Sumptuous and elegant, if you have the time and inclination, sipping a cocktail in The Merchant Hotel Bar is an experience not to be missed.

The Venue
Opened just a couple of years ago, the five-star Merchant Hotel is housed within one of the grandest buildings in Belfast. It's a Grade 1 listed sandstone edifice which dates back to 1860 and used to be headquarters of The Ulster Bank. Italianate in style, it’s been restored to its original splendour. And The Bar at The Merchant Hotel is no exception with its ornate carved wood ceiling, silk damask walls, antique Baccarat chandeliers and patterned banquettes with gold cushions. It’s a long room with tall windows at the far end which are framed by flowing tied-back curtains.

The red velvet button-back slipper chairs are daintily elegant and there are gold-framed paintings covering the walls. The service is polite and warm and The Bar comes under the aegis of Sean Muldoon, Ireland’s foremost cocktail authority, and serves the world’s most expensive cocktail. The Trader Vic's Mai Tai made with the ultra rare Wray and Nephew 17-year-old Jamaican rum costs just £750 a glass.

The People
As well as hotel guests, The Bar is frequented by business people and other visitors to the city. In the evening it moves up a notch or two and is buzzing with slightly younger city slickers and cocktail sippers, but is still somewhere you could bring your parents.

The Food and Drink
There’s a short and long cocktail list (which is more like a book with its descriptions and histories of the drinks). In a homage to cocktail heritage, the drinks are divided into categories like Cobblers, Cups, Slings, Nogs and Punch Bowls and they all weigh in at around £6 to £7. In summer there’s nothing better than Mimosa, created at the Ritz Hotel in Paris in 1925, which is fresh orange juice and two dashes of Grand Marnier topped with Champagne. On a winter’s day, you can warm yourself for £4.95 with a traditional rum egg nog which is made from Jamaican rum, sugar, bitters, cream and milk shaken with egg yolk and garnished with the house spice mix.

For the wines too there’s a long and, thankfully, a short list, which includes bottles ranging from £18 upwards. A good mid-range choice would be the organic 2005 Monastrell Luson Jumila which is £20 a bottle (£5.75 a glass) and is plummy with a smooth finish. And the bar food doesn't disappoint. There's a focaccia burger for £8 and terrine of the day with toast is £7. Otherwise there’s a selection of sandwiches — and it’s great for tea and cakes in the afternoon.

The Last Word
For a real treat in a sumptuous, elegant setting there’s not many better place in Belfast.

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