Winecellar Entry

Winecellar Entry is one of the charming, historic narrow alleyways located in High Street in central Belfast.  It dates back to the early 17th century to the beginning of Belfast’s establishment as a maritime port.  Winecellar Entry became a bustling artery servicing dense residential and commercial life.  Its name emerged in the early 19th century from the cluster of wine cellars and merchants established within this area.

White’s Tavern is said to be the oldest tavern that is still in business today, it is claimed that it was first licensed here in 1630 to Thomas Kane.  Fortunately White’s Tavern and Winecellar Entry survived the Second World War blitz, at that time this part of the city was heavily bombed in 1941.

A stroll down the stone‑paved alley reveals, as in the other Belfast historic entries, an atmospheric experience, iron work and period lamps.  The shaded courtyard is the focal point of Winecellar Entry. The urban style, including rendered three-storey façades with wooden sash windows and slates—is evidence to its late Georgian rebuild.

Winecellar Entry is short in length, but it is huge in character and atmosphere.  It is close to the old harbour which once extended to High Street, it is a surviving slice of Belfast’s past and its roots in the wine trade.