A modern bar in The Entries. McCracken’s puts on live music and serves some decent grub too.

The Venue
The Entries are a series of old narrow alleyways in the heart of the city. McCracken’s is down Joy’s Entry which is named after the Joy family, one of who was Francis Joy McCracken, the founder of the Belfast Newsletter. And the bar, which was first licensed in 1892, is named after his granddaughter Mary Ann McCracken who was a social reformer and the sister of the famous Henry Joy McCracken who was executed in 1798 for his part in the insurrection of The United Irishmen.

It’s a modern style cafe-bar and is now part of the small group that also owns Queen's Cafe Bar and the Basement Bar. It has a dark brown stone floor around the wooden bar and high tables and burgundy stools. The wallpaper is swirly abstract grey and beige and there are clusters of red lamps in the middle and glass dividers. Elsewhere screens divide the place into sections. The live music nights include rockabilly and acoustic sessions.

The People
It's a bit off the beaten track but McCracken’s does have a loyal following and attracts a slightly more mature muso crowd at its live nights. During the week it's more of a cafe bar but come the weekend it transforms itself into a club and hosts alternate reggae, funk and soul nights and rock'n' roll nights on Fridays. On Saturdays it plays R'n'B. As you'd expect, the crowd who come here at the weekend are up for a party.

The Food and Drink
On tap there’s Carlsberg, Harp, Guinness, Smithwick’s, Budweiser and Strongbow, and in bottles there’s Heineken, Corona, Peroni, Coors, Kopperberg, Saxenbraur, Cartlon Cold, Budweiser and Miller — and you can get a bucket of Cobra for £10. On the food menu there are four or five daily specials and the list includes goat’s cheese and sun-dried tomato bruschetta for £6.95, salt and chilli chicken wings for £3.50 (small) or £7 (large), as well as a chocolate torte for dessert (£3.50). There are four whites and four reds on the wine list for around £11-£12 and one rose (a Pacific Bay Zinfandel for £11.50).

The Last Word
It has a weighty history but McCracken’s has a relaxed cafe feel and it's a good place to sample some of Belfast’s up and coming musical talent.

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