itself is a standard JDW box conversion but the cask beer range was excellent, certainly the best in Belfast. 7 handpumps for cask ale plus one for a real cider. All the beers I had in here were well kept and I had quite a few over the 4 nights we were in Belfast. Plenty of staff on at both breakfast and at nights and they all seemed to know what they were doing!! Top marks to the manager of this pub. I guess that explains why it was Belfast CAMRA pub of the year 2010. In most UK cities I would have given this pub an 8 but as it's an oasis of real ale in Belfast and a lifesaver for me I'll give it a 9.
On 10th May 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Clive Thompson left this review about The Bridge House
The Bridge House follows the usual JDW business model, large sprawling premises, loads of seating, toilets (and a secondary bar) upstairs, and cheap prices. One of the few places in Belfast selling real ale although I got the impression they don’t really promote it or sell much which can lead to quality problems. I had a cloudy but OK pint of Tawny Owl, admittedly this wasn’t the only cloudy but OK pint I had in Belfast, I wonder if it’s something to do with transit. Handily the pub opens at 9am for breakfast and serves a good Ulster Fry, or you can upgrade to the Farmhouse Breakfast if you‘re not on very good terms with your arteries.
On 6th February 2010
- rating: 6
[User has posted 777 recommendations about 697 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Bridge House
A big Wetherspoons with big clear windows and remarkably good service, speedy, polite and I didn't see uncleared tables, the beer was in good nick as well. It does well what JDWs are supposed to do but fail more often than not. Décor and atmosphere wise it could be a JDW any where, there is an upstairs section and it is in what appears to be two older buildings knocked together, one bit looking much older than the other. The newer bit has some confusing door/windows, they certainly foxed a number of customers who didn't read the sign. Beer wise the usual keg suspects on a number of T bars, the small set of handpulls lurks hidden behind a pillar unseen when you enter from any direction. Not many interesting ales on the night I was in - Greene King and Marstons plus a very acceptable Woodforde's Nog. Good mix of punters with the under 30s predominating.
On 9th November 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3276 recommendations about 2982 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Tony o'sullivan left this review about The Bridge House
This a great place for a drink,realy good food as well.Plenty of room if youre out with a big party of family and friends..Had many a night here..
On 12th April 2007
- rating: 10
[User has posted 85 recommendations about 83 pubs]