Aether & Echo

Popped in to get a bite to eat at lunchtime, we ordered a couple of coffees to have with perusing the menu. Wasn’t feeling particularly inspired by the menu and the coffee was just warm brown water, didn’t bode well for food so we decided not to stay and left after paying £3.40 for two rather insipid cups of what alleged to be coffee. Seeing the food on plates being served up it looked like the kind of food they served back when it was The Deers Head but at inflated prices.

I think we got a wee bit of a warped view of Aether & Echo as we visited on a Wednesday evening at 7ish. The bar was dead and when we asked to see the cocktail menu the pleasant bar man said they didn’t really have one at the minute but he could make pretty much any cocktail. To be fair to him he ended up making a dark and stormy that was a little on the sweet side and french martini that just didn’t hit the spot. On the plus side, they were only £5 each!
We only ended up staying for one drink and I think, as previous reviewers have said, the place just lacked atmosphere. I’m not totally sure what type of bar Aether and Echo is? Or what it wants to be? It has traits of an old man bar yet it calls itself a cocktail bar and it’s booths suggest it’s more of a traditional haunt?!
I’ve heard good things about Aether & Echo at the weekends so I might just have to give it another chance to sway my opinion.

Was in here in a quiet Saturday afternoon and it really was quiet, not that that is a bad thing. Great selection of drinks in a traditional clean bar. The booths where a really nice touch and we had one with big windows looking out into Belfast. Bar staff where very knowledgable making suggestions and quite handy with a cocktail shaker, def one to try again when slightly busier.

I tried Aether & Echo for the first time in 2013 and was so unimpressed I didn’t return until this week. In 2013 when I visited I recall some not very nice cocktails and bar staff who had to read their recipe sheet for every cocktail we asked for. I just didn’t get a good first impression of the place and found the atmosphere bland. Recently however I have heard some good reports about Aether & Echo so decided to give it another go for a Saturday afternoon drink with a friend. It wasn’t packed by any means but most of the seats and booths were taken. We did manage to get a table near the very drafty side doors — it was a cold day unfortunately. I had a couple of G&Ts and my friend a couple of cocktails — good enough drinks. It’s a nice pub to look at but just seems strangely lacking in character and was physically quite cold — though in fairness we unfortunately had seats right beside the doors. I’d been heading towards an average rating for this place (3 stars out of 5) — until that is I used the toilets. The toilets quite frankly were disgusting. An overpowering smell of urine hits you as soon as you open the doors to the corridor where the toilets are located. In the Ladies the toilets stank as if they had never been cleaned, a toilet was flooded onto the floor and there where no paper towels to dry hands with — I didn’t even bother trying to use the electric hand dryer on the wall — I just wanted to get out of there fast! I’m just glad I never ordered food in this place. I could understand if Aether & Echo had been exceptionally busy — but they weren’t, and there where lots of staff about. There’s really no excuse for not keeping toilets clean especially in a pub which serves food. I won’t be back to this place — it’s such a shame because it really is a lovely bar visually with lovely tiling, old fashioned lights and wooden booths — they just need to deep clean the toilets and somehow develop some warmth and atmosphere. Disappointing.

I love the décor in this bar but after my 3^rd visit I’m still not totally convinced. The bar itself seems to lack some atmosphere and didn’t smell great. I had food here for first time and the menu looks great and there are also some £5 lunch offers, great for a pub lunch/​bar bite. The food was actually pretty decent but the tables weren’t clean at all so I was a little wary. Then I went to the loo, it had never been nice on my other visits but I put that down to the bar being busy (no excuse really I know). But this was 4pm and the bar was quiet… and it was awful. I can only assume that the places out of public site (the kitchen) must be just as bad if not worse. This bar has all the right things going for it but i couldn’t eat there again until I thought it was clean, hopefully they rectify the cleanliness and atmosphere.

Ok so I came up to Belfast for the weekend to try out A.P.O.C. the cocktail bar in the attic of A&E and it was worth the 170 km trek!
To start off we went for dinner in A&E and went for the Whole Chicken sharing board. Chicken was cooked to perfect and the sweet potato fries and salad side were awesome.
Washed that down with a few g&t’s and the bar filled up with what seemed to be a great mix of young, old and fun crowds.
Now the main event… We had to go outside and down the alleyway beside A&E to get to APOC. You walk up a few flights of stairs wondering have to taken the correct door only to find yourself transported into vintage style speakeasy. Quirky interior. Seating for around 20 and best above all 4 lucky seat at the bar. We managed to get 2!
Paddy served us that night and the guy is a genius. Helped us pick our drinks according to our tastes (even managed to get my girlfriend who hates bananas to love his take on a banana daiquiri).
If I could remember all the different cocktails I had last night I’d write them down for you to try but as the night ended a tad hazy all I would recommend is that you go and try it for yourself. My highlight drink of the night was his twist on the negroni. Gorgeous.
Belfast is known for its cocktails but I think this place has just raised the bar! Great cocktail experience and night.

Amazing pub and even better service. Gareth was our server and so much more. He was extremely helpful in our touristy endeavors and fed us tips, places to see, and the most delicious burgers, thick cut fries, and hot soup! After our group of 4 finished our meal-​he even walked us to another pub where the locals frequent so we could make the most of our quick trip to Belfast. Highly recommend Gareth and the wonderful food!

We were On vacation from New York on a bus tour of Ireland, we stopped in Belfast for lunch on a sunday. many places were closed or not serving food, and Then We found Aether & echo ready to serve our needs with great ale and a hearty meal we both had The carrot chile ginger soup it was fantastic and the salmon was cooked to perfection great beer and ale selection, Fast and friendly service, So if your in Belfast check it out