Shoe Factory

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Reviews

1. Martina Dunphy ★★★★★

   Attended a private function here First time been in the bar. Lovely staff and great time was had

   almost 8 months ago
2. Jay S ★☆☆☆☆

   International visitor here. I am visiting Belfast for a few days on a multi-city trip from overseas. First thing, the side of the building says "Kremlin" and on the other block there's a sign for "Shoe Factory," both of which show up when you search for gay bars in Belfast. I walked up on the Shoe Factory side and there was no signage explaining where the entry is. Eventually, I found the entrance. Security checks IDs so be sure you're carrying something valid. I had a EU and US passport - showed the bouncer my EU passport and he gave me an odd look, which made me wonder - maybe they don't get many tourists? There was a £6 cover charge, which you can pay by card. I went inside and on the Kremlin side, they had good drink specials. Ordered one cocktail but the dance floor and bar were dead, so I headed to Shoe Factory, which was more my vibe. While I was there, I was taking some videos of the atmosphere and people dancing and sending it in a group chat to my friends in the US to show them how Belfast gets down. When I went to get another drink at Kremlin - since that side of the bar is dead, I started to video the dance floor and then decided not to because it was dead. The bartender at Kremlin (a she) asked me if I knew the girls on the stage / she had to ask me like 3 times cause I couldn't hear her, and I told her no, and she walked away to grab security. They escorted me out and when they brought me outside, the security guard told me I was taking inappropriate videos of girls and being a creep, and needed to leave. lol. For one, I'm not into girls...and second...I was taking video of multiple spots to share on my blogs, with my friends, and in reviews. I wasn't gonna argue so I just left. Needless to say, here is what I have to say in a nutshell: *Belfast does not have a "gay" scene. It is very small, so if you're looking for a gay bar on a visit, I recommend you skip that part of your trip and find something else to do. *I am not sure if this place is a "locals" only place and if maybe I looked out of my place with my foreign IDs, non-Irish accent, and cultural difference. For example, in Amsterdam and in the US, clubs would *want* you to take video and post them in reviews so they can attract more visitors. *in future bar/club visits, I'll ask the bartenders/staff when and if it's appropriate to take pix and videos - which of course, they are going to take as "weird" but apparently that's what you need to do. Don't assume. At the same time, they could've handled it better and told me not to record and/or ask more questions than assume I'm some kind of pervert. *I would not recommend this place to anyone. As I said above, have a nice cocktail somewhere else and don't expect to find a thriving gay scene in Belfast. *I am not sure this business really wants people other than locals because there was no "clear" signage or direction on how to enter. If it wasn't for the dudes on the steps of Kremlin, I would've never made it inside. Also, the way the security guard looked at me after checking my ID, suggested some kind of prejudice. It would not surprise me if maybe to the staff inside I wasn't welcome (again, a very "local" crowd). *I make too much money and have too good of a life to waste my time/money here.

   almost 10 months ago
3. James Buckle ★★★★★

   Fun place pre pride but the roof bar closes at 1:30am sharp!

   almost 2 years ago

1. Gary Robinson ★★★★★

   Gay night club open late

   more 7 years ago
2. Marc Anthony ★★★★★

   Always a good place for a drink or a lovely meal.

   more 7 years ago
3. Chris R ★★★★★

   BuBu is fantastic

   more 9 years ago

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