Great spot for some homely food at lunch, definitely brightens up a Monday morning. Soups, stews…read moreand sarnies all recommended.

Arches sandwich bar is a good place for a lunch when the need arises to fill up with a substantial…read morehelping of something comforting and a bit stodgy like chicken curry or lasagne. That was just what I needed on arrival after a drive back from Dublin one day. On that occasion their chicken curry, which makes no pretence to being anything other than the plain straightforward local version, was just what the doctor ordered. The home made lasagne which I've also tried is also another good solid standby. The food is all takeaway and includes various sandwiches, rolls and sausages. Arches Sandwich Bar also has a small selection of fresh home bakery items like soda bread, pancakes and loaves - also good for provisions.

I stumbled across 'The Filling Station' when searching for a decent place to grab some lunch while…read moreat work. With its colourful exterior, I was immediately lured into this delightful cafe / sandwich bar. The title aptly describes The Filling Station's purpose - you can simply pop in and request a panini / toastie / sandwich / stack of pancakes, and your wish will be happily granted by the congenial couple who own it. I have had countless paninis from The Filling Station, all exceptionally made right in front of my very eyes, with every possible concoction of fillings you could imagine. And all for a mere £3.50. Amazing value. Sit-in, takeaway, delivery...there's really no excuse not to get a sumptuous sandwich or tantalising toastie from The Filling Station.

The Bread Filler is a nifty little sandwich shop on the Castlereagh road and offers a wide range of…read moresandwiches, subs, paninis, toasties, salads and deserts. It is a cosy little shop with friendly and efficient staff that seems to serve the workers of the area with their favourite lunchtime treats. The sandwich fillings aren't too fancy, you won't find any pesto or tapenade here, just hearty meat and salad sandwiches. I have popped in for a BLT before and was impressed by the food and price, which was only £2.45 (maybe I'm still getting used to the whole sterling being cheaper than euro thing) and a fairly decent coffee. They offer some handy services like delivery to your workplace and even a service where you can email in your order, handy for those busy office employees. There are also some tables outside, where you occasionally see people enjoying a coffee or some homemade soup. You can also opt for a hearty and healthy salad bowl for £3.50 or a naughty desert treat like a slice of chocolate cake. The Bread Filler are a dab hand at deserts and also offer a handmade birthday cakes for £9.95. The Bread Filler is a handy little place to pop into if you're in the area and looking for a quick bite.

At last an alternative to Subway on the Holywood Road! With a good location and parking outside, I…read morehave always said this was a great location for a sandwich shop. I would have opened one myself here, had I not spent all my time on the Yelp App yearning to become Elite. When I walked in, I was greeted by the very friendly staff and a large menu on the wall to help me make my choice. However, I felt the menu was quite basic with nothing special jumping out at me. I do like a good sandwich, but on this occasion I settled with a chicken and stuffing which bores me to say the least. The staff did point out that until the schools are back, they are keeping ingredients to a minimum. I look forward to when their soup becomes available and hope they add some extra ingredients such as crispy onions or jalapaenos. Worth a try, but The Sandwich Den must try harder to make it stand out.

Wow!! Had a sandwich in this place earlier which was at best ok exept that bits of the bread were…read moreblue and i had to pick off. My real issue is that the owner took exeption to a young mother parking near his shop and pushed past me to shout a torrent of foul mouthed abuse towards hear and het young children. This is not the sort of thing that i find accepable and i will not be giving him any more custom

The newest edition to the ever-growing collection of coffee shops / cafes on the Belmont Road, Cafe…read moreSmart is definitely the swankiest. Scarlet red details against crisp white lines = oh so chic. It was practically calling my name. Cafe Smart was the location for a well needed catch-up with a friend today, as I'd been dying to try it out for quite some time. Unfortunately, I was in one of those no-hot-drinks moods, even though the only hot drink I take is hot chocolate (just could never get into coffee, and tea = eugh). Appletiser it was then... My friend, in contrast, hadn't eaten anything for quite some time, so she ordered herself a salad and devoured it in next to no time. Actions spoke louder than words...I'm reckoning it was pretty good. Tea was next on the menu, and my friend was was provided with the cutest little tea pot, which seemed to produce an endless amount of the hot beverage. Not bad, and she seemed to enjoy herself. Could've been my excellent company though... My only qualm with Cafe Smart is the fact that the prices are slightly on the high side. With paninis starting at £5.60, and reaching an eye-watering £6.75 (fair enough, it comes with baked beans...but seriously?!), and my Appletiser coming in at £2.10, I did feel a bit hard done by. I'm sure you'll agree. Couldn't decide between three and four...so just imagine a wee half mark in there, s'il vous plait.

With their big wide windows spanning the corner, it is hard to miss Cafe Smart, and for me it is…read morethe windows that make it. Settle me there at the corner with a big latte and it is the perfect spot to watch the world go by. It isn't so coffee-snobby as some places in the area, but that suits me fine. Having visited for a work lunch the menu of sandwiches and the like mean it is pretty quick if you are stuck for time, and the food is fresh and well presented. Apparently they open late on Thursdays with a 3 course set menu, BYO and live piano which I haven't tried, but if the lunchtime offerings are anything to go by, it'll definitely be worth a visit.

I can guarantee you've never been in a place like it. Seriously. Combining a tanning salon and a…read moresort-of-cafe...whatever will they think of next?! The mind boggles... Due to the fact that our previous two coffee shop choices had both closed (it was after 4pm, granted), the three of us were forced to look elsewhere. Sunshine Caffe seemed a good call, and looked particularly, well, sunshiney. Orange / yellow walls, cool pink and orange seating, and the staff sporting a golden glow and a bright t-shirt to boot...yes, it was almost like we'd stumbled upon a Caribbean island in east Belfast. Almost. With a menu as eclectic as it cafe / solarium, we were in for a few surprises. Hot chocolate / milkshake weren't an option, but coffee, a can of coke, a baguette or a jelly cup definitely were. Yes, a jelly cup. More a huge glass filled with three different layers of jelly (and a few nuts for good measure), a dollop of cream on top, and a sauce of choice drizzled on top of that. A heart-attack in a glass really. A jelly cup it was. They so happened to be half price, so £1 wasn't a bad call at all. One of my friends felt the sweet aspect of the dessert a tad more than myself or our other friend, and struggled to get past the first layer. My other friend nearly finished hers, but I downed mine no probs at all (and am now feeling the repercussions of this). The sugar disaster was furthered by a couple of cans of Fanta (I should be bouncing off walls), and a muffin was also consumed between my two friends. It came lovingly presented on a plate with a dollop of ice-cream and (yet more) chocolate sauce. Mmm... We left it at that, and decided to pay the grand total of £5.60 for three jelly cups, two cans of Fanta and a muffin. Not bad at all. My friend asked if they had a toilet, which apparently they didn't, so we had to dash over to Maccy D's for that purpose. I fail to mention the tanning booth / sunbeds, but as we didn't go anywhere near them, there's not much to say. The closest I've come to any form of fake tan is a bit of Sun Shimmer, so I wouldn't be a good judge of anything sunbed related, let me tell you that much. A curious little place...

Decided to call in here for lunch today as I was in Connswater. With Subway's shops you know what…read moreyou're getting. 6 inch sub, footlong sub, nachos, flatbreads, salads, breakfast subs, and kids deals - everyone knows the score. Decided to go for my usual of a 6 inch Meatball Marinara. Girl who served me was very rude. Got a nice hair in the middle of my sub which was a delightful touch. Think I'll avoid this place in the future, there's another one just up the road with much better service!

Colourful and cool, Jellybean Cafe is great for chillin' and having a catch up with a friend of…read moretwo. Which is precisely what I did. A few minutes early for my 'coffee' with a friend (let's face it, it's never a coffee when I'm concerned), I dandered into Jellybean, noting the brightly coloured chairs and barrier situated on the outside of the cafe. Walking in, I noticed the long rectangular mirror hanging on the right hand wall, with coloured stripes along the outside of the glass, and the brightly coloured menu on the back wall. A waitress approached me (wearing bright yellow eyeshadow) and asked me if I would like a drink while I was waiting. In-keeping with all these intense hues, I ordered a cranberry juice, which came in a bright pink cup. You'll be glad to hear that the furniture inside the cafe is black. The menu is incredibly varied, offering everything from fresh juices for every occasion (detox, hangover, fighter and energiser), to innovatively named 'squashies' - a toasted and squashed ciabatta bread sandwich. Upon her arrival, my friend ordered the hangover number 2 drink (she was perfectly sober), and enjoyed the fruity combo of orange and a-good-few-other-things. My cranberry juice went down a storm too. 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon seems the perfect time to visit Jellybean. It wasn't super quiet, but it was far from busy, with just a few kids. They were happily entertained by the small tubs of jellybeans, cute drinks and could even watch a film on the TV screen located in the back corner of the cafe. Sweet. If you need a dash of colour in your life, Jellybean will definitely provide it. And a good drink too.

Jellybean should rename itself Yummy Mummy Castle, as that is what it is. Usually hiving just after…read morethe drop off or pick up from school, it is filled with child minders who cappuccino and ladies who lunch. Bright and clean with a special area to keep the kids occupied (allegedly) it is very family orientated. Because of this the noise levels can get a little high sometimes, but don't let that put you off. Their lunch selection of soups and sandwiches are delicious, and much better than grabbing something from a packet from the M&S next door. Their tray bakes are totally yum and the staff are patient and lovely- way more than I would be surrounded by kiddies with sticky fingers. If you can cope with all the babies and buggies, this is a great spot on the Newtownards Road for lunch. Or take away and eat it in your car in the free car park. ;-)