Ravenhill House

Although it is beside a busy road, mature trees, the Nicholson family’s late Victorian redbrick house in Belfast has some sense of seclusion, with private parking and a quiet tree-lined street alongside. A comfortable ground floor lounge has an open fireplace, a big sofa, lots of books and a PC for guests who want to use the internet (at a modest charge).

Bedrooms, which are a mixture of single, twin and double rooms, are comfortably furnished with style - beds and other furniture have been specially commissioned from an Islandmagee craftsman; all are en-suite, with tea/coffee making facilities and TV.

After a good night’s sleep, breakfast is sure to be the highlight of a visit here: served in a bay-windowed dining room with white-damasked tables, the breakfast buffet is displayed on the sideboard in a collection of Nicholas Mosse serving bowls - a feel for craft objects that is reflected elsewhere in the house.

A printed breakfast menu shows a commitment to using local produce of quality and includes a vegetarian cooked breakfast; the Nicholsons buy all their fresh goods from local framers/producers who they deal with directly via the weekly St George’s Farmers’ Market, and they make what they can on the premises, including marmalade and wheaten bread for breakfasts.

All these good things, plus a particularly helpful attitude to guests, make this an excellent, reasonably priced base for a stay in Belfast.