Botanic Gardens and Kaffe O

Dating back to the Victoria era, Botanic Gardens still attracts many visitors every year. It includes two glasshouses, The Palm House and the Tropical Ravine House. I don’t think dogs are allowed in here, but they were closed due to the pandemic anyhow. There is plenty to appreciate outside, such as the rose gardens and rare oak trees.

I wasn’t tall enough to capture it, but it says “Thanks NHS” in the flowerbed.

Roses are red. Violets are blue. If you were a flower, I'd pick you.

A walk around the whole park itself can be done in 20 minutes, but there is ample space to sit and sunbathe, or perhaps visit the ice-cream van in the summer. There are often festivals and events on, for example there was an outdoor art exhibition there when we visited. At the lower Stranmillis Road entrance lies the Ulster Museum, (assistance dogs only, sorry!). Here you can also find a statue of Belfast-born physicist Lord Kelvin.

After such an educational visit, learning about botany, physics, and a little Northern Irish history, it was time for some refreshments at Kaffe O along Botanic Avenue. Dogs are allowed at the counter and outdoor seating area, but not the indoor seating area. Luckily for us, it was a sunny, dry day. Rita especially enjoyed her dog biscuits whilst I tried the vegan peanut butter ball.

Rita certainly enjoyed the branded dog biscuits!