Belfast Castle

Belfast Castle is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit, with impressive architecture and well-maintained surroundings. The views from the grounds are lovely, especially overlooking the city, and it’s a great spot for a relaxing walk or taking photos. The atmosphere feels calm and scenic, making it a nice escape from busy areas. Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Belfast.

Such magical place. Enjoy the steep uphill walk to the castle to be rewarded by the lovely view and drinks or food at the cafe.. beautiful gardens with different routes lengths and difficulty.. Plenty of car parks. Could be very busy though on holidays and weekends.

My brother and sister in law took my husband and myself for a dinner in the castle and not only was the castle looking stunning with beautiful Christmas decorations but the meal was fabulous. It’s a long time from we have had such lovely food. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. The whole night was a joy. We can’t wait to return xx

The gardens were nice. A good amount of parking. We walked around the first level and the basement as well. It offered good views of Belfast. We didn't take any of the trails around it, but they looked really nice.

I loved it. Such an incredible castle and it's free to enter. 100% worth visiting if you are there. The drive there is incredible, the driver was happy to go there because it's such a beautiful place

Great building and garden. Rooms inside are beautiful. Self guided but well maintained and easy to find information online.

Was here today as a coach driver with a group of elderly people. They & I enjoyed the visit very much, been here before, mostly with cruise ships, but today was the first time I had the pleasure to have lunch here, I can only highly recommend the food, absolutely amazing, very tasty, good quality and high quality! Well priced for a decent price! The service was also excellent, very friendly and attentive staff. Again, it’s highly recommended here, definitely deserved the 5 stars!

Beautiful castle with great grounds. There is plenty of hiking to be done and many different trails to choose from. There is a lot of art around the castle featuring cats.

Nice historical spot to see but there isn't much of the building you can actually see. You can go in 3 rooms on the main floor and there is a cafe on the lower floor but none of the other 5 floors is accessible. The view of Belfast from the castle gardens is amazing. I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to see the castle unless you also want to walk around the park.

So so glad that I was able to visit the castle. The views and the garden stole the show. It's a 4 story castle but only the second and third floors are accessible to the public. This castle also doubles as a venue for various events. The cafe which is located on the ground level has light options such as coffees/teas and sandwiches. The coffee smelled as good as it tasted. Now the garden is breathtaking with a fountain in the center. Along the garden paths are seating areas. You can view the mountains and all of Belfast from the garden. I wasn't impressed with the inside of the castle. It was very empty and not a single sign of any historical information. I saw some staff around the grounds, but tours were not offered. I would have loved to learn more about this castle but was grateful for the views.

As much as I would like to give more stars it's impossible, this is not a tourist attraction, it's an event center and on the day we went there was an event and you see the small gardens which takes about 30 minutes, there is no fee so that's a plus but when you want to see a castle and you get a banquet hall my wife was pretty disappointed. As is everyplace we've been in ireland everyone was very nice, but pretty much of a waste to visit unless there is actually something to tour.

This review is for anyone thinking of having their wedding at Belfast Castle, and using one of their suggested catering companies - 'Craft Event Co.' I'll start by saying that this review was on Tripadvisor, was longer and contained some praise. Praise has been removed as I believe Craft Event Co had my review removed. Yelp requires shorter reviews, so too bad! Most of the negative experiences happened in the months leading up to the wedding. There was one major problem on the wedding day itself that really disappointed everyone. The first speech of the evening was my Dad. He's not a natural public speaker, but put a great deal of work in to write a humorous and heartfelt speech. He takes the microphone but there's a problem - it keeps cutting out. As he's in the flow of the speech we don't want to interrupt him, but the majority of guests can't hear. A friend noticed the problem and rushed out to find the Craft Event Co manager. By the time she arrived, it was too late. His speech was over and the mic is being handed to me. She shouts across at me to point the mic toward the receiver in the corner of the room, which did work. This infuriated me because: 1: The fact she knew immediately how to fix this issue means she was aware of it, but didn't take appropriate steps to fix it or test the mic ahead of time. 2 - Everyone else had to give their speeches with their heads pointed at an awkward angle towards the corner of the room. This further affected the delivery and our ability to glance at our notes. 3 - Worst of all, my Dad was robbed of his moment in the limelight. There'll never be a chance to give this speech again. It's ludicrous that the Castle did not have a functioning mic, and that they were likely aware of the problem but did nothing to fix it. My advice to the castle and caterers: check and double check the mic! Wedding speeches are a momentous event in people's lives, and often the only time they'll ever speak in public. Don't ruin their big moment. Communication was terrible in the months leading up to the wedding. We also had to deal with some downright dishonesty. This is mainly involving Craft Event Co. We seemed to constantly be assigned different staff members to look after us. We'd get a copy/pasted e-mail from person A, I'd write a big reply, and then person B would get in touch with the same copy and pasted e-mail asking for info. I finally get a phone call with person C, then she stops answering her phone when I try to follow up. I find out months later she's no longer with the company. We were initially sent a menu that had prices on it. This was perfect to help us budget the entire day. Our wedding was delayed, so they sent us a new menu. Great - except this menu had no prices. I'm getting frustrated so I reach out to the Castle who follow up with Craft Events. I'm contacted by a guy named Zsolt. He explains he's a consultant who has been brought in to help Craft Event Co. He infers that they've been undergoing some problems and that he's been contracted to assist. Fantastic: he's on the ball with replying to e-mails, setting up phone calls and helping with scheduling the day. The problem? New fees amounting to hundreds of pounds start showing up on our invoice. Suddenly there's a 'kitchen hire fee.' Also added was a fee to have a bar, and a fee to have beers on draft! These fees were NEVER mentioned to us by anyone when booking. Already dealing with the stress of planning a wedding, now I have to sort out these fees. Zsolt says we need to talk to the castle about getting these fees removed. He positions himself very much as a 3rd party between Craft Event Co and Belfast Castle. He apologises profusely and says it's the castle charging us these fees. The cost of the meal itself has also skyrocketed. The new process for determining the cost is a total pain. In short, "tell us what you want on the menu and we'll tell you what it costs." This leads to a lot of needless back and forth as you try to work out how to stay in your budget. A few weeks before the wedding we finally get it resolved. "Thank goodness for Zsolt," I think to myself. "It's great they got a consultant to come in and fix this mess!" Well...after the wedding I take a look at the Craft Event Co website. I didn't notice it before, but guess who is listed as a FOUNDER OF THE COMPANY? You guessed it - our old pal Zsolt. Despite the fact he got the wedding over the finish line, I was extremely disappointed at this dishonesty and cowardly way of facing his company's failures. If he had said, "I started this company, I'm so sorry for all these problems, and I want to make it right," I probably wouldn't be writing this review. Instead, on our phone calls he was say things like 'I'll talk to Craft about this,' and very much portrayed himself as an outsider of the company. If he was dishonest about that, how can you trust the integrity of the company as a whole?

This review is technically for the trail that starts BEHIND the Belfast Castle, although the castle itself is beautiful and should be seen! (Why isn't this trail on all the "Best Things to Do in Belfast" lists?) Bring your good hiking shoes (and maybe a poncho if rain clouds loom) and take on the hiking trail that's located behind the castle. When we were there, we had to walk beyond a big gate (that led to a car park) to find the trail head. There are three routes to take, and the most scenic one (IMO) is the Cave Hill Trail, which apparently takes over 3 hours. I wasn't outfitted properly, (had no idea I'd be going hiking that day, so I was essentially in ballet flats!) so I wasn't able to go to the top of Napoleon's Nose/Cave Hill, but we did make it to the foothills, and the view over Belfast was COMPLETELY worth it! I only wish I had more time to go back and properly take on the full trail.

I've been in the castle grounds a few times now but only ever been in the castle itself twice. The first time was at a work Christmas dinner about 7 years ago. I can remember the food was delicious and it was great night. Last Friday night when we were walking the dog we ended up stopping for a drink in the castle grounds. It was a lovely Friday evening and the sun shone done on the castle grounds. It's grounds are really well kept and the views are outstanding. I noticed that Belfast Castle serves afternoon tea and I would definitely like to try it out. Belfast castle gets a full five stars from me.

Belfast castle is just lovely isn't it, that beautiful grand big castle surrounded by beautiful woodland parks and greenery , the castle boasts a wonderful view of belfast and beyond. Great park woodland areas to for a walk or a jog or cycle. There is a top notch restaurant in the castle which unfortunately I've never tried yet but I hope to soon, there is a seating area outside the castle in the blooming cat garden , great to get a drink from the restaurant and sit back and enjoy that view especially on a sunny day. Belfast castle is a great venue to get married . Lovely big majestic rooms and a big beautiful winding staircase to walk down. The castle also hire out rooms for other events birthdays etc. Catering can be provided by the castle. I love the castle its great for a look around , inside the castle there is also the castle history section , very interesting.

We got married here as it cost the same as the city hall and we had our reception elsewhere but they can provide a reception room and catering. It made a great place for wedding photos and they even put down a red carpet for my wife on the day, it felt strange walking down it afterwards with a bus load of tourists looking at us but it added a bit more fun to the day. Its a great wedding and function venue with fantastic grounds, walks and views over Belfast and you can have a walk around inside when there isn't a wedding in progress. The registrar did say "do you take this man to be your wife?" Making everyone laugh but it eased the nerves at the time. Great walks up to cave hill too

Belfast Castle and it's grounds are utterly incredible - The Castle itself sits on it's throne at the top of Cave Hill keeping a watchful eye over Belfast City. The architecture and the gardens are some of the most opulent I have ever seen. Spiral staircases and grand arced doors make Belfast Castle a photographers dream. The gardens are kept beautifully and if you're a cat fan you'll like the theme running though the grounds. There's a beautiful fountain as the centerpiece of the grounds - on a summers day when the fountain spits water in to the air this creates a rainbow haze that basks Belfast in a multicolour blanket - get your camera at the ready! This review is really for the grounds and garden of the Castle as unfortunately I visited on an evening and they were shutting up shop. The grounds are free to access. I've been meaning to go back to visit the Café during the day but I am waiting until the sun has his hat on because I think when the big fiery ball in the sky is shining on Belfast Castle it is at it's most stunning.

After our stroll around the Castle gardens we popped in for some ice cream for the kids in the Cafe downstairs. A quaint place and well done up. Ice cream was delicious and creamy, we all loved it!!

The surroundings are beautiful, the views of Belfast at sunset are a perfect setting. Wanting to try and find a local bolt hole, my friends and I decided to give the castle a go, a rather grand bolt hole some would say! But we were left disappointed. We went for a long walk up the Cave Hill to build up a big appetite, and we called in on our way back, we had booked a table in the Cellar Bar thinking the place would be busy, but we needn't have bothered, there was 6 other people (all tourists) , and the place was a bit dead. I was hoping for some live trad, and a bit of atmosphere but it was all quite soulless. The service was poor, we were forgotten about on a number of occasions, and between the starter and the main course it took about 45 minutes. The food was bland, and not very warm by the time it got out to us. It was an expensive night after 2 courses and a few drinks, I was shocked that a bottle of wine cost £26, this is a bottle of wine I regularly get in the supermarket for 7.99!! The only good thing about the night was finishing it off on the terrace watching the sun set over the Belfast Lough, we could have sat there all night had it not been freezing. I have not been to a wedding here or a formal dinner but I hear they do both very well, unfortunately they don't look after the casual customers, and I doubt we will be back, the Castle should be so much more, and it should be packed out every weekend, but I can't imagine that's the case after the night we had.

Set in the midst of the Cavehill Country Park, and overlooking Belfast Lough, the Belfast Castle was built by the Donegall Family in the Scottish Baronial style and was completed in 1870. A very popular wedding venue, the Castle is very fairy tale from the outside, with turrets, towers and manicured gardens, and the giant form of the Cavehill towering above it, like an overprotective Father. I've been to several weddings in the castle, and they've always been special because it's such a beautiful venue. Inside, you can lose the time of day by sitting in a window seat, nice and cosy by the open fire, as it reflects off the wood-panelled walls, or have tea or coffee to relax and unwind. As for food, each wedding I've been to has always had good quality food - not outstanding compared to some wedding caterers I've experienced, but always hearty and large portioned. I'm not sure what other choices the Castle offer by way of wedding catering, but it always seems to be turkey and stuffing - perhaps people always play safe with that option. But not to take away from it, it's always been nice and thier desserts are gorgeous - I had a cheescake there I will never forget! But it's the grounds and building itself that make this place special, and there is also The Cellar Restaurant, available for more casual meals and lunches, seven days a week. The Castle is a definite for tourists and enjoyable for a day out in Belfast generally, with the Cavehill Country walks up to the peak of Naploeon's Nose, or a visit to the Adventure Playground with the kids. Away from the bustle of the city, it's Belfast at its best.

Belfast Castle is truly a gem of Belfast. It is located on Cave Hill hence the amazing view of Belfast. The castle itself is amazing but the garden with the cat theme makes it even more special. Although I don't know much about their catering facilities, if I were to organize our wedding here, I wouldn't look further. I'm sure breathtaking wedding photos could be taken here. Apart from events, it is a nice destination for a walk enjoying the views. Although if you take a bus there (route 1) don't give up on walking, you will eventually find the castle, its just a bit far from the bus stop!

Beautiful views over Belfast. But what else? We got there and the castle was not open to the public on that day. I don't know what to make of this place, but it's not for me. Boring. What is there to do?

A historic venue. Beautiful setting way up high in the Belfast hills. Great views down over the city, Belfast lough etc. Handy to get to from the centre of town or from the airport. The outside is fantasic for event photos, such as weddings, celebrations, birthdays, retirements etc. The food is generally okay as is the service but it is probably 6 out of 10 on most occasions that I have been there as a guest. So you compromise a bit on that for the venue. But check it out because it might be just the place for you if you like it.

Went for a wedding. The day was beautiful. The food was good and the prices at the bar were not that expensive compared to what people said. Only issue is the timing of service. People were toasting speeches with empty glasses then the wine arrived afterwards. Staff were plesant but seemed a bit under pressure at the bar. Had a good day and with a few changes it could all run a bit more smoothly.

This is one of those places you wish was privately owned. I've been to several weddings and private parties here over the years and the food is always just ok. The views across the city are fantastic but the back of the castle is often littered with pint glasses and chairs randomly strewn about. The other aspect about hiring rooms here is that you never know who's going to be in the adjoining room. We once attended a wedding here downstairs and the upstairs rooms had been hired by a group of Irish travellers. Entertaining to say the least!

My sisters wedding reception was at the Belfast Castle and it really was a grand place to match the occasion. The bar area was quite small but not uncomfortable as most people took their drinks to the outside gardens which are really quite beautiful. The dining area was huge, with a very high ceiling and windows so big you felt almost like you were outside it was so bright. The food itself was delicious. It can be hard to keep a high standard whilst serving so many people but the chefs at the castle got it just right. Their dining room was easily converted into a dance area by the staff. This was done so quickly and quietly that pretty much nobody in the bar area noticed what was going on. A great place for a special occasion. If you could afford it, a great place for any occasion.

At my daughter's wedding reception, Belfast Castle, Oct 2012, I expected good food, not mass catering that was probably contracted out as cheaply as possible. Canapés: The vol-au-vents looked old, tasted stale. The fish contained bones that had to be removed from one's mouth in public. Two guests ran to the toilets to spit out the prosciutto, describing it as slimy and disgusting. Starter: the chicken Caesar salad's "home made" croutons were stale, soft and obviously not home made. The chicken bits had that taste of 2-day-old chicken, and mine had almost no dressing while my daughter's was overloaded with dressing. Other guests mentioned the dressing problem and the stale chicken. Main: I had the most unusual looking salmon "en-croute" I have ever had the misfortune to eat. My filo was completely raw. I suspect the salmon was cooked the day before then wrapped in filo and microwaved. It was grey, translucent and cutting it was like cutting through thin leather. My daughter, the bride, exchanged hers for the beef. I would have done the same only I did not want to draw further attention to the problem. The beef was ok as were the desserts. One lady had a vegan meal, later began vomiting all night. She drank only white wine with the meal so her illness was not drink related. She commented that it was the worst tasting vegan meal she had ever eaten; the word she used was "disgusting". Another guest described how he had seen a waiter drop potatoes on the floor, scoop them up and put them back into the serving tray. We received a substantial refund plus apology from Castle Catering but this will never fix the embarrassment and damage done. My advice: sample everything on the day before it gets near the table.

Belfast Castle is probably the best looking thing about North Belfast. It's not really like a castle as such, more like a hotel, with a restaurant inside and rooms for private do's. It was bequeathed to the public around 40 years ago along with Cavehill Country Park by the family who owned it. What's really special about Belfast Castle, however, is the scenery. From the reception suite, you can see miles and miles of forest leading right up to Belfast Lough. In a city of eyesores, it's a beautiful site.

Belfast Castle is situated on the side of the famous Cave Hill and is home to some of the best views of the city. The area surrounding it is a nice place to have a walk on a lazy Sunday afternoon. The food in the restaurant is also of a very high standard. Often I have found myself here for special occasions, whether it is first communions, christenings or wedding receptions and they have always catered very well for these big groups. However, not only does it handle big celebrations well, it can also cater well for much smaller and more intimate meals in the Cellar restaurant. The décor of the place is nice, and the staff are polite and courteous. I like to go here when I am looking for somewhere special to dine but don't want the hassle of the city centre.

Belfast castle boasts an excellent restraunt with a wide european menu and freindly staff. Combine this with the spectacular views of the surrounding areas of newtownabbey and the more prominent cave hill and you can see why Belfast Castle has become a unoffical landmark in Belfast.

The Castle grounds themselves are beautiful. The Castle itself is beautiful. The Cellar Restaurant is terrible. They are "reworking" their dinner menu currently so we had to order from their lunch menu. Greeted rather rudely. Meals were not presented as described on the menu. Crab salad with fennel was simply canned crab and mayo. Salad with chilli shrimp butter was canned salad shrimp with no flavoring that looked like chicken toes. Rotisserie pulled chicken sandwich was strictly that - chicken and the faintest smear of Dijon, no lettuce, tomato, nothing. Ordered soup as a starter only to find out that the main came with the same soup. Waitress didn't mention that fact. Waitress brought Prosecco in a chilled bucket with a few drops of water and two ice cubes​to keep our bottle chilled. After pouring for us she set the bottle on the table across from the bucket. Big no thanks all around from me.

Ive been to a few weddings here & have to say it is gorgeous!! The food in the restaurant is nice but nothing fancy. Gorgeous views from the restaurant & the castle itself & the grounds are beautiful!! You have to drive up a long hill to find it but really worth it!!

Belfast Castle is one of the most recognisable building in the city. And can be viewed on the side of the cavehill from most of north befast.I Had my wedding here so i have a bit of a soft spot for it. The food in the cellar restaurant is excellent both for lunch and dinner. And a trip to the castle isn't complete without a dander round the antique shop then the Garden to see if you can spot all the cats! It is also a great place to have a drink after a walk up to the caves or Napolean;s nose.

I have never been inside the castle, but I do go walking to it every now and again. It is in a lovely setting with some great views. Everytime I walk through the castle grounds it is always full of people (but never too much). This allows you to appreciate the well kept grounds which are very beautiful. There are plenty of photo opportunities here. This is always a popular venue for weddings. I have found myself getting in the way of quite a few photos on such occasions! There is also a decent restaurant in the castle. Most people seem to get their hopes up about it simply because it is in a castle later to be let down by the staff who I have heard sometimes forget their manners or indeed the food which isn't always as good as it could be.

I went here on Saturday night with some friends and our table was booked for 8.30pm but we didn't get seated till 9.15pm! The food was nice when it came but starters very small and not a lot of choice on menu. Ok all round but quite expensive.

Below is an email I sent 4 days go - still no response. Food Is awful inst the word. DO NOT GO HERE My Fiancée, 3 year old Daughter and I booked a table in the Belfast Castle restaurant on Friday past @ 6:00pm. On arrival we were greeted by a friendly waiter and shown to our seats told of the soup and fish of the day and offered a drink. A very positive start and when coupled with the nice look and feel of the restaurant couldn't have been any better. Unfortunately that's where the positive experience ends. I ordered the lamb with red wine jus, my better half ordered the steak (Med Rare) and wee one had lasagne and chips. The Lamb was like leather, from memory I believe it said braised on the menu, didn't seem braised on the plate. The red wine had been flashed in the pan and was like vinegar, I ate a small portion or lamb and stocked up on chips and veg. The steak was well done not medium rare as requested and served with peppercorn sauce pored over the food on the plate - that was a first on its own, is the steak normally served with sauce on the plate or on the side? I must admit my Mrs did eat the majority of the steak. At 5 months pregnant I was consoling my Fiancée at the table - we had looked forward to the meal all day and by the time 6 o'clock came round we had built up an appetite she, as was I, were not happy. My Daughter eat her lasagne and seemed to enjoy it but apart from that the only thing that was of standard was the veg. On paying the bill the waiter asked me if everything was OK? I told him pretty much what I have detailed in this email and he quickly apologised and was on his way to the kitchen with my complaint. I stopped him and explained that I would rather pay me bill and leave as my Partner and Daughter had already headed up to the car not in the best of form. He did apologise again, I paid and I left. This would have all been easier to accept had the place been packed out but we were the only people in the restaurant until shortly before we left. Another family had arrived and sent back one (maybe two) drinks because they weren't happy with the quality. I had hoped to be contacted over the weekend re my complaint but unfortunately no dice. My Family and I live within walking distance of the castle and have been there many times for family functions, a pint outside in the garden when the weather is good and a wedding a few years back. This was our first time there for a sit down meal in the restaurant, the purpose of which was to scout a possible venue for our own wedding in 2016. Needless to say The Castle is not top of the pops after Friday. Again I would like to say that the Gentleman waiter who greeted us (shaved head & waist coat) and the Waiter who I paid the bill to were 100%. This is an honest email with honest feedback regarding the food and summed up in one (polite) word it was terrible.

was at a wedding here recently apart from being very impressed with the grounds and interior felt the food and staff esp the young waitress we had were not exactly pleasent seemed as if they were there to do there job and clear of once thier shift was finished friend complained and got a lovely apology from someone in charge.