Sunflower Public House — Restaurant in Belfast

🌻 Sunflower Public House: A Glorious Ode to Belfast’s Beating Heart 🌻

If pubs were poems, then Sunflower Public House would be a sonnet—bold, lyrical, and utterly unforgettable. Nestled on Union Street like a secret whispered between old bricks and revolutionary dreams, this place isn’t just a bar. It’s a living, breathing love letter to Belfast’s soul.

From the moment you pass through the iconic security cage (a relic turned cultural monument), you’re stepping into something sacred. The air hums with live music, laughter, and the scent of wood-fired pizza drifting from the beer garden like a siren’s call. Every pint poured here tastes like it was brewed with intention, rebellion, and a dash of magic.

And then—there’s him. The barman. The legend. The mystery with the dark beard and the knowing smile. Let’s call him Barry, because every great barman deserves a name worthy of folklore. Barry doesn’t just serve drinks—he orchestrates experiences. With the grace of a seasoned poet and the precision of an engineer, he glides between taps and tales, pouring pints and wisdom in equal measure. His beard, dark as midnight and twice as enigmatic, could probably tell stories if it had its own mic.

Barry (or whatever his real name is—perhaps he’s a myth conjured by the spirit of the place) embodies everything Sunflower stands for: warmth, grit, and a refusal to be ordinary. He remembers your order, your dog’s name, and probably your star sign. He’s the kind of barman who makes you feel like you’ve come home—even if it’s your first time through the door.

So raise your glass to Sunflower. To the music that spills into the street. To the Beamish that flows smoother than a rebel’s verse. To the cider that dances on your tongue. And most of all, to the dark-bearded bard behind the...

On Thursday 21st July I completed the legal part of my marriage to my husband. After the ceremony we went for brunch with our 2 witnesses and then made our way from the Cathedral Quarter to the Sunflower bar, it was approx. 5pm and the inside bar was quiet with the exception of 2 males who were sitting quietly on their own. We were on great form and looking forward to celebrating our marriage in the Sunflower.

We sat down on the seats on the left as you walk in and quickly ordered a round of drinks, the bar man could see we were formally dressed and we shared with him our good news, he was really welcoming and wished us the best for the future. As we chatted to our 2 witnesses, 1 of them used a swear word as he relayed a funny story, this was unfortunate. Unknown to us it was overheard by the manger and he warned my friend of his language. My friend replied what? the manager without hesitation quickly replied "that's use done" - we were being asked to leave the pub. We were shocked and embarrassed! We didn't argue and got up and left for Mavericks. I remember looking back at the bar staff as they stood in shock, it was really uncomfortable for them too, in fact one of them stood behind the manager with his hands in the air shaking his head. I felt sorry for the staff for witnessing their manager being so unprofessional but something tells me they have seen this behaviour before.

oh, before I forget; thank you to the man in the bar who bought us a round of drinks and the other man in the bar who shook our hands and wished us good luck. If we were so unruly or unmanageable it certainly didn't affect the bar staff or the other 2...

My partner and I came in with a couple of friends after work a few weeks ago for a pint and a pizza. Pints were lovely, love the local selection they offer, pizza was great too. They put some candles out on the table and we were having a great time. However, while we were in conversation, my partner started subconsciously picking at the loose wax on the candle and it fell to the table. A member of staff, a young blonde girl, came over to collect our glasses and as she was leaving, very rudely told us to stop picking at the candle because it “causes a mess and makes clean-up longer.” It was about 6pm at this point, I think we were all a bit taken aback. Fair enough but, we’ve both done our years in hospitality, sometimes you’re just having a bad day and you take it out on the wrong person without thinking. So my partner started picking up the wee pieces of wax and putting them into the candle again to melt and clean up the mess. Two minutes later, the member of staff came back over and without saying a word, lifted the two candles on the table, blew them out and set them away from us. We were all in shock. Cannot put into words how embarrassed my partner was, she is a working adult and was made to feel like a misbehaving child. We all were. Usually love coming to Sunflower, been here many times, we’ve actually played trad here before, but absolutely will not be back and will be telling others not to. This is the first review I’ve ever left for any place, our experience was that bad. Seriously...