The MorningStar

The Morning Star has served drinkers from 17-19 Pottinger's Entry, off High Street, since around 1810, when the building operated as a stagecoach stop between Belfast and Dublin. The pub survived the Belfast Blitz of 1941, when neighbouring buildings on High Street and Bridge Street were destroyed. Ownership passed through several hands, including Croft Inns, a division of Guinness, in the 1970s, before the McAlister family took over in 1989 and have run it since. The narrow, two-storey building keeps its ground-floor bar with traditional fittings, while an upstairs room, the Lounge, seats around 120 for food service. A deli counter, Pottingers Deli, operates alongside the bar. The McAlisters, who describe their background as rooted in farming and food production, source beef through the Royal Ulster Beef and Lamb Championship for the kitchen. The building carries Grade II listed status, reflecting its place among the oldest licensed premises in central Belfast.