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!

This was a great pit stop for lunch. We were driving along and saw this place. We decided to stop…read morefor lunch. They also had lots of delicious pastries. You get in line and order at the counter. Then we found a table to sit at. I order the chicken goujon sandwich. Super good and filling. It came with fries and there were condiments you can grab and use for your table. The employees were very friendly. After we ate our lunch, we got back in line to grab some pastries to eat when we got back in the car. Definitely a place to stop if you're sight seeing along the coast!

Awesome coffee. Friendly staff. Great places to sit and have coffee. Food is great with a good…read moreselection of assorted pastries and freshly made breakfast menu. Love it. Been here two times in 3 days!!

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.

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 is a cute little coffee shop in downtown Hillsborough. We just stopped for tea so I can't tell…read moreyou how good the food is.

All home baked food and treats. Staff are so friendly…read more Opens one Saturday a month from 10am to 4pm during North Down Craft Collective fair. Second Sat of month. Their ginger scones are lovely. Soft yet crunchy. Also their sandwiches and soups are lush. The tea room is in a wee room at the back of the hall. Not many seats. Parking can be difficult outside. Park across the street in the church.

Stax is a cute neighborhood sandwich and coffee shop! There is a small indoor seating area with…read morethree tables, as well as an outdoor seating area. Much of the food is deli-style where you choose your own ingredients for toasties or sandwiches. A cute quirk is that the menu posted on the wall is written backwards: so you have to look in the mirror to read it properly. We came for a (second) breakfast, so Mom wanted more of a lunch. She ordered a turkey and cheese toastie with sauce on the side. It was much larger than she thought it would be! I had an egg and bacon sandwich​ with poached eggs. It was simple and delicious, with two perfectly poached eggs and nice thick bacon! I also had a tea which was good! The food was piping hot. Service was good, and the staff was very nice! Stax is my kind of sandwich shop, and definitely somewhere I'd eat again!

I tried the tea rooms for the first time, last week with my treatments at the spa. £30 for…read moreafternoon tea for two. We had vegetable broth and wheaten, sandwiches (3 or 4 fillings), a large warm scone each and a plate of sweet treats. Everything was delicious, the top tier (desserts) were my Least favourite, but I'm a keen baker and fussy about my desserts. They just weren't my fave. Too sweet and not entirely worth the calories. The scones were amazing, the sandwiches were fresh and plenty for two and the soup and wheaten were delish too. The service and the girls here were excellent. Friendly, helpful and never let our teapot go empty!

I went in and ordered a hot chocolate. It was far from hot and very cold!. The service wasn't good,…read morethere was crumbs on our table and I had to clear them all off There was a creepy looking man staring at the other table and nobody seemed to care Not going back

Couldn't rate this place highly enough…read more Their food is delicious and the coffee is just unbelievable and the variety of food and coffee. My wife and I go every time we are in Ballymena and we will continue too.