The Reporter is the friendliest pub in Belfast, a new study has found.
The experts at Belfast Bus Tours analysed TripAdvisor data on 69 pubs or bars across Belfast. Each pub was rated out of 100 based on its TripAdvisor rating and mentions of positive terms like “friendly”, “helpful”, “lovely”, and “kind” per review.
The Reporter topped the study as the city’s friendliest pub, scoring 70 out of 100. The Union Street bar has a perfect review score of five on TripAdvisor and a high rate of reviews that mention positive social terms. An average of 80% of reviews include positive terms such as “friendly” and “lovely”.
Rattlebag took second spot among Belfast’s friendliest pubs, with the joint-highest rate of favourable social terms per review of any bar in the city. With a score of 65 out of 100, the city centre cocktail bar placed above almost every other bar in Belfast, propelled towards the top of the ranking thanks to averaging one friendly mention per review. The three most popular social terms related to Rattlebag included “friendly”, “lovely”, and “helpful”. The bar also had a score of 4 out of 5 on TripAdvisor.
Felons Club is the third friendliest bar in Belfast and the top for West Belfast, according to a new study. Reviewers on TripAdvisor have given the bar an impressive score of 4.5 based on 85 reviews. Meanwhile, 63 reviews include positive social terms, giving the bar a positivity score of 74%. “Friendly”, “helpful”, “lovely”, and “welcoming” are the terms most frequently mentioned in reviews for the bar.
Liquor XXX took fourth spot in the study, securing an overall score of 62.80. The Latin-style cocktail bar ranked high for friendly service thanks to a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 and 71% of the reviews praising the friendly staff. The Dublin Road establishment has been described as “friendly”, “welcoming”, and “pleasant” frequently by reviewers.
The Pavilion rounds out the five friendliest bars in Belfast with a score of 61.67. Renowned for live music, comedy nights and more across its three floors, The Pavilion is one of Belfast’s friendliest bars. It has some of the friendliest workers, with 67% of guests leaving positive comments. The bar also currently has a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5.
Berts Jazz Bar is the city’s sixth friendliest bar, according to TripAdvisor reviewers. The stylish, 1930s-themed bar scored 61.04, rating high on TripAdvisor scores and friendly mentions. The city centre establishment boasts a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 based on 449 reviews, with 288 friendly mentions helping it secure a positivity rating of 64%. While standard terms like “lovely” and “friendly” remain popular among customers, “courteous” and “charming” have also been used to describe visits to Berts Jazz Bar.
Ryan’s Bar took seventh spot among the friendliest bars in Belfast, with a score of 60.18. The Lisburn Road pub is popular with students and locals, helping secure it a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5. Of the 56 reviews, 34 mention favourable social terms at a rate of 61%.
The Mermaid Inn and The Errigle Inn tied for eighth place among the friendliest bars in the city, scoring 60 out of 100. Despite sharing the lowest TripAdvisor rating of 3.5 among those pubs listed in the top ranking, both establishments secured their spot on the ranking thanks to the joint-highest number of friendly mentions per review at 1.
The Sunflower rounds out the 10 friendliest pubs in Belfast with a score of 59.18. The popular venue, renowned for its live music and beer garden, rated high for friendliness thanks to a TripAdvisor rating of 4.5 based on 164 reviews. Approximately 93 mentions of favourable social terms were counted, at a rate of 57%. Reviewers frequently used the words “friendly”, “lovely”, and “pleasant” to describe the bar.
The friendliest pubs in Belfast
|
Rank |
Pub |
TripAdvisor rating |
Positivity rating (%) |
Score (/100) |
|
1 |
The Reporter |
5 |
80% |
70.00 |
|
2 |
Rattlebag |
4 |
100% |
65.00 |
|
3 |
Felons Club |
4.5 |
74% |
63.53 |
|
4 |
Liquor XXX |
4.5 |
71% |
62.80 |
|
5 |
The Pavilion, Belfast |
4.5 |
67% |
61.67 |
|
6 |
Berts Jazz Bar |
4.5 |
64% |
61.04 |
|
7 |
Ryan’s Bar |
4.5 |
61% |
60.18 |
|
=8 |
The Mermaid Inn |
3.5 |
100% |
60.00 |
|
=8 |
The Errigle Inn |
3.5 |
100% |
60.00 |
|
10 |
Sunflower Pub |
4.5 |
57% |
59.18 |
Chris Graham of Belfast Bus Tours commented on the study: “Belfast is renowned around the UK and worldwide for its friendly locals and charming, welcoming pubs and nightlife.
“Four of the friendliest bars in the city can be found in South Belfast, while a further four are located right in the city centre, making these spots the best in the city for a friendly drink. One of the top-ranking bars was in West Belfast, while no bars in the East made the top 10.”
