Rumour's Coffee House has recently opened up in what for many years, used to be the old 'Twilight…read moreZone' gaming centre. It has a great position right in the centre of the town, with fantastic views of the castle and Belfast Lough. The inside is bright and has lots of seating. They offer the usual teas and coffees, with an amazing range of milkshakes, soft drinks and hot chocolate. I had a bacon butty when I visited which was delicious, but they also have a good range of sandwiches, sweet treats, and waffles! Limited parking is available on the street outside, and further up Main Street. Failing that there is lots of free parking available in the Castle Car Park, just a short walk away.

Superb coffee and I'm a coffee snob! Moist scones with good jam. A great view to boot.read more

This really is a 'secret' garden…read more My sister and I were seeking a venue for a little treat and she recommended we try here. Afternoon tea without the ridiculous price - perfect. At £24 for two this really is a steal. Sandwiches of your choice, scones (with the usual accompaniments) and some yummy traybakes. This is more like non pretentious, Northern Irish style afternoon tea. With the tray bakes including mini fifteens and malteaser squares. If you are looking for something cutesy, scrumptious and not breaking the bank then look no further! Will definitely be back. Don't forget to check out the gift shop for some trinkets and the perfect gifts for mums.

Well what can I say my mum took me out for lunch to this place over Easter week and I was a bit…read moresceptical. Tea rooms attached to a garden centre, tend not to have the most out there reputation. I'm glad to say my scepticism was blown out of the water. This place is definitely a little gem of Belfast. The actual tea rooms/restaurant are an elegantly appointed building with stunning views of the countryside. You feel like you are in the great hall of some stately Victorian home. Sumptuous décor and a varied and delicious sounding menu. As we were there during the week we availed of the two courses for £9.99 (I think that was the price so apologies if I got this wrong, my mum was paying) We both ordered the soup for starter, Butternut Squash, chilli and coconut. Very tasty and a huge portion, I couldn't finish mine because I wanted to leave room for the main. My mother ordered slow cooked beef brisket, Mash and roast root veg while I had the smoked haddock, creamy bacon and leek sauce and the same sides. I cannot fault the food, it was delicious. My only tipple would have been that a selection of different sides for the fish may have been a little better, Maybe some samphire and potato croquets or some such. We also caught a glimpse of their cram tea on another table which looked stunning (I think the Waitress said it was £20/25 per head) Overall an amazing place for lunch, but it doesn't end there. They also offer a dinner menu Thursday to Saturday and it is BYO so definitely cannot be doing wrong there. I highly recommend this place for lunch or for dinner! If you go for dinner though I think you have to book as this place is making its mark on the map and seems to be getting ever more popular!

Wanted to find a nice local spot for brunch while we were in Belfast. This was a 5 min walk from…read moreour AirBnB. It looked like a serious coffee shop, so we decided to give it a try. This was a great choice. I grabbed a cinnamon roll, and ordered a cup of their filtered coffee (they no longer offer Chemex, sadly) and an order of poached eggs on toast with a side of bacon. This was something new for me, and I loved the simplicity of it. The sourdough toast was amazing, and the poached eggs went with it perfectly. High marks for the bacon also! Service was quick, and everything was brought out promptly. This is a nice coffee shop, plenty of seating, and a quiet place to have a conversation or get some work done. I know the people in the UK love their tea, but I would happily be a regular here if I lived in Belfast.

The food, service, and vibes were immaculate! Would definitely recommend this place to anyone for…read morebreakfast.

The food was amazing, the ambience was great and the service was one of the fastest I've ever seen,…read moreI have been going here since it opened and it just keeps getting better.

I and my family enjoyed the food here it was delicious, the service is amazing and the employees…read moreare so kind! The ambience is amazing, such a beautiful restaurant and it's great for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

We stopped into the Yard coffee house while walking through/exploring Castletown in the Isle of…read moreMan. We stopped in just for a cappuccino and tea, but they had an amazing afternoon tea special for 11.95 for two which contained either coffee (cappuccino) or tea and two platters full of various types of sandwiches and deserts. It was probably big enough for four people and we definitely couldn't finish it, although it was not for lack of trying. Service was quick and friendly and it was a pleasant atmosphere. It is a large place which allows for it to get quite busy. It was a quiet weekend when we were there, but it was still quite busy. If anything, I would say that would be a testament to the quality of this place.

I was over in Northern Ireland visiting my Aunt (Nov 10)and we went to Hoops on our day out. I can…read moreonly say that we found the Cafe excellent! It had a real fire, willow pattern plates on the dresser and fresh flowers on the tables. We felt like we were visiting a relative in Ireland like it used to be! Its olde world charm is just what we wanted on a rainy November day. The meals were grand, warm and filling but what stood out for me was the deserts. We had a selection of tray bakes with tea and could nor remember when we had such soft and crumbly millionnaires short bread! (My mouth waters as I type this! lol) The staff were attentive and friendly. Its setting amoung the antique shops and vintage bric-a-brack is unique. I will return next time i come back home.

This has to be my favorite, I wouldn't call it a 'cafe' its more like a full blown Restaurant!…read moreNestled among a clutch of Antique shops its an ideal place to spend a few hours. The Restaurant has a range of lovely home made food not forgetting deserts and cakes. The only problem can be parking, Greyabbey is a very popular village so you need to be patient sometimes while looking for a space. But it's well worth the wait!

First of all a great name, see what they did there? It is a craft/gift shop so they went and called…read moreit the "crafty" fox, double meaning and all that. Although I may be reading way to much into it. Anyway back to the review, after getting a leaflet through the letter box about the Crafty Fox I was intrigued, they call it a "hidden country gem" and that sounds like something I would write so I thought I had better check it out. The building itself is stunning, it used to be a bank but has been refurbished, although it still looks like a bank from the outside, inside has been decorated like a stately manor. Being that It resembles a manor it is certainly up market, selling luxury items. It is certainly charming with each item appearing to be hand crafted. This is not only a gift shop, it also has a Coffee Shop that sells a selection of delicious pastries. After browsing the shop you will feel right at home whilst eating a scone and sipping tea. The staff are warm and welcoming and you will feel like heading up the stairs into the bedroom and never leaving the Crafty Fox.

Recently visited the Crafty Fox at Balloo and was very impressed! Its a beautiful old house that…read moreused to be the Northern Bank - its been decorated beautifully and has the biggest selection of 'gorgeous things' everything from pottery to jewellery to clothes and baby things! Bagged myself some lovely mugs in the style of emma bridgewater - only a fraction of the price! Will defintely be back.

Not far from the hustle and bustle of the big tourist attractions, the Laxey Wheel and the Snaefell…read moreMountain Railway, you can find this small and cosy Tearoom down at the Laxey River. It is not a very big place, just one room with a few tables and 3 small tables outside on a small walkway. The centerpiece is the big counter where you can see all the great cakes and breads they make here. Apart from tea and cake you can also have several savoury lunch options. We went to this place twice during our stay on the Isle of Man and both times we had delicous tea with a gorgeous piece of cake. Everything here is homemade and you can taste it. The staff is really friendly and does everything to make you feel right at home and even has time for a little chat about the place and the food they prepare here. I can really recommend this little tea room for lunch or a very relaxed afternoon tea after you have walked around Snaefell to warm you up again. Great place with great staff - go try it!

During the couple of days I spent in Carlingford I noticed Liberty Cafe directly opposite our…read moreaccommodation and loved how it looked. It's a quirky cafe with flower painted walls and wooden tables outside, so you can sit with a coffee and watch the happenings on Thosel Street. I visited early on Sunday morning, 13/08/2017, and it was wonderful as the cafe and street were nearly empty - most of bustling Carlingford seemed to still be in bed. Within an hour everywhere was bustling again, so it was lovely to enjoy the initial peace and quiet. Two friends and I took a table outside in the cool morning sun and ordered three veggie breakfasts and coffees. My veggie omelette, filled with tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms and cheese, and served with toast, was pretty good. The others ordered brown and soda breads with poached eggs. Everyone enjoyed their food. Service was a little slow and there was a slight mix up in our orders - I was initially served brown bread not the white toast I'd asked for and my friend the opposite - but we swapped our bread so all was fine. All in all, an enjoyable experience and next time I'm in Carlingford I will return to try some of the delicious looking cakes they sell.

Located down a gorgeous pedestrian street strung with fairy lights along lanterned street posts,…read morethe ambiance of Liberty Cafe fits in beautifully with this street. I informed the staff about my dietary requirements straight away and they told me the options available to me. I got the carrot and coconut soup for lunch and it was absolutely gorgeous, vegan and gluten free. One of my dining partners had the quiche with smoked salmon, courgette and cream cheese, and the other had a cappuccino and a scone, both of which said their food was absolutely delicious. The staff are really sweet and overall extremely accommodating and I would absolutely recommend coming here, and will certainly be returning next time I'm in Carlingford.

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!