Hi and welcome to the very first Hot Ticket — a brand new guide to what’s hot in Belfast on Fridays, using your Metro bus ticket to access great-value dining, drinks, entertainment and pampering in the city.

To introduce ourselves... I’m Sarah Mayes, a 23-year-old ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) advisory assistant in Belfast, and he’s Ryan McBride, also 23, and a rugby-playing student in the city.

We work and play in Belfast and we’re always looking for new places to try, experiences to have and people to meet. Like everyone now, we’re minding our money and the priority is to find ways to enjoy ourselves without breaking the bank.

With Metro Fridays Hot Ticket, we plan to help you do the same.

Every Friday, we’ll hit the streets to find out what’s happening in Belfast, bringing the news and views back to you. We’ll also hunt out cheaper ways to have fun. Just think of us as your eyes and ears on the ground, doing the legwork to help you get more out of your city!

One of the easiest ways to enjoy Belfast for less is through Metro Fridays — from April right through to the end of June, simply using Metro bus services on a Friday is your ‘hot ticket’ to money-saving deals at top venues across Belfast.

You’ll also save money on car parking and taxis — and if you travel home after 7pm, your Metro fare will be discounted to just £1.*

So every Friday, we’ll be doing it the Metro Fridays way! Last week, even with the Easter holidays, we’d both had a pretty hectic week with work, studying, gym and rugby training (Ryan only!) and were delighted to see the weekend arrive.

Meeting at the King’s Road in Belfast, we caught the 4.50pm Metro into the city. Costing £1.50 each, this didn’t make too much of a dent in our budget — and we knew we could easily put aside £1 each for our homeward Metro journey.

The trip was quick and, deposited at Donegall Square, smack bang in the centre of the city!

Reminding each other not to lose our bus tickets — the key to a cheaper evening out — we headed straight for the Apartment on Donegall Square West.

Grabbing some drinks at the bar with our Metro tickets, entitling us to one £2 pint for Ryan and a vodka with free mixer for me**, we noticed a distinct weekend vibe developing. The downstairs bar was a hive of friends meeting up for the evening, making for excitable greetings and gales of laughter, as well as people watching people over a relaxed drink.

Upstairs in the restaurant, the atmosphere was definitely building for the night ahead.

More and more people were arriving by the minute and among these was Ross Lauder, Mr Northern Ireland 2008. He proceeded to tell us about his week in Miami and as we were being seriously outshone by his tan, we thought it time to move on.

Sticking to Donegall Square, we made our way to The Grill Bar at Ten Square Hotel (Donegall Square South) — a renowned after-work venue.

Arriving before 6pm, we could see why — the place was packed with ‘suits’ enjoying some serious downtime. Taking our coffees, we joined a friendly bunch just in from a nearby office building.

“You can’t beat the feeling of heading out the door on a Friday evening with a great bunch of colleagues after a hard week’s work,” one of the women told us.

We know just how she feels! Before getting too comfortable, we wrenched ourselves away and walked to the new Fitzwilliam Hotel on Great Victoria Street. Aiming for 5-star status, we weren’t expecting to save — but we were itching to see what it was like.

Entering through a fairly non-imposing entrance, the stylish modern interior of the lobby was show-stopping. At around 6.30pm, the bar was busy with a mixture of residents, Belfast’s in-crowd, and nosy types like us! With the hotel next to the Grand Opera House, a lot of people with tickets for My Fair Lady had come in for pre-theatre drinks.

Getting hungry by this stage, we walked to the Cathedral Quarter to make our 6.45pm reservation at 2Taps, Waring Street. Presenting our trusty Metro Fridays bus tickets, we enjoyed dinner and a glass of wine for just £9.95 each. The tasty authentic Spanish tapas were served amongst the sound of laughter and we noticed that the majority of diners were couples chatting over tapas for two. I hope Ryan didn’t get any ideas ...

2Taps is a really fun, relaxed venue right in the heart of one of Belfast’s busiest areas. Inside and outside, friends were casually dining and enjoying coffee and drinks, before eventually walking to the many other great venues just a stone’s throw away — The Cloth Ear, Spaniard and The Potthouse to name a few.

After dinner, we headed to the Kitchen Bar at Victoria Square for an early night cap. There, we ran into some friends who used their Metro Fridays bus tickets for the special offer drinks.

At 10pm, we decided to call it a night, catching the Metro home from Donegall Square West for £1 each.

In total, our Friday night out in Belfast was a bargain. We visited a number of great venues, enjoyed dinner and drinks across the city and travelled in and out of Belfast — all for around £30 each. This afternoon, we’re heading out again. To get us off to the right start, I’ve booked myself in for a blow-dry at Andrew Mulvenna MetroSpa on Cromac Street. With my Metro ticket, I’ll be able to get a free Kerastase Luxury Hair Ritual with Shiatsu massage (worth £15) into the bargain.

Then we’ll be checking out Metro Fridays venues — Madison’s on Botanic Avenue and McHughs at Queen’s Square, then onto Nick’s Warehouse in Waring Street for the £9.95 dinner and drinks offer. We’ll also pop up in to other venues across the city — so look out for us.

For full details, terms and conditions of all Metro Fridays offers log on to www.translink.co.uk .

Metro Friday - Win a meal for two

If you do see the Hot Ticket team, Sarah and Ryan, in Belfast this evening you could be in with a chance to win a meal for two at No 27 Talbot Street, 2009 Fate Awards’ Restaurant of the Year.

All you have to do is spot the Hot Ticket team between 5pm and 10pm and present your valid Metro bus ticket to Sarah.

To win, your ticket must be valid for use today and you must be the first person to present your ticket to Sarah. Don’t worry if you don’t win — No 27 Talbot Street is also a Metro Fridays partner allowing you to enjoy dinner and a glass of wine or beer for just £9.95 Tuesday to Friday during April, May and June with your valid Metro bus ticket.

Drinks on Metro Fridays

Botanic Inns is a Metro Fridays partner. Presenting a valid Metro Fridays bus ticket on Fridays between 5pm to 7pm, from now until June 26, entitles the bearer to one pint of beer for £2 (Guinness, Carlsberg and Harp only) or one free Pepsi mixer with a paid-for Smirnoff in one Botanic Inns venue only. Participating venues are: Apartment, Botanic Inn, Taphouse, The Globe, The King’s Head, The Kitchen Bar, Madison’s, McHughs, and Ryan’s. Terms and conditions apply.

A valid Metro Fridays bus ticket also entitles the holder to a free regular coffee (latte, cappuccino, americano or mocha) with any purchase from the Streat Cafés (minimum purchase £2).

Dining on Metro Fridays

Presenting a valid Metro Fridays’ bus ticket from April to June 26, will entitles the bearer to a range of meal deals available throughout the city. Terms and conditions apply. This includes: Main course and glass of wine or bottle of beer for £9.95 at several Cathedral Quarter restaurants (2Taps, No 27 Talbot Street, COCO, Hill St Brasserie, Nick’s Warehouse, The Spaniard). Between 10% and 50% off the total food bill at various Victoria Square restaurants (Ba Mizu, Dante Italian Bistro, Frankie & Benny’s, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, La Tasca, Spur Steak & Grill, TGI Friday’s).