Whitewashed walls, an ivy-clad round turret and a peaceful courtyard in the middle of Bushmills village — and inside, bars still lit by gas light with open peat fires that are always going. A proper old coaching inn, and one of the best warm-up-and-slow-down stops on the whole Causeway Coast.
What you'll find — a historic inn with a genuinely gas-lit bar and open peat fires, cosy leather snugs, the award-winning Restaurant with its bright Garden Room, afternoon tea, and a hidden library the team will show you if you ask.
The setting — right on the banks of the River Bush, a short walk from the Old Bushmills Distillery and only a couple of miles from the Giant's Causeway and Dunluce Castle. A brilliant base for a day (or a few days) on the coast.
How to visit — pop in for a drink by the fire, sit down for lunch or dinner, book afternoon tea, or stay the night. The Gas Bar is walk-in for food and drink; the Restaurant takes bookings.
How long & who for — an hour or two for a drink or a bite, longer for a meal or afternoon tea. All ages, with family-friendly rooms and dog-friendly rooms if you're staying over.
It's a hotel and inn, not a ticketed attraction. The "day out" here is dining, a drink by the fire, afternoon tea or a stay — not a tour. Wandering in to soak up the place is free; the food, drinks and rooms are what you pay for.
It's popular — book ahead. The Restaurant and afternoon tea can fill up, especially weekends and in summer. Reserve a table (or your afternoon tea) before you set off; the Gas Bar you can usually just walk into.
On site — the gas-lit bar, the Restaurant and Garden Room, afternoon tea, a courtyard garden, a little boutique cinema, an on-site car park by the river, and 41 individually styled bedrooms if you fancy staying.
Plan your visit
Come to dine, drink, take tea — or stay the night
The Bushmills Inn is a hotel and inn rather than a ticketed attraction, so there's no admission — the day out is what you order. The Gas Bar is the easy one: still lit by gas light, with peat fires always going, walk-in for a drink and gastro-pub food from Guinness and oysters to burgers and sandwiches — no reservation needed. For a proper meal, book a table in the Restaurant (it holds an AA Rosette) or its bright Garden Room, and afternoon tea is served too — booking ahead is advised for both. If you'd rather stay, there are 41 individually designed bedrooms and suites, some looking over the River Bush. Opening hours and menu prices vary by day and season, so check the inn's website before you set off.
Gas-lit bar & peat firesRestaurant & afternoon teaOn-site parkingDog-friendly rooms
Good to know:
This is a working hotel, so the Restaurant and afternoon tea are best booked ahead, especially at weekends and in summer. Dog-friendly rooms are offered for stays, but check whether dogs are welcome in the bar and dining areas before you arrive. Opening times and prices change with the season — confirm on the inn's website.
Before you set off
How to make the most of it
📞A booking, if you're diningReserve a table in the Restaurant or your afternoon tea ahead — weekends and summer fill up fast.
🔥Time to sit by the fireHalf the joy is a slow drink in the gas-lit bar with the peat fire going — don't rush it.
🥃An appetite for the coastThe Old Bushmills Distillery is a short walk and the Giant's Causeway a couple of miles on — make a day of it.
📖A question for the staffAsk them to show you the hidden library — it's the kind of thing you'd walk straight past otherwise.
Good to know
Everything before you go
What it is
A historic coaching inn and country-house hotel in the middle of Bushmills village, on the banks of the River Bush. The day out is dining, a drink by the fire, afternoon tea or a stay — not a ticketed tour.
Cost
Free to wander in and soak up the place. You pay for what you order — bar food and drinks, the Restaurant, afternoon tea, or a room. Prices vary; check the inn's website.
The bars
The Gas Bar is genuinely still lit by gas light, with peat fires and, at times, live music. Walk-in for gastro-pub food and drink — no reservation needed. Cosy snugs and turf fires throughout.
The Restaurant
The inn's award-winning Restaurant (an AA Rosette) and its bright Garden Room extension. Bookings taken — reserve ahead, especially weekends.
Afternoon tea
Served at the inn, with the option to add a glass of fizz or a cocktail. Booking ahead is advised.
The hidden library
A tucked-away library behind a door — ask the team and they'll show you and tell you its story. It doubles as a private meeting room.
Staying over
41 individually designed bedrooms and suites, some looking over the River Bush, plus family-friendly and dog-friendly rooms and a little Still Room boutique cinema.
Dogs
Dog-friendly rooms are offered for stays. Check whether dogs are welcome in the bar and dining areas before you arrive.
Parking
On-site car park in front of the inn by the river.
Opening
Open daily, but the bar, Restaurant and afternoon tea keep different hours that change with the season — check the inn's website before travelling.
How long
An hour or two for a drink or a bite by the fire; longer for a full meal or afternoon tea; overnight if you're staying.
Questions
Before you go
Is the Bushmills Inn open to non-residents?
Yes — you don't need to be staying to visit. Day visitors are welcome for a drink and food in the gas-lit Gas Bar (walk-in), for a meal in the Restaurant, or for afternoon tea. Booking is advised for the Restaurant and afternoon tea.
Is it really still lit by gas light?
It is — the Gas Bar is genuinely lit by gas light, with open peat fires that are always going. It's the reason a lot of people come in for a drink even if they're not eating.
Do I need to book?
For the Restaurant and afternoon tea, yes — reserve ahead, especially at weekends and in summer when it gets busy. The Gas Bar you can usually just walk into for food and drink.
Can I bring the dog?
The inn offers dog-friendly rooms if you're staying over — complete with a dog bed, water bowl and a treat. Check whether dogs are allowed in the bar and dining areas before you arrive, as that can differ.
How close is it to the distillery and the Giant's Causeway?
Very close. The Old Bushmills Distillery is a short walk away in the same village, and the Giant's Causeway is only about a couple of miles on. Dunluce Castle and Portrush are close too, making the inn a great Causeway-Coast base.
What's the hidden library?
A tucked-away library behind a door — ask the team and they'll show you and tell you its story. It doubles as a private meeting room, and it's an easy thing to miss if you don't ask.
Getting there
9 Dunluce Road, Bushmills, Co. Antrim, BT57 8QG — in the middle of Bushmills village on the Causeway Coastal Route, on the banks of the River Bush, with an on-site car park by the river.
The Bushmills Inn grew up out of the coaching era — its oldest part, now the Restaurant, was the original coach house and stables, and the main building followed in the 1820s as part of a grand redevelopment of the town by Sir Frances Workman Macnaghten. The village's story is bound up with whiskey: Old Bushmills traces its licence to distil back to 1608, said to be the world's first, and the inn sits just a short walk from the distillery to this day.
When the tramway reached Bushmills in the 1890s, the coaching trade faded and the inn took on a string of unlikely second lives — a boarding house, a private home, even a bicycle factory with, the story goes, a chicken roost on the top floor. An extensive restoration in 1987 brought it back to life, and later work added the Mill House rooms along the River Bush and grew it to the 41-bedroom country-house hotel it is now. Through all of it, the gas light and the open peat fires stayed — which is exactly why people still push open the door.