Haymarket Stock Exchange Bar: A Fun Detour, But Not the Main Event

By Enya Gleeson

If you’re an avid TikTok user like me, you’re probably sick and tired of hearing about Belfast’s newest, ‘coolest’ spot for a night-out: Haymarket’s brand new Stock Exchange Bar. So, I decided to check it out and see if it’s worth the hype, saving you from spending your hard earned student loan!

Located in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, I was a bit apprehensive about whether prices would stay affordable throughout the night. Still, I thought I’d give it a go for a Saturday night treat. This was my second attempt to visit Belfast’s new addition. The first was a Monday in December, the emptiness of the place that night had me questioning my choice, but, with it being a new year and a Saturday evening I was feeling hopeful. The hopefulness began to dampen, however, when I realised that it was not an entire stock exchange bar, but rather a room off the main Haymarket bar. Now, this isn’t a critique of the bar, but rather an observation of the overly glamorised image TikTok has a knack for creating (especially for gullible people like me).

Nonetheless, I squeezed my way through the crowded main Haymarket bar and made my way to the Stock Exchange. The first pleasant surprise was the crowd. On a Saturday night, it’s often hard to secure a table without a bit of rejigging, but I had no problem at all getting a table for our group. Next on the agenda, was of course to get a drink and to see what I made of these price changes. The stock exchange board disappointed me slightly due to the lack of drink selection, however the bar itself had a brilliant selection of spirits and cocktails, definitely rivalling your regular Belfast bar. As for the much-talked about “cheap” stock exchange drinks, you’ll likely fare better here if you’re a beer drinker. One of my friends, an exclusive Guinness drinker, was thrilled when a pint dropped to just £5.

A pint of Guinness for a fiver is almost unheard of in Belfast as a whole, never mind in the Cathedral Quarter!

That alone would be enough to sell the place to some, but since I’m not yet strong enough for the black stuff, I did not do so well financially this night! I opted for an Espresso Martini, which was reasonably priced at £8 and- let me tell you- was absolutely gorgeous! As a student, though it’s hard to forget the SU’s £4.50 cocktails, but I can honestly say this will be the first and only bar in the Cathedral Quarter I’d risk ordering a cocktail from.

Of course, after a couple of drinks, I had to check out the infamous ‘disco toilets’, where there is a cubicle with two toilets for when you and your friend need to pee together on a nightout! First impressions: What a great idea! If you’re in any way like me, the girls’ bathroom is often the best part of the night, but Haymarket has taken this to a whole new level. If you haven’t seen the countless TikToks of people pressing the big red button that transforms this trendy bathroom into something resembling a nightclub, I would urge you to go watch. This button brought me the most laughs and fun of the night and caused me to make a few new bathroom besties. I never thought I’d say the bathroom is my favourite part of a bar but Haymarket has me proving myself wrong. The toilet itself would be a perfect place for a girls night, never mind the rest of the bar!

Other amenities include the interactive darts or shuffle boards, although, unless you’ve booked it in advance, you’re not getting near them. Despite it being only a moderately busy night, all the games were taken. This was especially disappointing for the lads – who didn’t have the disco toilets. In fact, the men’s toilets were impossible to find, tucked way on the other side of the bar. I did, however, enjoy watching the board and jumping up to grab the cheapest shots when they popped up.

Would I go back? Yes. Will I be running back? No. The Stock Exchange is a fun novelty, but at the end of the day, it’s still just a bar. I’m stating the obvious here, but I’d suggest going in with no expectations. Yes, it’s fun, but if you’re imagining one of those huge stock exchange bars you’ve seen all over Europe (as it’s marketed), I’d save yourself the disappointment.

It’s a room which would be fun to discover on a night-out but not a room to base your whole night around.