The Garrick, Belfast

I know I visited this pub before back in 2018 when it could be found in the Good Beer Guide. Reading my review on another website, I can see I had a Doom Bar on cask. I can honestly say that I don't remember the pub. With a couple of rooms to choose from, I seemingly chose the same one, the smaller one. Whilst cask ale has long since disappeared, they do have a slightly more interesting selection of keg beer than average with a guest keg. Heaney IPA was the guest. Other beers were Guinness and their Citra IPA, Kilkenny, Smithwick's Pale Ale & Smithwick's Red Ale. There is also a decent bottled beer selection listed on the blackboard above the bar. I chose to sit at the bar and engaged in conversation with the friendly barman. There was no sport showing on the TV, but it's clear that this was a big pub for the Euro football tournament, with some kind of competition to win a Spain shirt with the pub's name on it. I'll stick with my score of 6/10, as this pub has a nice homely and friendly feel to it.

The Garick is a small bar with an L-shaped serving counter on the right wall and banquette seating along the walls either side of the corner entrance. There’s a fireplace on the left rear wall that faces some tables and chairs. The bar is lined with bar stools, every table and chair was spoken for with people avidly watching football on the three televisions. I ended up propping myself against a dividing screen that juts out of the bar counter corner. Standard and premium keg are available from the bar and there’s a long Irish Whisky list. The service was polite and I would revisit if passing as the atmosphere during the game was ok.

Small and traditional upmarket bar. Basketweave tiled flooring an intricate ceiling painted a dark mono colour, semi-booths all the way round (bottle green leather banquettes, glass partitions) and all with under-seat heating. TV football on the go (at odds a bit with the surroundings) and also surprisingly quiet. The back room was closed and in darkness. Dull Diageo keg at the servery but a good selection of local and Irish bottled beers listed on blackboards above the bar – I had a Farmageddon IPA whilst the lady had a bottle of the West Indies Guinness. Enjoyable for one but got the itch to move on easily enough.

Old-fashioned pub with traditional furniture and decor in the small rectangular bar. Also has some patio tables out front. Lively when I visited, with a live music session in progress. No sign of real ale, so went for the Smithwick's Pale Ale (overpriced at £3.70).