I feel that neighborhoods with universities tend to have a more lively cafe and restaurant scene. I get that feeling when I'm over in Galway, too, which has a large university population. Was very happy with my hotel and there was an Ibis in a brick building just a block away that could have worked, too. I'm sure I'll be back and I'll combine Belfast with something else, as long as AA has DUB service, though I guess I now have some British Midland options with One World and could ticket into Belfast directly.

My two prior Belfast visits were 10-15 years ago with a backpack, coming across from Scotland and down into Dublin.