Well within Donaghadee lighthouse's view sits the Bow Bells Tea Rooms. This has always been a…read morebakery in Donaghadee but more recently its reputation has grown and it has taken on the competitive breakfast and lunch market. Unfortunately when I visited recently I was too late for lunch, it was only just after 2pm am as I approached the counter I looked puzzled down at my watch and then up at the girl serving but this did not seem to gain me any favour. They still offer afternoon tea right up until 4pm and I delighted in this. I ordered a coffee, a sausage roll and a huge slice of apple pie that must have contained a whole apple tree. The prices are really reasonable all this only came £4.50, so you can fill up for under a fiver. 95% of the food in the Bow Bells is made on the premises and you can taste the fresh ingredients with every bite. The place itself has been decorated like your nans house, bone china, pink table cloths and strangely paintings of cats dominate the décor. But all this gives it a cosy touch and if this doesn't warm your belly the fresh food certainly will.

The lighthouse is not open to the public but you can walk right to it. It's an 188 year old, 56…read morefoot tall, fluted, cut limestone lighthouse, nestled in a harbour constructed over 300 years ago. The limestone for the build came from Wales. The harbour was the principal port in the Province before Belfast established itself as number one. This lighthouse was the first in Ireland to be converted to electric in 1934. Its light has a range of 20 miles.

Cafe Manor looks like a little castle at the side of the road. It is attached to the walls of a…read morelarge, privately owned manor house and as a stranger to the area it was all a bit like a fairy story. I could see the side of a castle wall and a big castle style gate with a sign saying entry was gained only through the cafe so I went in with the purpose of getting behind those gates. I chatted to the waitress who told me that behind the walls lay an ancient walled garden and I was welcome to go in for the princely sum of £1.50 - how could I resist? I could walk around and pretend I was in the secret garden whilst supping a cup of Teapigs tea - a really nice blend of flavored tea that you will only find in some places. The little walled garden is well maintained - I guess that is where my £1.50 goes - and it is full of blooming flowers, trees, benches, ornate statues and quaint little areas to sip your tea. I was well impressed with it. At the back I also spotted another secret door with private written all over it - i tried to get in but I couldn't, I imagine that leads up to the manor house itself which I tried to see from the road but couldn't. The cafe inside is a modern mix of pine and light. The roof is plastic or glass plates so a lot of light comes in and there are net curtains on the roof to shade the midday sun. The place was heaving and as I left I asked a lady who claims to eat there all the time her favourite dish and she recommends the chicken and chorizo lasagna. I personally recommend a tea, a sunhat, a sun chair and the little ancient walled garden out the back.

They say you learn a new thing everyday. Well, today was no different…read more After a hefty shopping trip round Donaghadee (never thought I'd hear the day when I'd be saying that...) on a wet, miserable, I was in dire need of a pick-me-up (it's not what you're thinking) and a little sit down. My dad, for the second time that day, and recommended this particular coffee shop to me, and for the second time that day I decided to go follow his recommendation. Cafe Manor wasn't all that busy at 3:30 on a Monday afternoon, but due to the weather that was hardly surprising. I plonked myself on a comfy seat in the corner, and was immediately approached by a waitress who has a large 'specials' board in one hand, and a menu in the other. I informed her I was only in for a hot chocolate, so she passed me that particular menu instead. As I glimpsed down the variety of coffees / teas / other beverages, my eyes fell upon the 'Choc-O-Lait' option, which sounded particularly interesting. The menu mentioned something about chocolate on a stick, but I wasn't all that sure what this drink was really all about. Fortunately, the waitress was back in no time at all and when I asked what the 'Choc-O-Lait' was, she explained that you got a glass of hot milk with a little cube of chocolate on a stick, and the idea was that you stuck the stick (try saying that at pace) in the milk and created your very own hot chocolate. Bring it on, says I, and opted for the dark chocolate variety. Within minutes, my 'Choc-O-Lait' was sitting right in front of me, dying to be dipped. I wasn't too convinced when I first saw it...I mean, it literally was chocolate on a stick. However, once I'd dunked, stirred and drunk, I was in utter heaven. Honestly the best hot chocolate I had ever tasted, and what a novel idea! The little chocolate stick came wrapped in a piece of card which had all the details of the 'Choc-O-Lait' phenomenon on it, including the fact that it was produced in Belgium. I knew I loved that country... With wonderful service, a stunning little coffee shop, and the introduction of this amazingly imaginative drink, I simply have to give Cafe Manor five stars.

Mauds is an Ice Cream dream! That rhymes, I think it would only be fitting if someone wrote a…read moresonnet for Mauds Ice cream parlour, that's how nice it is, but unfortunately I am not the man to do it. I will stick to reviewing. Muads is a Northern Irish chain of Ice Cream makers and parlours. They have been in business for over 25 years and they seem to have perfected Ice Cream. My favourite flavour is Poor Bears delight but apparently I am not alone as this is there biggest selling ice cream that accounts for half of the companies profit. It must be good. The Donaghadee branch of Mauds faces some stiff competition in the area with other famous Ice cream parlour only a few minutes away. But it always seems to contend with it competitors and then some. It is always clean and provides seating and café facilities. This might just give it the edge. Apparently Mauds recipes are top secret and if I possessed such Ice Cream making skills I would keep the ingredients under my hat. The Ice Cream is this summers must have accessory so if you are down by the seaside why not go to Mauds and get a cone.

Brilliant little bakery. Scones, sandwiches, wheaten bread, tray bakes, cakes and coffee to go…read more Couldn't ask for more.

Called in here yesterday for a sneaky lunch after a workshop in Scrabo children's centre…read more This place is beautiful albeit small place..but that adds to the charm It's a renovated gatelodge (hence the name) and it is awesome! Has an old world charm about it mixed with modern touches with vintage fireplaces, bare stone walls as well as trendy lighting and beautiful canvasses on the walls The food was lush! The menu is quite small as it caters for the breakfast/lunch crowd...but had a good selection of sandwiches, salads, lite bites and homemade pastries like sausage rolls & buns The best thing though, has to be that this place is in collaboration with Stepping Stones NI, which allows training for adults with a learning disability or difficulty, helping them gain employment and life skills. Profits from this place go to help Stepping Stones NI regenerate their funds and provide ongoing support for adults who need it. What a fab place, with a brilliant ethos and a fantastic atmosphere, food & staff! We'll be back down in Newtonards in the near future, and will defo be making another visit!

While killing time between hospital appointments I thought I would treat myself to a coffee in this…read moreplace. Now I know this building well as it is the actual Gatelodge for Ards hospital and years ago it used to be the accommodation for the junior doctors who worked there. It has been beautifully renevated maintaining the charm and character of the old gatelodge while blending in a new building. It is run by a charitable organisation who helps support people in the work place with learning disabilities , so all the profits go back into supporting this project . Inside the building there has been a great deal of thought put into making use of every area and it is so well laid out even incorporating an outdoor seating area. There is a variety of seating , ranging from tables for two to sofa seating for bigger groups. The service is excellent ordering at your table or at the counter and it being brought to you.The menu ranges from breakfast to tea with quite a wide choice of good quality food. I sampled a cappuccino and cherry scone both of which were moreish! All in all my experience of The Gatelodge was not only a trip down memory lane but also a pleasant relaxing cuppa in tasteful surroundings and I definitely will be back again and I won't need a hospital appointment as an excuse to do so!

This has to be one of the best places in Bangor to grab a good fry that you'll be sure to struggle…read moreto finish and tastes fantastic! The penguin cafe is very small and the decor consistis of lts of penguins, shockingly, no idea why but then why not? It seems to be one of those places where everyone knows everyone and they customers have usuals! Great! Theres a nice homely atmosphere here and the staff are great! I've already mentioned their impressie fry up, so I must also mention that it's a great place to go to just to take five and have a great cup of tea od coffee...maybe a cake too! Check this place out!

Dropped in to the Funky Penguin for a quick bite on Saturday morning and to be honest I wasn't…read moreexpecting much, this place has been a Bangor mainstay and in the past it had a reputation of being a bit of a greasy spoon cafeteria but I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. Rather than being greasy the breakfast called the 'Healthy Grill' consisted of toasted wheaten bread, a poached egg, a grilled slice of bacon and even a cherry tomato as garnish and it wasn't swimming in grease! I washed my breakfast down was an excellent flat white, despite the option of a flat white not being on the menu when I asked if they did it the proprietor said, 'I can do anything you want!' This is what I call adding value to an experience. The service overall was excellent. Myself and 3 friends entered The Funky Penguin at 11am and were dragging our satisfied stomachs out the door by 11:40am. The décor is quirky with penguins dotted around the interior alluding to the name and mugs with on trend moustaches. Tucked away just off Bangor's Main Street with plenty of parking close by why not make The Funky Penguin your next breakfast pit stop?

The smell emanating from the toilets totally spoiled what had the potential to be a great…read morebreakfast. unfortunately the staff appear to be nose blind but myself and my wife barely got through breakfast. In the end my wife had to put on a facemask as the smell was making her feel ill. Very disappointed as in the past while seated on the ground floor out of the path of the toilets everything is great. Once we came back downstairs the smell of the coffee masked the toilets. I don't think I would return.

On a wee jaunt to Bangor today I thought I would grab a quick café lunch with my mother dearest and…read morethe first place that popped in to my head was Café Brazilia - although when I walked up to the door there was a frightening queue of ladies with prams patiently waiting for a table - So I didn't even bother to go in. Instead I went to The Red Berry - Although it was second choice on this occasion I think next time I'm in Bangor it will be my first port of call, here's why; The Red Berry is extremely spacious - we got a seta at the window and although it was busy we could comfortably chat without getting distracted or overhearing other tables. You have to order at the counter, so go in, grab a table, look at the menu (on big boards behind the counter) then go and order. The food selection was great - a nice healthy menu. I opted for the Goats cheese and Chicken and it was excellent - loads of chicken! It was cheap too - for three meals plus 3 huge (and I mean HUGE) hot drinks it came to £23. Added bonus - service was rapid. I noticed that they also sold Suki Tea and had a rather large and tempting selection of cakes - perfect for a quick snack as well as a hearty lunch. All in all I'm glad we choose Red Berry - the food was great and the bill was even better!

Brambles is an amazing wee cafe, it is in balloo industrial estate and I very easily missed. But…read moreit's one not to be missed. The staff are very friendly and would do anything to help. If you work or live close you can order for collection or just walk in and order yourself. It is very small inside but could cater for around 25/30 people, the food is fantastic with a very big choice on the menu. Ranging from frys-Currys. My boss took me and a few other lads today and we went for the Christmas dinner, for a cafe I wasn't expecting to much and I was very wrong it was delicious!! I would recommend this place for food if your local, I can imagine it would be a great place to sort the hangover out on a Sunday aswell!!