Belfast is an ideal destination for many students from all over the world. Thanks to the first-class universities, fine pubs, fascinating history and captivating culture, it is many students' first choice.

The cost of living at the moment is no joke in any city and students are especially feeling the pinch more than ever. Belfast is used to housing the thousands of students every year who have chosen to call it their home away from home while they study. Because of this, there is many a great student discount in the capital of Northern Ireland not to be missed!

From food and drinks to entertainment and activities, there is an offer for everyone.

Food and drink

For coffee lovers, Bark and Bite is a fairly new coffee van in Botanic Gardens, across from Maggie Mays. Here, you can pick up coffee and cake with 20% off for all students!

^{Bark and Bite, Botanic Gardens}

Little Wing - a Naples style pizzeria - also offers 20% off to students.

For lunch deals, I recommend The Parlour Bar on Elmwood Avenue, which offers lunch for £5 from 12pm-3pm and pizza for £4 from 3pm-6pm. It also does great deals on drinks if you're planning a night out!     

The deli in Spar in the Student Union has a tasty lunch offer every day for under £4. There is also many a meal deal to choose from for £3.25 - what a bargain! There is also a loyalty card with Barista Bar, the coffee machine in Spar. You can get a free drink when you register, on your birthday, as well as getting a free drink every time you buy nine!

^{The Spar in One Elmwood has a lunch offer for under £4}

Clements coffee shops serve soup and a roll for £3, and offer various hot meals, which change every day for a very reasonable price.

Boojum is a great place to get bang for your buck! A tasty Mexican fast-food chain that offers huge portions, as well as tasty vegan alternatives. I recommend using the App and you can get a free Boojum after nine.

For main chain restaurants I recommend using Unidays and StudentBeans, which have some great offers, including Wagamama, which offers 20% off for students - just remember your student ID! 

^{Boojum is a firm favourite for university students}

Entertainment and Activities

Movie time! For the best discounts on movies I recommend trying out Queen’s Film Theatre or Movie House Cinema Cityside.

Queen’s Film Theatre is a cool and quirky independently run film theatre that screens independent films and current movies. It also has a cute sit-down area where you can chill before or after the movie and have a drink. Student tickets are just £4.50.

^{Student tickets at the QFT are only £4.50!}

Movie House Cinema Cityside offers student tickets for £7, and you can watch movies for £5.50 if you go to a morning show.

If you prefer something a little more active than watching a movie, Lost City Adventure Golf at Cityside also offers student discount. From Monday-Thursday they offer one round of 18-hole golf for £7, and two rounds for £11, with a valid student ID.  

Other

If you plan to use public transportation quite frequently - I recommend getting a yLink card. This will enable you to save 1/3 on bus and train fares with Translink.

For nights out I recommend the Student Union bar. They do great offers on drinks and also serve reasonably priced bar food.

^{The union bar at One Elmwood}

Another tip is to keep an eye out on various Instagram pages for special offers, such as Limelight. For incoming first years, attending Freshers Fair can be a great way to receive vouchers for various freebies.

Everyone is a fan of a takeaway! Before you order, check out student apps for the best offer some examples are UberEats - £10 off to new customers, and Dominos offers 35% off to students with a code from StudentBeans.

Find out more

Eating out in Belfast

Cost of living advice and tips

Queen's: The student experience

Sarah Geraghty Human Biology | Undergraduate Student | Galway, Ireland My name is Sarah Geraghty! I am a second year Human Biology student from Galway. I'm 21 and I feel like I have a lot to offer in the line of advice because I realise that a lot of people have a hard time settling in and making friends in university and that the expectations of “university life” don't always meet reality for many students. I am in the Biomedical Science society, and I really enjoy it.