Most people nowadays are familiar with an app called Instagram. It’s a great way to keep in touch with friends and family and to see what is going on in their lives. However, it has also become a kind of art form to take the best photos for Instagram and this cannot be done without finding the best spots first. That’s what I am here to help you with!

House Belfast

House Belfast is located on Botanic Avenue, close to Queen’s campus. It is a cocktail bar and restaurant that offers an extensive list of alcoholic beverages, and the food is pretty tasty too! If you have visited before, you will know how beautiful the interior is. The bar is decorated with a huge cherry blossom tree which gives the whole place a cool and luxurious vibe. A friend and I visited in September to try their new cocktail menu, which turned out to be delicious and aesthetically pleasing too. 

^{Cocktails at House Belfast}

Dilly and Dolly’s Café

With locations on Ann Street in the City Centre and on the Lisburn Road, Dilly and Dolly’s is an adorable café perfect for any Instagram lover. They serve coffee, brunch, dinner, cocktails, and cakes (they have it all!) and you can guarantee that each item will be super cute. If you love pink, this place is for you.

^{Pretty plates at Dilly and Dolly's}

The Juice Jar

If you want healthy, feel-good food that also looks amazing then The Juice Jar is the place to be. With locations on Botanic Avenue and Wellington Place in the city centre, The Juice Jar offers a range of delicious food and drinks. They are famous for their Acai Bowls, which are a Brazilian superfood that has become super popular over the last few years. My mum and I decided to try one and we certainly were not disappointed. Just look at that presentation!

^{Delicious acai bowls}

Sawers Deli

Located on College Street in the Fountain Centre, Sawers Deli may not be the first place your mind would go to when thinking of where to take your Instagram pictures. However, I would argue that the perfectly stocked drinks, condiments, and pasta shapes make this place a great location for a super unique and satisfying Instagram picture. They sell foods from across the globe, meaning this place may have something that you cannot get elsewhere in Belfast. They also offer hampers, which make great gifts, and a mouth-watering selection of freshly made sandwiches and salads.

^{Sawers is perfectly stocked with many drinks and condiments}

Commercial Street

Commercial Street is probably one of the most photographed streets in Belfast and for good reason. Located in the Cathedral Quarter, Commercial Street becomes lit up with colourful umbrellas and quotes once it gets dark. The famous Duke of York pub is located on this street, making it a popular place for tourists and locals alike. Oftentimes it gets extremely busy, making it difficult to get an Instagram shot without any photobombers! I would recommend going when it is raining on a weekday, as my friend and I found the street to be completely empty at this time. We took full advantage of the opportunity and managed to get some really cool candid pictures of ourselves.

^{Make sure to visit the iconic Commercial Street for insta-worthy photos}

An Honourable Mention: The Van Gogh Experience

Now sadly closed, the Van Gogh Experience came to Belfast and made its temporary home in Carlisle Memorial Church. It was an immersive experience that made you feel as though you were living inside a Van Gogh painting. As Van Gogh is one of my favourite artists, I found this experience to be a very moving one and it was worth every penny. If you get the chance to visit, I would highly recommend you do so. It has been touring the world for a number of years now so with this in mind, I am hoping it will return to Belfast one day as I would love to visit again. 

^{The Van Gogh Experience was immersive and moving}

Just walk around!

Belfast is a wonderfully unique city that has so much to offer. Just by taking a walk around, you may find a spot where you can take cool pictures. If you make the most of it, you can see the beauty in everything. The sun almost certainly helps too!

^{My flatmate and I taking a stroll through Botanic Gardens (and me forcing him to model for my Instagram)}

 

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Ciara Ashley BA Anthropology | Undergraduate Student | Liverpool, UK I’m a 19-year-old from Liverpool who decided to pursue her degree in Belfast due to its rich history. I am an anthropology student and so I am interested in all aspects of human life. In my free time I love to listen to music, take part in the university-organised trips, and go clubbing on student nights.