BELFAST INSIDER
Hey there👋
It’s the edition before Easter.
The city is starting to pick up. More happening. More people out. That time of year when Belfast wakes up again.
Quick shout out to Cathy B-K who sent through some brilliant feedback on last week’s issue. Proper insights. Keep them coming.
We find the good stuff. You decide what’s worth your time.
Here’s what’s worth it this week →
THE DIGEST: Belfast in Brief
From Bushmills to Belfast: NI's Spirits Are Taking Over the World
Northern Ireland’s drinks industry is quietly going global. And it’s doing it with serious style.
Once down to just two distilleries in the 1980s, the region now has over 20, winning international awards and landing export deals across Europe, Asia, and North America. Think seaweed-infused gin, whiskey in a can, and bottles shaped like the Giant’s Causeway.
And if you caught our December feature on Strangford Zero, Tracey and Joe Jeffrey’s non-alcoholic gin from Strangford Lough, it’s the same story. Local identity bottled beautifully.
Small place. Big ambition. That’s Belfast.
The Terminator Came Back to Belfast 60 Years Later
When Arnold Schwarzenegger first visited Belfast in 1966 as a 19-year-old bodybuilder who barely spoke English, he couldn’t have imagined what was coming.
His idol Reg Park pulled him onto a stage at a bodybuilding competition. For the first time, he spoke in public: “I like Belfast.” The crowd gave him a standing ovation.
60 years later, he returned.
The former California governor and Terminator star was awarded an honorary doctorate from Ulster University, where he told students that Northern Ireland produces “remarkable talent.”
Coming from him, that lands.
Is it just us or is there a pattern here? If you want to be great, start in Belfast.
Could Belfast’s Oldest Structure Be Hiding in East Belfast?
Belfast might be older and stranger than you think.
Local storyteller Robert J. Simpson is exploring the city’s hidden history through his Seen and Unseen series and one story stands out.
A small stone bridge off the Beersbridge Road, known as Con O’Neill’s Bridge, sits in The Hollow, the East Belfast area linked to Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl.
It could be the city’s oldest surviving structure. Or it might not be.
Some say it dates back to the 1500s. Others think it’s a Victorian feature that just looks ancient.
No one really knows.
And that’s the point.
🏪 LOCAL BUSINESS SCOOP
Openings, Closures & Buzz Around Town
The Bedford Hotel Is Opening Earlier Than Expected And Belfast Can't Wait
Remember our February coverage of The Bedford Hotel on Donegall Square? We said Belfast loves a comeback story. Turns out it’s coming back sooner than planned.
The 82-bedroom boutique hotel, inside the restored 1904 Scottish Mutual Building, opens earlier than expected on Wednesday, 8th April.
Chef Noel McMeel, who cooked for world leaders at the G8 Summit, is leading the kitchen at The Nineteen Hundred.
Over 100 jobs created. One of Belfast’s most iconic buildings is back in business.
Watch how quickly this fills up.
INSIDER VISIT: Award-Winning Seamstress Finds a New Home on Bloomfield Avenue
Elayne Houston, founder of Fit Sew Good, at her new studio
We stopped by a local business this week that’s quietly doing serious work.
Elayne Houston, founder of Fit Sew Good, has just been named Bridal Seamstress of the Year at the Northern Ireland Wedding Awards 2026.
She’s also moved into a new space on Bloomfield Avenue after relocating from Beersbridge Road. We got a look inside. It’s exactly what you’d want from a place like this. Personal. Precise. Built on real craftsmanship.
If you’ve got a wedding coming up or just need something fitted properly, this is one to know.
📍 58 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast BT5 5AD
📸 @fit.sewgood
We’ll keep spotlighting local businesses doing things properly.
What’s a business Belfast is missing right now?
And why hasn’t someone built it yet?
Your Weekend Lineup
🎟️ WHAT’S HAPPENING:
Easter week in Belfast is quietly stacked.
Here are a few worth your time.
Top Picks This Week:
🎧 Shine Good Friday – CamelPhat
🎤 Van Morrison Jazz Brunch
🎸 Gig for Gary Moore (15-year memorial)
🎭 FRIENDS! The Musical Parody
🎻 Ulster Orchestra: Paths to Peace
That’s just a small slice.
There’s a lot more on this week.
Be honest. Which one are you actually going to?
💛 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
The Network Helping Ethnic Minority Professionals Build Careers and Businesses in Belfast
Steve Lazars, founder of EMEEN
Steve Lazars has worked across nine countries, engaged with over 40 departments, and built a career across civil service, corporate, community, charity and sports. He could have done a lot of things. He chose to build something Northern Ireland was missing. EMEEN, the Centre for Ethnic Minority Economic Activity, is now the region's largest network dedicated to ethnic minority economic participation, and Steve is the founder and driving force behind it.
Through business support, career development, training, and research, EMEEN covers the full journey. From first-time founders to entrepreneurs ready to scale. Their pioneering research report, produced with Ulster University Business School, is the first of its kind to map the real challenges facing ethnic minority and migrant entrepreneurs here. Evidence-based, practical, and long overdue.
In a city that talks a lot about inclusion, Steve and the EMEEN team are doing the work. Building the infrastructure that lets talented people get on with building careers and businesses.
Want to get involved? 🌐 emeen.co.uk
🍽️ RESTAURANT OF THE WEEK
Edo, Belfast: The Michelin-Recognised Spot Worth Every Penny
Here’s something you might not have clocked.
Just around the corner from Orisha sits Edo. Two African names. One street. Not planned. Belfast does that sometimes.
Now the food.
Edo has held Michelin recognition since 2023. It shows.
The Braised Beef Cheek with Potato Mousseline is a standout. Deep glaze. Meltingly tender. The kind of dish you talk about on the way home.
The Bertha-cooked Bream with Portavogie Prawns and Ibérico Butter is where local produce meets serious technique. Wood-fired. Skin crisp. Balanced. Clean.
Order both if you can.
The vibe: Intimate. Grown-up. Proper night out.
Price: ££ — Mains £18–£21, Desserts from £8
Find it: Little Victoria Street, Belfast City Centre
🌐 edorestaurant.co.uk | 📸 @edobelfast
What’s the best spot you’ve been to in Belfast recently? No hype. Just somewhere you’d go back to.
The Braised Beef Cheek at Edo Belfast
Want more spots like this or planning a night out?
We only add places we’d go back to.
🧭 THINGS TO DO
Because “nothing to do in Belfast” is a myth.
Need inspiration?
⚡ Quick Pulse
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Takes 2 seconds.
Send this to someone who always says “we should do something” but never does.
Until next time,
Let’s get the craic on!
The Belfast Insider Team.