Crown Liquor Saloon, Belfast

What visit to Belfast could be complete without a visit to the Crown? I'd initially tried to visit on the previous evening. This pub is owned by Nicholson's and their website says they're open until midnight each day. Their Facebook page also states midnight. WhatPub said 11:30pm. Arriving just after 11pm, I assumed I would be safe to get a drink. But bar staff were tidying up and despite a fair number of customers in the pub, they said they had stopped serving me. So, a minus point for the incorrect opening times online. Returning on Friday morning, I found the pub much busier. A large group of tourists with a tour guide had descended on the pub to admire the beautiful architecture. Some customers had also arrived early to bag the much sought after booths. As with my last visit in 2009, I contented myself with a table in the main bar area. It would have been a bit selfish of me to take up one of the booths myself. But I did at least get a better look inside them this time. On the bar, the cask ale choice was not as good as I'd hoped. Although by Belfast's standards, it was still good - St Austell Nicholson's Pale Ale, Mad Goose Purity, Bass & Timothy Taylor Landlord. Another handpull was clipped with Weston's Family Reserve. Craft beers were Whitewater Belfast Black & Five Points Jupa. I chose the cider to start my day's drinking. I'm not sure how long it had been sitting around, but it wasn't in the best of conditions. The raison d'etre for being here is the architecture. It's a nice looking pub from the outside, but the inside with plenty of carved woodwork, tiling and a lovely ceiling is a sight to behold for people who enjoy visiting traditional pubs. I have to say that they have done a fantastic job of restoring this one, which is clearly one of the most iconic pubs across the UK.

I do like Nicholsons’ pubs as they’re normally very traditional and well kept with a reasonable selection at the bar. I must say that the Crown is probably the most splendid original Victorian pub that I have seen, both inside and out. The bar lined with bar stools along the left wall faces screened booths that look like first class train carriages, doors and all. There are interesting features from the ceiling down through the carved fish scale columns to the tiled floor, far too many to list on here. Drink wise, I counted six handpumps that were drawing Whitewater Brewing’s Maggies Leap, Bass, Nicholson’s Pale, Thwaites Wainwright, Big Smoke Brew Co’s Solaris and Weston’s Family Vintage Cider. Standard and premium keg is also available, as is food. There is a restaurant on the first floor. I found the service to be polite and would recommend that if in Belfast this is a must visit pub.

This is undisputedly one of the finest examples of unspoilt Victorian interior decoration that there is. Just look at the photos on here or on the CAMRA Pub heritage group website to see how magnificent it is - or you could visit the place to see for yourself. When I had a couple of hours to spare in Belfast I obviously spent them in the Crown. If I manage to get Belfast again then I'll undoubtedly visit again. Being a Nicholson's there were several real ales on - I noticed Landlord and Purity Mad Goose (£5.05 a pint) and of course Nicholson's Pale. I saw people eating but I didn't bother to examine a menu.

Described elsewhere as the jewel of Northern Ireland’s pubs and really it’s very hard to disagree, it’s astounding both inside and out and is up there with the best interiors in Britain - it may well be the most ornate. Described in depth below, so a tl;dr – ‘high Victoriana’, amazingly intricate tiled exterior which matches the inside - doored booths (labelled A-I), ceramic bar frontage, stained glass windows, illustrated mirrored panels, carved wood features and animals, patterned floor tiling and probably a load of other stuff I didn’t note – every time you look round you notice something new. Leased by Nicholsons via the National Trust, so I was pleased to see three cask ales on; Black Sheep 2020 (sadly a flat musty aspiratored mess, NBSS 1), Titanic Plum Porter (3.5) and TT Landlord. Also Whitewater Stout and lager on the keg, tried both of those as well (the lager was decent). Staff were well-drilled and on-the-ball, with one lass asking us if we wanted a booth seat when one was vacated. Ate here and the food was standard pub grub, if a little on the expensive side. Beware that it’s actually a fairly small pub so time your visit for the quieter hours – there were a dozen or so people turned away on my visit as the place was at COVID capacity, and that was on a cold blustery Sunday evening in January. Should be number one on your Belfast visit list, you won’t want to miss it. Just a shame about that first ropey pint… 8.5