The Carlton, Part II

Richard Graham has sent me further details about Belfast's Carlton Grill and Lounge Bar

"Although The Carlton ceased trading on Wellington Place in the mid 1990s, the name and the business was transferred (for the second time) to first floor premises in the Scottish Provident Building on Donegall Square West."

Moore House, beside the Carlton, Donegall Place,
demolished ca 1935 (Image: the Hogg Collection/NMNI)

"The directors (the Andrews family of the Percy Street Flour Mill ... and of course Titanic designer fame) then decided to change the name of the business to 'Truffles' (under the management of Rita Murphy) but despite having a good reputation for food and drink, it suffered from not having a ground floor presence (it was reached by a narrow staircase) and the footfall required to cover the costs of running a city centre restaurant never materialised."

"The building was then taken over as a new hospitality venue named 'The Apartment' under the directorship of Michael Stewart, formerly of Bob Cratchit's at the Russell Court and The Fly on Lower Crescent."

"As with all the former premises, Michael Stewart soon created in The Apartment one of the coolest venues in the city centre."

"Ownership of The Apartment changed hands and as with most city centre venues it was given several makeovers evolving into 'Hellcat Maggie's', a modern day gastro pub, which is about as far away as you can get from the original ethos of The Carlton in its heyday!"

"On a sidenote, the Andrews family also owned the Ormo Coffee Shops in Donegall Place - one of which was in the department Store of Anderson & McAuley."

"Henry (Harry) Toner, another director of The Carlton on Wellington Place, was also the proprietor of the Windsor Hotel, Knocknagoney, a popular East Belfast wedding venue which competed with the Glenmachan Tower Hotel nearby."

'The Windsor Hotel was originally Knocknagoney House, home of the McCance family of Suffolk, one of the leading linen families in Ulster."

"The building is now owned by the PSNI [Police Service of Northern Ireland], who use it for forensic science purposes."

"The PSNI also own the nearby estate of Garnerville - residence of the Garner family until the mid 20th century ... but I digress!"

"Suffice to say the Carlton name did live on after Wellington Place ... but not for long, as it was felt the name did not reflect modern changes in hospitality at that time."

"Sadly, by then the 'boozy' G&T lunches frequented by the businessmen of the city and which went on until late in the afternoon /early evening had become distinctly unfashionable, and were consigned to the history books in favour of lighter lunches with no brandy or cigars, and where returning to the office after lunch was mandatory!'