Belfast is a surprisingly good place to shop. I recommend starting at Donegall Place, where the streets are lined with shops, and the Victorian arcades are filled with gifts shops and jewelry stores. Good buys are to be had on Belleek china, linen, and crystal from County Tyrone. Continue your spree at Craftworks Gallery, Bedford House, Bedford Street (tel. 028/9024-4465), a one-stop shop for crafts from throughout the region. The gallery can supply a free copy of the brochure "Crafts in Northern Ireland," detailing local crafts and where to find them. It is just behind Belfast City Hall. Or you could head to the excellent Wicker Man in the Donegall Arcade (tel. 028/9024-3550), which has a good stock of crafts. You'll find both Irish crafts and traditional Irish music at Cultúrlann MacAdam Ó Fiaich (216 Falls Rd.; tel. 028/9023-9303).
The main shopping street is Royal Avenue, home of well-known chains such as Waterstone's bookstore, Jaeger clothing store, and Virgin Music Megastore. The Castlecourt Shopping Centre on Royal Avenue is Belfast's main downtown multistory shopping mall -- the largest in Northern Ireland -- with more than 70 boutiques and shops.
Belfast's leading department stores are Anderson & McAuley and Marks & Spencer, both on Donegall Place, and Debenham's in the Castlecourt Shopping Centre on Royal Avenue. Other shops to look for include the following:
