Thirsty Thursdays: Visiting The World’s First Ever LIDL🟡🟦🔴 Pub – The Middle Ale, Dundonald, Northern Ireland

“Little by little I gave you everything you ever dreamed of” – Noel Gallagher.

German supermarket giant LIDL have opened their first ever PUB!! And they have opened it in a place I used to live – Dundonald, Belfast, Northern Ireland (for the record I lived at 24 Fort Road way back in 1999…). Here in 2026, in this vibrant sprawled suburb of Belfast, sits The Middle Ale. A LIDL themed pub bursting in blue, yellow and red coloursand serving up the finest LIDL own-branded products mixed up with well-known global brands such as Guinness, Corona, Budweiser and Bushmills. This is a gem and a delight for the Thirsty Thursdays series. I am not the first blogger or video blogger to write about it, but this is probably the world’s first travel blog article on The Middle Ale, LIDL’s first ever pub!! You have to give it a visit!

To set the scene though, as this travel blog usually does, here is a wee introduction for those not familiar with Dundonald…

Backpacking In Dundonald, Northern Ireland

The urban sprawl of Belfast City has stretched as far as Dundonald, which lies at the foot of the gorgeous Holywood Hills (on the other side of them is where Rory McIlroy started his Grand Slam dreaming days). I lived here in the 1990s and it’s a famous Belfastian suburb for a few reasons…

1.Loads of people were BORN in Dundonald at The Ulster Hospital. Massive Maternity Ward.
2.The famous Ballybeen estate is here. Just ask Northern Irish folk about that. Go on a mural tour if you want.
3.It has a Norman Moat on a hill which overlooks a…McDonalds! You can climb the Moat.
4.Yes Northern Ireland stuck a McDonalds🍔🍟directly opposite one of our biggest hospitals.
5.Stormont is here – Stormont is the Northern Irish parliament/government (oxymoron that if you like, I’m off to the pub lads…)
6.George Best’s funeral was here.

“Georgie, Georgie, they called you the Belfast Boy” – Don Fardon.

Getting To Dundonald, Northern Ireland

In terms of getting to Dundonald, there is no train station, airport or seaport in the suburb – take the purple Glider bus from downtown Belfast, or one of many buses that run from Belfast or Newtownards.

The exact address is 2 Dunlady Rd, Dundonald, Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT16 1TT. Google Maps it if you need…

Why Has LIDL Opened A Pub In Northern Ireland?

Long story short here – Northern Irish politics is nuts. Unless you have lived there, you won’t get it. Basically the LIDL supermarket in Dundonald was REFUSED an alcohol licence to sell alcohol in the store. Yes, wild – I mean Northern Irish people love to drink. You can’t even buy Guinness, Harp or Bushmills in the LIDL Supermarket so the council said NO. Largely uninspired by nearby Winemark (a shop which sells booze) and the ASDA opposite (which was there before LIDL and has an alcohol licence), both of whom protested that it would take away their trade…hmmm…

“Business is business” – Anon.

However, loopholes are loopholes – LIDL bought a licence for opening a pub which was available after another nearby pub shut, thus surrendering their licence and passing it to LIDL. This licence now allows LIDL to sell alcohol as a pub and as an “offsales” (offy/liquor store/carryout/takeaway/wine lodge). And bingo! LIDL now has a pub. And ironically an off-sales!

“Isn’t it ironic don’t you think?” – Alanis Morrissette.

Without further ado, I headed in for a pint…

What’s The LIDL Pub The Middle Ale Like?

In short – brilliant – I love it. I buzz off this type of quirk, totally up my street! The absolute positives are…

• It shows live football – the Premier League will be broadcast plus some Champions League matches and Northern Ireland matches!
• The staff are local and good craic – we were served by Jay – a good lad.
• The manager is Samantha Hill and by coincidence I met her – a friendly enthusiastic boss!
• There is an open door policy – football shirts and hats are accepted – all attire is currently allowed.

• It has Guinness on tap – a must for any pub in Ireland and here pints are £5.80.
• It has a car park outside – those driving can park up without fuss.
• It has an off-sales – you can buy alcohol in the shop next door to take away (isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?).
• Walls and decor are LIDL coloured and themed – red yellow and blue.
• Free Wi-Fi.

• One of the seats is a shopping trolley!
• Bouncer (doorman) is here to get rid of any buck eejits that come in.

Andorra🇦🇩, Moldova🇲🇩, Chad🇹🇩, Romania🇷🇴, Armenia🇦🇲, Artsakh, Colombia🇨🇴, Ecuador🇪🇨, Venezeula🇻🇪 flag colour system is prevalent all around The Middle Ale. Red Yellow and Blue.

The Pints – On the Rip At LIDL!!

What you really want to know is how do the pints taste and how much are they? On tap they have a good selection – Rye River Brewing Company (the LIDL house beer), Guinness, Heverless, Tennent’s, Bud Light, LIDL own brand Gluten Free Lager even!

(Please note I was there in July 2026 and prices will change).

1.Guinness At LIDL. 8/10

I was here in July 2026 about a month after the pub opened and a pint of Guinness was £5.80. As a regular Guinness drinker, I know my stuff on how this should taste and I give it 8/10. Served in a proper Guinness glass and tasting fresh in the Dundonald sun.

I was there with my Dad and three of my cousins (Connor, Matty, Gary). At one point Gary, Matty and I all SPLIT the G’s perfectly!! A family hat-trick – wild!!

2.LIDL Gluten Free Lager. 7/10

I was encouraged by my cousin Matty (who is a manager in LIDL) to try the LIDL own brand lager, so I did. I don’t normally go for lagers, I am more into stouts and ales, but here – the LIDL Gluten Free Ale for £5.20 had to be tried…and was pleasantly sharp and refreshing – I’d give it a 7/10. You can see a video of that below.

My Dad was driving and had a 0.0% alcohol beer, also LIDL own brand – Perlenbacher.

I didn’t try and wines, soft drinks or spirits – maybe next time, but they have Bushmills and Black Bush as well as the LIDL own-branded lookalike Gins, Vodkas, Whiskeys and Ciders. My cousin Connor had a 0.0% Guinness from a can and that was decent. I only stayed for 3 drinks, and we bought some beers from the off licence to take away, but who knows next time I might pop in to watch an AFC Bournemouth Premier League game.

There was live 90s music on the venue’s two TVs at the time and my cousin Gary came up with a good point – there are LIDL products all over the shelves – tins of beans, pasta, washing powder etc. but you CANNOT buy them😂. If you want washing powder, you need to go into the actual LIDL itself next door, which closes earlier than the pub. Opening hours might vary, but here are the current hours of the shop and the pub…

LIDL Supermarket Opening Hours:

Monday 8 am–10 pm
Tuesday 8 am–10 pm
Wednesday 8 am–10 pm
Thursday 8 am–10 pm
Friday 8 am–10 pm
Saturday 8 am–10 pm
Sunday 1–6 pm

LIDL Pub The Middle Ale Opening Hours:

Monday 3–11 pm
Tuesday 3–11 pm
Wednesday 3–11 pm
Thursday 3–11 pm
Friday 12–11 pm
Saturday 12–11 pm
Sunday 12:30–11 pm

Dundonald’s latest pub The Middle Ale (The LIDL Pub) gets my seal of approval, I’ll be back! Good luck with this cool wee pub! Here are a few more photos from it.

Here are some videos from my trip to The World’s First Ever LIDL Pub – The Middle Ale, Dundonald, Northern Ireland: