This post (probably) contains affiliate links, including Amazon Associates links, and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking through one. This is at no extra cost to you and allows the site to keep running! Thanks for understanding.
This was my second stay at the Bullitt Hotel Belfast and I thought it was about time that I do a dedicated review. So here we go, here’s everything you need to know about this quirky, city centre hotel; from the rooms to the tipsy afternoon tea and beyond.
I know hotel reviews can sometimes be boring, but not this one! I’ll try my best to keep it interesting, plus it’s full of pretty photos. OK, here we go.
My Review of The Bullitt Hotel Belfast
Where is Bullitt Belfast?
As you may have guessed, the Bullitt hotel is in Belfast city centre. It’s very easy to reach. From Dublin you hop on the Enterprise train, departing Connolly station, to Belfast. My friend Jen is fancy so we booked first class tickets for the train.
Once you arrive in Belfast you can use your train ticket to get on the bus for free, which will leave you right outside City Hall. Then it’s only a 5 minute walk to hotel. Or if you want to get your step count up then you can walk from the station to the hotel in around 10-15 mins. Obviously if you have a suitcase it’s easier to get the bus.
Bullitt Hotel is located on Church Lane, right in the centre of Belfast. It’s surrounded by great shopping and plenty of bars and restaurants. It’s only a short walk to St.George’s Market, the City Hall and Cathedral Quarter. There’s a Lidl around the corner if you need to grab snacks, or a small newsagents right next door.
The first time I visited Bullitt hotel I nearly walked right past it. The entrance is very unassuming. The only thing marking its existence is a vertical sign bolted to a wall saying “BULLITT”.
When you do turn into the hotel you first walk down a short lane way covered in street art. Then you emerge into a courtyard dominated by a tower of Jameson barrels. Unexpectedly, the building rises before you and you see that you’re actually in a beautifully designed, sort of industrial-chic, hotel. Welcome to Bullitt!
Once inside you’ll be greeted by one of the lovely reception staff. We were met by the wonderful Karen who got us checked in and made sure we knew where the bar was (priorities), how breakfast worked and all the other important bits. Then it was time to freshen up in our room before dinner.
Taylor and Clay Restaurant at Bullitt
I LOVE the in-house restaurant, Taylor & Clay, at Bullitt. It is phenomenal. I have been DREAMING of the food in this restaurant since my last visit. I was SO excited to visit again and try out their Winter special menu.
The Winter special menu includes 3 courses for £20, which is pretty great value. There are also selected cocktails for £5. Of course, there is a regular a la carte menu if you want to see everything Taylor & Clay has to offer. If you’re veggie/vegan like me then have no fear, they offer a separate vegan menu and have several veggie options.
You can see the chefs grilling the meat and vegetables in an open grilling area which is quite reassuring really. I love the staff aprons, they look like old butcher or blacksmith aprons, with leather straps. In fact, the restaurant decor reminds me of somewhere in the Meatpacking district of New York.
The service is exactly what you’d expect from Northern Ireland: warm and friendly with a bit of banter. Our waitress, Dearbhile, was delightful and more than happy to help us with cocktail recommendations.
For starters I ordered the smoked tomato soup and it was delicious. There was a dollop of yoghurt in the middle and a large slice of sourdough alongside. Jen chose the crispy squid and curry leaf aoili. For mains I went slightly off menu and ordered the vegan split pea fritters (very similar to falafel and equally delicious) with firepit vegetables. Jen had the legendary cornfed chicken supreme with garlic potatoes.
For dessert I went all out and went for the chocolate pot with berry compote. Jen got very excited about the pear and almond frangipane tart. We both agreed that we had made excellent choices and were extremely satisfied once we finished. We were that pleasant kind of full where you know you won’t need to eat for hours, but you’re also not about to burst.
Taylor and Clay change their menu regularly so you might not find the options discussed above when you visit. However, one thing is for sure, whatever they’re serving when you treat yourself to a visit will certainly be delicious. God, now I’m hungry!
Breakfast at Bullitt
The traditional Bullitt Breakfast included in the price of your room is the Bullitt Breakfast Bag. Paper bags are left in your room and before you go to bed you make sure to hang them on the outside door handle (like a do not disturb sign but tastier). Then, hey presto, in the morning the bag is filled with orange juice, a granola pot and a piece of fruit (usually a banana). Very handy!
If you prefer a cooked breakfast then you can head downstairs to the reception area where the coffee shop (Yes, there’s also a coffee shop with DELICIOUS donuts) is. Take a seat and browse the menu, a friendly staff member will come to take your order.
I had the veggie breakfast brioche bun (minus the mushroom) for £6 and added some smashed avocado for £2.50. The smashed avocado as a side is a big portion so Jen and I split it. The veggie breakfast bun has fried egg, haloumi, watercress, harissa and mushroom (if you want it *shudders*). Jen isn’t as picky as me so she had the veggie bun with the mushroom.
Drinks-wise there are all sorts of cold pressed juices, coffees and even breakfast cocktails available. I went for the The Woo Tang Clan juice (Pineapple, orange, lemon and lime) which cost £4.
Depending on your room rate a cooked breakfast may be included. Or you can just ask for it to be charged to your room, or pay there and then, it’s up to you. And, of course, you don’t have to be staying in the hotel to stop by for a cooked breakfast. Anyone can dine in any of Bullitt’s restaurant areas. In fact, it’s always absolutely heaving at lunch time with locals. Always a good sign!
Tipsy Tea at Babel Rooftop Bar
I was SO excited to try the Tipsy Tea in Bullitt’s rooftop bar, Babel! Last time I never even made it up to the rooftop bar, so I was dying to check it out this time. Tipsy Tea is essentially a boozy afternoon tea with a twist, as you may have guessed. Tipsy Tea costs £29.50 with gin cocktails and £44.50 with champagne cocktails. We went for the gin option. I don’t like gin and tonic but I LOVE a gin cocktail.
The cocktails were served first, in a teapot, of course (photo below)! We chose the Pickford Twist which consists of Monkey47, Cherry Herring, fresh pineapple juice, pineapple shrub, homemade grenadine and hibiscus tea syrup as well as a splash of lime juice. Just the right amount of sweet.
When the pineapple-inspired tiered serving platter came out, full of tasty treats, we were amazed. It was so pretty and full of beautiful bite-sized food. Normally as a vegetarian I get the usual cucumber/ egg mayonnaise sandwiches, but not at Babel!! The vegetarian offerings were phenomenal. There was a halloumi slider, sweetcorn on crispbread, a brie slider and the most amazing spicy breaded cauliflower sandwich.
It’s the first time I’ve ever eaten EVERYTHING at an afternoon tea. On the second tier there were mini version of the famous Bullitt doughnuts. There was one chocolate and one caramel doughnut each and they were FILLED (see photo above). On the top tier were mini baked cheesecakes and macarons. I’m sure you can see a pattern forming here but they were delicious and we devoured them haha.
We got about 4.5 cups out of our cocktail-filled teapot which was great. We were definitely not sober by the time we’d finished the whole experience. Though our wonderful waiter, Frankie(y?), kept us well hydrated with lots of water throughout the Tipsy Tea.
I absolutely loved my Tipsy Tea experience, as did Jen. I’d highly recommend it for anyone who likes food, alcohol and/or pretty things. It’s perfect for a girls trip, hen weekend, baby shower (non alcoholic option available, I know this because the group next to us were having a baby shower), birthdays, anniversaries and more.
Bullitt Rooms
We had room 221 which is a large corner room overlooking Ann Street. As you can see there were plenty of large windows, two beds, a seating/dining corner, a TV and a mini fridge and kettle. There’s good free Wi-Fi and the shower is nice and big. There’s a hairdryer AND there’s even a shelf for your straighteners beside the full length mirror.
There’s air conditioning and heating that can be adjusted and the beds are very comfortable. Our particular room could be a bit noisy due to people out drinking around Ann Street, so if you’re a light sleeper request a quiet room.
The style of the room is sort of minimal, factory chic with pops of colour such as the pink door, yellow curtains and blue walls.
The whole hotel is themed around the 1968 Steve McQueen movie, Bullitt which is known for its famous car chase. In fact, there’s a hilarious story about two tipsy ladies brazenly robbing a large portrait of Steve McQueen, worth thousands, from the wall beside the hotel reception.
These women just took the painting off the wall and walked out! But they couldn’t carry it very far, or fit it in a taxi maybe, so they just left it by the side of the street. Isn’t that insane?! Luckily it wasn’t too damaged, only a couple of scratches, and the painting was returned to Bullitt.
The whole thing was actually caught on CCTV which you can watch here. SO FUNNY. Hopefully no one attempts anything like that after trying the Tipsy Tea in Babel.
Bullitt Hotel Offers
You can look at the current offers available on rooms and meals at Bullitt on their website here. There are lots of great offers on for Mother’s Day, Winter sale offers until March 15th and more.
The Bullitt Experience is available from mid-March to mid-November and includes an overnight stay with a three course meal in Taylor & Clay, cocktails in Babel and a breakfast bag for £149 per room.
If you book direct with Bullitt you can avail of their Bullitt Buddy offer which means you get the cheapest room rate AND you get one of the delicious breakfast buns included for free.
That’s all folks. Let me know if you do decided to stay at Bullitt or if you’ve stayed there before, I’d love to know how you got on.
Disclaimer
My stay was sponsored by Bullitt Hotel. However, all views and opinions are, as always, my own.
More About Belfast & Northern Ireland
- 48 Hours in Belfast
- Game of Thrones Food and Doors Tour
- The Causeway Coast and Glens – A Guide
- Rail Tours Ireland – Exploring the North by Train
- A Guide to Taking a Giant’s Causeway Tour
