Paul and Jeanne Rankin's restaurant broke the mould of Irish eateries, and is now synonymous with the culinary resurgence throughout Ireland. Behind an anonymous frosted-glass facade lurks this award-winning restaurant serving quality Irish produce prepared with an Asian or Mediterranean twist. Reservations recommended.

The Metro, a swish place in the Crescent Town House hotel, is a bright and lively wine bar and brasserie with low ceilings, wood floors, wrought-iron railings and a tempting menu offering modern French and Asian flavours. Arrive between 18:00 and 19:00 to check out the great-value 'early bird' menu.

Part of the laudable trend to combine book-buying with eating, Bookfinders Cafe is found at the back of the stacks and serves up a menu of simple, tasty lunch dishes to a public ravening from the effort of tracking down Behan and Synge. It's well known for its repertoire of 40 soups, which are large on taste and small on price.

Built in 1870 for the third Marquess of Donegall, in the Scottish Baronial style made fashionable by Queen Victoria's Balmoral, the multi-turreted pomp of Belfast Castle commands the eastern slopes of Cave Hill. It was presented to the City of Belfast in 1934.

Extensive renovation between 1978 and 1988 left the interior comfortably modern rather than intriguingly antique, and the castle is now a popular venue for wedding receptions. Upstairs is the Cave Hill Visitor Centre with displays on the folklore, history, archaeology and natural history of the park. Downstairs is the Cellar Restaurant and a small antiques shop.

Legend has it that the castle's residents will experience good fortune only as long as a white cat lives there, a tale commemorated in the formal gardens by nine portrayals of cats in mosaic, painting, sculpture and garden furniture.

Built in imposing Hiberno-Romanesque style, St Anne's Cathedral was started in 1899 but did not reach its final form until 1981. As you enter you'll see that the black and white marble floor is laid out in a maze pattern - the black route leads to a dead end, the white to the sanctuary and salvation.

The 10 pillars of the nave are topped by carvings symbolising aspects of Belfast life; look out for the Freemasons' pillar (the central one on the right, or south side). In the south aisle is the tomb of unionist hero Sir Edward Carson (1854-1935).

The stunning mosaic of The Creation in the baptistry contains 150,000 pieces of coloured glass; it and the mosaic above the west door are the result of seven years' work by sisters Gertrude and Margaret Martin.

This enormous prehistoric earthwork covers more than three hectares (seven acres). In the 19th century locals used part of the ring for race meetings, with the 4m (13ft) embankment serving as a grandstand. At the heart of the site is an ancient tomb called the Druid's Altar, dating from around 4000BC, where you could enact your own nature rites.

The Industrial Revolution transformed Belfast in the 19th century, and its rapid rise to muck-and-brass prosperity is manifested in the extravagance of City Hall. Built in classical Renaissance style in fine, white Portland stone, it was completed in 1906 and paid for from profits of the gas supply company.

Controlled by unionists throughout most of its existence, City Hall received its first ever Sinn Féin lord mayor in June 2002.

The hall is fronted by a statue of a rather dour 'we are not amused' Queen Victoria. The bronze figures on either side of her symbolise the textile and shipbuilding industries, while the child at the back represents education.

At the northeastern corner is a statue of Sir Edward Harland - the Yorkshire-born engineer who founded Belfast's Harland & Wolff shipyards - whose famous yellow twin cranes, Samson and Goliath, tower above the city. The yards' most famous construction was the Titanic, the 'unsinkable' ship that sank in 1912. A memorial to the disaster stands on the eastern side of City Hall.

The highlights of the free guided tour of City Hall include the sumptuous, wedding-cake Italian marble and colourful stained glass of the entrance hall and rotunda, an opportunity to sit on the mayor's throne in the council chamber, and the idiosyncratic portraits of past lord mayors. Each lord mayor is allowed to choose their own artist, and the variations in personal style are intriguing.

There are not too many historical monuments you can enjoy while savouring a pint of beer, but the National Trust's Crown Liquor Saloon is one. Belfast's most famous bar was refurbished by Patrick Flanagan in the late 19th century and displays Victorian decorative flamboyance at its best.

The exterior (1885) is decorated with ornate and colourful tiles, and a mosaic of a crown on the floor outside the entrance, while the interior (1898) sports a mass of stained and cut glass, marble, ceramics, mirrors and mahogany, all atmospherically lit by genuine gas mantles.

A long, highly decorated bar dominates one side of the pub, while on the other is a row of ornate wooden snugs. The snugs come equipped with gunmetal plates (from the Crimean War) for striking matches, and bell-pushes that once allowed drinkers to order top-ups without leaving their seats (alas, no more).

This place attracts everyone from students to bikers, drawn to its various entertainment options. Downstairs it has a back bar for drinking and sing-alongs and a public bar for drinking and watching football. The middle floor has live bands and DJs (plus drinking) and the top floor is devoted to pool, pinball and enjoying a few drinks.

In Shine, the students union can boast one of the city's best club nights - many visiting clubbers have recommended it - with resident and guest DJs pumping out harder, heavier dance music than most of Belfast's other clubs. Student or other photo ID required.

Kelly's is Belfast's oldest pub (established in 1720) and was a meeting place for Henry Joy McCracken and the United Irishmen when they were planning the 1798 rebellion. The story goes that McCracken hid behind the bar when British soldiers came for him. Kelly's now features folk and blues bands on Friday and Saturday nights.