Great restaurant stop for our adventure group…read more Excellent service and a traditional menu We liked the large windows and the view Favored the chicken curry

Amazing place with amazing people lovely Helen was so nice and kind…read more Loved the food and the shop!!!! Helen is the nicest woman ever

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.

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.

The Muffler is a great place for coffee and hot food/scones/tray bakes and the like that I feel…read moremany people probably drive passed on their way through Balloo and perhaps don't know it is there as it is round the back of the shop/post office facing the main road. The guy that runs it is very nice and welcoming and the food and coffee is pretty decent across the board (scones!!). Also it has a nice atmosphere and is a good place to sit. It is affectively a conservatory that bright and airy and now since Corona pushing more outdoor spaces there are nice picnic tables outside to enjoy in the good weather!

This cafe is up a narrow lane at the side of the SPAR store. It is in a large conservatory. The…read morefood is really good with very unusual selections. My friend had a large slice of quiche which had a complete chicken breast on top while I had salmon with chilli sauce. These came with a selection of excellent salads and were delicious. The items on the menu are also available in the farm shop inside the store. The conservatory is unfortunately somewhat lacking in atmosphere (hence 4 and not 5 stars) but I was assured that this will change with developments planned for the future. It is very well worth a visit.

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!

Dundonald Old Mill is a lovely place for homely comfort food like mince steak pie, chicken and ham…read morepie, chicken and broccoli bake etc with a range of side salads like bean salad, carrot and orange salad etc. I think you could get potatoes or chips but the salads are too nice not to have. More recently they have been advertising Slimmer's Choice dishes. Decor includes Ards TT memorabilia and information about waterwheels and the history of this mill and its wheel.

Wet, miserable, gloomy and cold. A typical summer's day in Northern Ireland. Well, they're not all…read morethat bad, but this one really was spectacularly bad. My friend had popped round for a wee visit, so rather than twiddle our thumbs for an afternoon, I decided we should head off to the Old Mill. Dundonald Old Mill maintains one of Ireland's oldest water wheels, which has been restored in recent years. It's quite a pleasant sight. The 250 year old building consists of a gorgeous gift shop and a quaint coffee shop. Despite having lived a short distance to the Old Mill for thirteen years, never had I once been to the coffee shop, so I was mightily intrigued. The coffee shop lies above the gift shop, kind of like an open-plan attic (if you can possibly have such a thing), and it's decorated in a pretty farmhouse style, gingham tableclothes and the like. My friend ordered coke, and I had a magnificent honeycombe sundae in the tallest glass I have ever seen. Despite the weather, and the time of day (approx 4pm), the coffee shop was still fairly busy, but very chilled. Just how I like it. I've paid a visit to the gift shop several times, and it's a good'un. Very well stocked, with lots of lovely mill memorabilia to take home. Definitely worth a visit. The pensioners certainly love it.

The kingfisher cafe in castle espie offers excellent food and stunning views, a perfect addition to…read morecastle espie . Accessible even if you don't have time to go around the park and ideal to relax in after a walk. Could be a great place to take someone on a date or for a treat.

This place is a lot like a little cafe with a museum and gift shop. They had a few vegetarian…read moreoptions on the menu, I enjoyed the pasta and hot tea. It was lovely eating and enjoying the view from the large windows. The gift shop was also very cute.