Portrush is the ideal place to escape to.
It is a coastal town in Northern Ireland located in County Antrim. It is 13 km from the Giant’s Causeway, making it the ideal place to stay in this area.
Portrush was the second stop on my Northern Ireland tour, after Portstewart, another charming little town you must visit.
Get ready to fall in love with its sunset and get your boots on tasting the gastronomy offered by the place.
Portrush, like most towns, has no other secret than to explore it on foot. Letting yourself get lost among its narrow streets, greeting the locals you meet along the way and inspecting all those places that make you curious.
One of Portrush’s most popular tourist attractions is its beach, one of Northern Ireland’s favourite surfing destinations.
West Strand Beach is located on the west side of Portrush. The best time to visit is at sunset – at least for me. The sky, the sea and the beach itself are magical at this time of day.
The promenade can be accessed from various points in the town. So, tick off a stroll along West Strand Beach on your list of things to do in Portrush – a walk here rejuvenates! 😜 Well, it’s more of a white lie for you to give this amazing place a chance.
Plus, you’ll probably come across a group of surfers on your pleasant stroll. As I told you before, it’s a highly acclaimed spot for surfers.
🍴Best places to eat in Portrush
There are few places I have enjoyed eating as much as Portrush.
Its cafes, Ramore, and its Ocho Tapa Bistro with Spanish tapas that I’ve been craving. The latter is probably not on your list. But I was living in Ireland at the time, and Spanish food was much missed.
For a coffee in downtown Portrush, I recommend Bob&Berts. This franchise can be found in different locations in Northern Ireland. You can have a hot or cold drink (£2-4) or breakfast here (£4-7).
📍 Ramore
A collection of restaurants and bars by the harbour in Portrush.
Habour Bar is the best place for a good pint in Portrush. It is one of the oldest pubs on the North Shore. It’s tiny and Willie Gregg (the manager/owner/waiter/whatever he is) will make you feel right at home.
For dinner The Mermaid is an excellent choice. The place has a very cosy atmosphere with sea views, nice decoration, background music and good food. Plus, the staff is super nice.
I think the first time in my life I got to know the real taste of hake was here! I would go back to Portrush again just to eat here.
The price per person for dinner is around £20.
📍 Ocho Tapas Bistro
If you like to eat well, this place is going to be your undoing.
As a good tapas expert, I had to visit this place to check that their tapas were really as good as I had read. And because homesickness prevented me from going any longer without trying one….
We ordered several tapas to try and we agreed that they were to die for. Some of them seemed like strange mixtures and I ended up finding them delicious.
Iberian ham and cheese platter, patatas bravas (with different sauces), aubergines with honey, sirloin steak, calamari were some of the dishes we ordered. Although, without a doubt, my favourites were ‘Foie with pear and saffron marmalade’ and the ‘Cheese croquettes with beetroot pannacota’.
The oil they use is Cordoba oil which gives a very local touch to the dishes. When I tasted it, it tasted so familiar that I had to ask them where it was from.
The price of the pinchos is £2.25 or 5 pinchos for £10. The average price for tapas is £6.
Since opening its doors in 2015 it has continued to delight the north coast of the emerald isle and so did my visit to this area. The staff are very attentive, the tapas are delicious and it’s a very busy place in the area. Undoubtedly, a place to repeat.
🛌 Where to stay in Portrush
Anvershiel House is a charming place in the enclave of Portrush.
This Bed and Breakfast, run by Alan and Janice, has 7 rooms and everything you need to enjoy a few days of relaxation and disconnection in Northern Ireland.
They have different types of rooms (double, twin and triple), whose (almost) cobbled walls and big beds with soft mattresses seem to force you to stay an extra five minutes before going down for breakfast.
There’s nothing like starting the day with a good home cooked breakfast. Alan is in charge of writing down the breakfast you’ll want the next day: Irish Full Breakfast or a wide selection of items from which you can choose cereal, granola, French toast, pancakes with maple syrup and much more.
When you arrive you will see that this is a place with attention to detail. On the right hand side you will find a common room with an English style fireplace where you can chat or read a good book. On the left hand side you will find the dining room where breakfast is served, where a large map of the world welcomes you.
The owners decided to use the map to show the different nationalities of their guests. And the result was this:
To all this we must add the excellent treatment of Alan and Janice who make sure that your stay is perfect.
With a cosy atmosphere and exquisite decoration, Anvershiel House is waiting to be your home during your trip to Portrush. The price per night on Booking is £63 for double rooms and £104 for triple rooms.
📍 Places to visit near Portrush
📍 Dunluce Castle
A ruined medieval castle located 6km from Postrush. During the summer, Translink runs a bus service from Portrush to Dunluce Castle and the Giant’s Causeway.
📍 Giant’s Causeway
The Giant’s Causeway is one of the most spectacular places to visit in Ireland. It is made up of 40,000 basalt columns that hide various legends about their origin.
You can visit it on your own or on one of the tours organised from Belfast or Dublin.
