I went in with great expectations, walked out disappointed. We went to the Nook on the recommendation of our tour guide. Two people working the front, one was the food runner, one worked the bar, who also took orders, cashed you out, poured your drink, etc. Make sure to grab a table before you get in line to order, as you'll need your table number. It took a while to order, as there was a long line. We got the following: - soup and sandwich combo - Traditional Iris Stew - Steak & Guinness Pie It took about 15 minutes to get our food, but only two of the three came out and the lamb stew I ordered was given to my family member, the food runner didn't say anything, just dropped it off and left. While waiting, other tables were getting their food, but we still haven't received our 3rd dish, so after 15 minutes of waiting went up to the bar to inquire, but the lady working there was gone. After waiting few minutes, she was now delivering the foods... wait few minutes, then went back to the table and our 3rd dish was there. The interior looked like it hadn't changed in years and the tables don't get cleaned often due to limited staff. I guess you can be thankful for being able to get some food and use the restroom. The food was decent, but things could be a lot more efficient, if they have one person taking orders, one person working the bar, few working to deliver the food and people cleaning up the tables. That would require a lot more staff than the numbers they had when we visited. read more

See all

I'm not sure where the lack of love is coming from for this place, but we had the opposite experience! We came in, very hungry, after a tour at the distillery, and very cold due to the arctic gale force winds that let smacking us! Once inside, we considered just moving in! The place is literally at the entrance to the Giants Causeway visitors center parking lot. It's a cute, rustic (like every other building in the area) building with equally quaint interior that trends towards a pub with a subtle nautical theme. Darker woods, lighter walls, a nice bar and several rooms that lead into each other, but seem very separate. The vibe is perfect! They've got plenty of Irish pub fare, most of which is hot - a key piece of info as most fingers were fighting for feeling at this point. We ordered Steak and Guinness pie, fish pie, fish and chips, a couple scones and Irish Stew. Ravenously hungry, we tackled this beastly lunch and all left full and warm. The scones were closer to biscuits, but were probably the best we've had in the country - and my better half loves her some scones! The food came out quick - the place was crazy busy and it still took less than 10 minutes. By the time we were done, we wondered if we could just stow away in the basement and live off the scones and cream! Parking was best done in the visitors center parking lot so make sure you're coming out here where you've already paid for the trip out to the coastline. The was exactly what we hoped it would be and exactly what we were looking for on this typical Irish spring day! read more

See all

If you want to grab a bite before or after visiting the Causeway and you enjoy suffering, The Nook is the place for you. Our group ordered three meals. A "steak burger" for me, a chicken ciabatta for my wife, and a chicken sandwich for our friend that was nothing more than bread, mayo, and chicken. All three dishes shared one thing in common: a level of disappointment I didn't think food could physically achieve. My burger was somehow crunchy and chewy at the same time. I don't know how that is physically possible. The temperature was off, the taste was weird, and the texture felt like it was actively fighting back. My wife's chicken had fake grill lines and actual gray spots, which is exactly the kind of visual you want right before eating. Our friend's sandwich made him sick, which honestly felt like the most accurate review of the entire meal. Inside, the vibe would be cool if anything had been updated since The Troubles, but it hasn't. You order at the bar, where the staff greets you with the emotional warmth of a DMV waiting room. You also get to pay for tap water, which really ties the whole experience together. The food tasted like it came from the back of a freezer last touched in 2005. It fully lives up to the stereotype of bland, sad, English-adjacent cooking. Even prison food probably clears a higher bar. It's crowded, but only because there are two food options in the whole area. Even with that, stay hungry. Wait until you're back in Belfast or Dublin. A gas-station Burger King will bring you more joy. And yes, it's overpriced. Painfully so. It would have been overpriced even if the food were good, which it wasn't. What absolutely blows my mind is that this place somehow averages four stars on Yelp. I am genuinely shocked. I don't know who is rating this, but I can only assume they all lost bets or taste buds. Final verdict: The Causeway is incredible. The Nook is not. Go if you genuinely enjoy misery in restaurant form. read more

I was on a tour of the Causeway in Northern Ireland. This lovely cafe The Nook was one of the restaurants available to get a bite to eat. I ordered the fruit scone with cream, butter and jam. Yummy! I also got an Irish coffee. That was delicious too. The service was fast and friendly. It gets busy because it is a tourist spot. I still recommend it. read more

The Nook - Fruit scone - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

See all

It seems this menu shares many things with the hotel restaurant, but they do offer more variety. The Traditional Irish Stew is a bowl of comfort, hot lamb with potatoes and carrots, all very tender. 5 pounds each is rather steep for a single Scone, but these homemade beauties are amazing and can be enjoyed plain or with cream and jam. The daily special has fresh raspberries and a coat of white chocolate. Scones are the way to go, and I did enjoy the stew. Come here for sure instead of eating all 3 meals at the hotel restaurant if you're stuck at the Causeway all day. read more

This place was a pleasant surprise on our visit to Giant's Causeway. We were on a tour and we had a bit of extra time so we stopped in at the Nook to use the restroom and possibly grab a snack. A sign showed they had homemade scones so we ordered 2 of them. My oh my, were they delicious!! I had the plain one and my husband had the white chocolate raspberry one. Each was served warm with butter, jam, and cream. The interior was very clean and overall a great setting. Service was, while not overly friendly, efficient and polite. I would highly recommend this place for the scones. The bathrooms were at the bottom of a staircase so not overly convenient but not a big deal. read more

See all

Grab a table. Grab a menu. Place your order with your table number in hand at the bar. Service is efficient and personable! Your food will be delivered piping hot! This little Nook has history written on its menu so read up! The decor fits its personality, period fixed from historic Irish medieval times! Not your regular Fish and Chips... a large piece of battered cod with my choice of sliced potato garlic fries... oh my goodness! Fish so tender it fell apart in my house tartar sauce and the garlic wasn't overpowering on the potatoes! Traditional Irish stew - lamb, carrots, potatoes and more... simply simmered to utter perfection!! The flavor snd tenderness had been stewing and it just tasted Devine!! read more

The Nook - More seating - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

The Nook is one of two restaurants you can find when visiting the Giant's Causeway. While there aren't many options, this one isn't too bad. The restaurant has a historic feel and was surprisingly quite spacious. It's a nice place to warm up with some drinks and Irish food after embracing the Northern Ireland winds. The boyfriend got a Guinness while I got a Magner's. For food, we decided to share the Steak & Guinness Pie (€16.95). The dish is pretty small and quite pricey, but understandable being in a touristy and remote area. This dish was just decent with the puff pastry making a bit of a mess to eat. It's not bad, but we decided to save our real meal back in Dublin. read more

See all

Enjoyed a quick lunch at the nook after a visit to Giant's Causeway. The Irish coffee wasn't the best I've had, but it was good, and our pours of bushmills were solid and generous. The food was delicious - we split soup and sandwich (vegetable broth and a ham and cheddar with chutney), and I very happily devoured a side of mushy peas. Fast and friendly service, a historic and an incredibly clean building made for a nice break! read more

See all

Such a great little place. We stopped here while seeing the sights. Didn't expect much but was pleasantly surprised. Super friendly staff and clean pub. I got the raspberry and white chocolate scone. It was delicious and came with Jam, butter and cream. If you come to the Giants Causeway make sure to stop in at The Nook! read more

They put butter on my veggie sandwich. When I asked for a new sandwich without butter the chef refused to make a new one since "I didn't request it without butter" even though nowhere on the menu did it say the veggie sandwich contained butter... I am a vegan and had to throw it away. read more

Such a charming restaurant- we had a tour to Giants Causeway and this place has surprisingly good food! It can get quite busy so keep an eye on the queue so you don't miss the amazing scenery too. Fortunately we were one of the first folks off the tour bus to get in line quickly before we took our journey. We ordered the lamb stew and seafood chowder and they both came with the soda bread. Both soups came out piping hot and were super delicious and the soda bread was *chef's kiss! The lamb stew was our favorite but the seafood chowder was great and full of fish, oysters, and shrimp. There was a gentleman next to us who ordered the fish and chips which looked excellent as well. We did try to get a pint after we walked through the causeway (which was stunning) but it was way too busy. It does get quite crowded and can get a little unorganized. It was a little more pricey than we expected, but I guess when you're one of the only restaurants out there they can charge what they like. We didn't look at the other place to eat at the hotel, but The Nook was a nice surprise for us. read more

See all

Surprising good food! A bigger than I anticipated, fresh & hot food delivered to your table after you order at the bar. Many drinks & bar to select from as well. Several rooms inside for seating and outdoor picnic tables. It was warm from the walk back if from the Causeway but pleasant temperature inside once I cooled down. Loved the crisps!!! All portions were quite large! Bathrooms downstairs for patrons. Food was ready quickly and delivered with smiles to our table ( you need to tell them your table number when ordering) read more

See all

The Irish Stew in Nook was good. The meat in Guinness Pie was a bit tough. The restaurant is quote big with several sections. read more

See all

Only stopped here because it was one of two food options on a tour. Food is...edible. Not good, but edible. Like eating flavorless globs while you're sitting in a not nice atmosphere. Expensive and not worth it at all. Picture having less than McDonalds quality food but being charged above airport prices. Staff is also not polite and not something we'd come back for. They also charge for tap water and you have to go up to order every single item, so you cannot even like refill your own water without getting back in line and paying for tap water and their tap water doesn't even taste good. Would NOT recommend. read more

Good tasting food that's made quickly. Staff is friendly. Could benefit from more seating

Great food found here right next to the Giants Causeway. Food was fantastic and super traditional. We ordered the fish and chips and the beef stew which were very hearty and filling for sure. The place was quite busy when we came and that was like 2pm. The fish and chips were such a huge serving you would definitely need to share it. The beef stew was warm and comforting that we just wanted to take a nap afterwards. We also ordered one of their beers on tap and a baileys coffee for me, which I found too be too strong. You order your food and the bar and just let them know what table you're sitting at and they bring the food to you. Definitely a must try while visiting Giants Causeway. read more

See all

Come in from the wind and cold and enjoy the hospitality of the Nook. Once a schoolhouse, The Nook now offers an extensive menu and a fireplace to ward off the chill. If they are bothered by a procession of tourists and backpackers costing the Antrim coast, they sure don't show it. We had a wonderful seafood chowder and an overfull serving of French fries. read more

See all

Our tour group stopped here and gave people the option of walking to the Giants Causeway or eating in one of 2 establishments (you could always eat after walking to Giants Causeway however time would be limited), The Nook being one of them. My daughter & I opted to skip the Giants Causeway and grab a bite to eat. We went into The Nook, which was quite busy but ordering went pretty fast as well as getting our food. I ordered the sliced chicken & crispy bacon on a ciabatta bun with a side of chips. My daughter ordered The Nook Steak Burger which is 100% minced rump steak served on a toasted bakers bun with melted mild Coleraine cheddar, lettuce, sliced tomato and a side of chips. We also got 2 pints of Guinness. All this was £29.10 (or EU 50.17), very reasonable. The portions were more then filling and very tasty. If you turn on the WiFi on your phone you will see that The Nook has WiFi but it is secured. When I inquired about it I was told that it was for transmitting their credit card transactions only. And yes they can have their credit card transactions go over WiFi as that is how the machine works at my place of business. They do not provide a password to customers so don't waste your time asking. The place was clean, bathrooms clean, they have indoor and outdoor seating, orders came out fast,hot & was delicious! read more

See all

Lovely little pub right at the entrance of the giants causeway. Quite a lot of seatings, and a fireplace by the main dining area. It's a local farm house style with a full bar and a one page menu of pub food, tab beer and a lot of whisky available, wine option is limited. I ordered the Irish stew is really big portion comes with a piece of break. The stew is full of lamb really good for your money of around £10. There are kids menu available only for under 12yo read more

The Nook - Irish stew with Irish beer - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

Just OK mostly due to ho-hum, cannot be bothered staff. Ideal for a quick bite or nip of a favorite beverage, but low on the welcoming scale. Glad I stopped; happy when I left. read more

See all

Stopped in for lunch during tour to Giants Causeway. Super busy but good service. Charming school house styled pub and restaurant. Typical Ireland fare and of course Guinness on tap. Big tip, have someone grab a table first and tell you the number. They bring food to your table. read more

I came to see the Giant's Causeway on a very cold, overcast and misty day. Unfortunately once you commit to an adventure, you are more or less stuck with what ever transpires along the way. After spending a couple of hours studying the hexagonal blocks of basalt, skimming stones across the waves of the northern Irish Sea and searching the shore and puddles for marine life, i decided I had enough and walked the trail back to the parking area. Once I reached the top of the cliff, I noticed the Nook. I was ready for some warmth and a hot beverage. The Nook was once a school house decades ago. It is rather small inside, as a turn of the century school often was. They have a fireplace which I was pleased to find. The bar filled one wall, albeit a short wall and wooden chairs and benches. I found an available seat and took the place in. On one wall there was a menu of specials of the day. As I was reading the menu I came across a listing for "HOT WHISKY". It could not have been more perfect. A fireplace and "HOT WHISKY" ought to set things right again for my frozen hands, feet and ears. After two "HOT WHISKYS", I was ready for some scones topped with butter and jelly. The Nook has a procedure for service. First you find a seat, decide what you want and then go up to the bar and order. The wait staff will bring it to your table. Needless to say I did not follow the procedure but instead expected the service to be American Style. I waited a considerable amount of time until I finally caught on. Other than that the food and drink was great. If you are every in the Giant Causeway area, it is a nice rural pub atmosphere with a one page menu specializing in Irish stew and Fish and Chips. Prices are slightly elevated but sometimes experiences and memories will cost you. https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g209948-d1860219-r781525733-The_Nook-Bushmills_County_Antrim_Northern_Ireland.html# read more

See all

Great quaint little bar and restaurant at the entrance to Giants Causeway. We enjoyed Irish coffee and some yummy cheesecake and carrot cake. read more

See all

Considering this is the only viable dining option near the Giant's Causeway, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was here. Right at the entrance of the new visitors center, it's a brightly lit pub that was apparently a historic schoolhouse back in the middle of the 19th century. Our tour guide told us to avoid the cafeteria in the visitors center at all costs and come here instead to get a satisfying meal, and he was right. I found the servers quite accommodating and well aware that most of us have limited time to dine since we had to get back to our respective tour buses. I was pretty famished since the tour's early start in Dublin didn't allow me anything more than a piece of toast at my hotel. I first ordered the £ 3.95 bowl of School House Vegetable Soup which came with a couple of slices of steamed wheaten bread (see photo). Delicious and quite light. This was followed by the £ 9.50 bowl of Homemade Irish Stew, quite a hearty dish with tender chunks of Whitepark Bay Beef mixed with potatoes and carrots in a soupy broth accompanied by more wheaten bread (see photo). It was rib-sticking stuff well turned although not as good as the one served at the Kylemore Abbey near Galway. But who's complaining? The pub grub was exactly what I wanted before our long trip back to Dublin. FOOD - 4 stars...solid Irish pub fare well executed AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...a cheery pub a bit crowded due to all the tour buses SERVICE - 4 stars...quite efficient and used to the time-constrained tour schedules TOTAL - 4 stars...you'll need something hearty to eat after all that rock-column-hopping at the causeway read more

See all

Good location, alright food, great service. The soup and sandwich of the day is a pretty good deal to be fair. The Irish stew is hearty, and the seafood chowder is great@ read more

The Nook - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

After a nice look at the Giant's Causeway, you might pop in here to warm up with a soup and bread. The Soup of the Day varies (we were fortunate in that they had the Cream of Carrot when we visited, and it was super tasty and hit the spot. They also have Irish Stew (lamb) all the time, and loads of sandwiches and other things on the menu. They also have beer on draught and cider, and some whiskeys to choose from. They advertised some desserts that sounded good, but we didn't have time to check them out. Note that they unfortunately do not offer free WiFi which is sad, as I would have stayed longer and had another beer had they. Note that the prices may be a little higher, but you can't beat the location and quality food. read more

See all

We enjoyed two hearty, well-prepared lunches of fish & chips and a bowl of Irish stew with soda bread. The lamb was quite tender and delightfully satisfying after a chilly, rainy couple hours walking along the Giant's Causeway. :) read more

The Nook - Fish & Chips and Irish stew with lamb and a side of soda bread. - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

Ate lunch here while visiting Giant's causeway. So it gets really busy here and hard to find table. We got stuck at nos 3 which has no wifi signal at all! (Free wifi is good!) There's also another table in the front by the window that has sloping sides - I didn't see that until put my coffee and because of the slope of the table, it spilled! However despite my food and wifi mishaps (I couldn't check in on Yelp until later!) the menu was really good! A friend and I split the lovely seafood chowder, made with smoked haddock, local salmon and prawns plus mussels and clams. The soup was thin, not thick American style, and mighty delicious. Also lovely scones with excellent local strawberry jam and fresh cream. The only thing that want that great was the Irish coffee which was too strong, but that's a taste preference. The soup also came with a hearty piece of bread. There's an option to eat the the Giant's causeway cafeteria instead the visitor's center too, but this felt more cosy and traditional. Our total was around £25, so not too bad. Also it was good that they could give us takeaway boxes as couldn't finish the scone. Good food and friendly service, so recommend. Note: #214 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016 read more

The Nook - Fish chowder soup and scones - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

See all

After exploring the Giants Causeway we stayed in the area for an early dinner. The Nook hit all the right notes. Dined outside, friendly staff, drank our first Guinness in Ireland, and enjoyed an amazing Steak and Guinness pie. Thanks for a great start to our holiday! read more

The Nook - Steak and Guinness pie - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

This historic restaurant is a nice stop when coming over to visit the fascinating Giant's Causeway. It's perfectly located at the hill before the 15 minute walk to the Causeway, and a refreshing place to get a snack before heading out again. That is, if you can order something to enjoy. The bar and waitstaff left something to long for, and may not have known to acknowledge the patrons waiting to order at the bar. Timeliness and prioritization is not a strong suit of the staff here, as you can easily wait 20 minutes before ordering your drink, and have several people cut in front of you (and it wasn't even packed, whaaaaat?). Once I finally begged to have my order placed, it didn't take too long to receive my Harp beer and seafood chowder. The beer wasn't bad, but it tasted a bit watered down; the chowder did not have a hint of a seafood flavor, but tasted like potato soup; good, but not what I ordered. The only reason this place received 3 stars is because of the charming friendly musician playing and singing around the restaurant, and for the excellent location . It's one of those places that'll always stay busy because of its prime positioning and endless supply of tourists to the Causeway. The scenery is great from here, but maybe packing a picnic would be even better. read more

The Nook - The Nook - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

See all

Quaint cafe by the giant causeway. If you're visiting the giant causeway then this is probably the only spot to stop for lunch. It used to be a school and is now converted into a cafe so has that historic feel. It's great to sit by the fire place inside and get a break from the cold. They have a lot of sandwiches to offer but there are hardly any options for vegetarians, except for French fries. read more

Unsure how many stars to give this place. Some of the food was good, some not so much. You basically find your own table and then go up front to order. We saw the waitress 2 times each time to drop food and leave. The battered shrimp were greasy and had a huge amount of batter for the size of the shrimp and my fries were lukewarm. My husband's steak and Guiness pie was really good. I'd say it's hit or miss. I'd stick with the pies. read more

Greeted by a warm fire which was much needed after a freezing cold visit to the Causeway. You order at the bar, which took us a minute to figure out. Definitely bring British pounds or expect to pay more with Euros. They accept credit cards. Got the soup/sandwich combo. Bacon onion soup was delicious. Goat cheese onion sandwich was ok. I didn't like the onions buy my sister did. Great coastal view while enjoying lunch. So glad we stopped here! read more

The Nook - Beautiful view from inside - Cafes Near Me - Bushmills, MYL

See all

Adorable and placed with the most gorgeous view of the North Atlantic Ocean. After a scenic walk to see the Giant's Causeway (a must if you're eating at The Nook), this restaurant is the perfect place to refuel. Because it's by the water, I felt inclined to try their fish and chips. So, so good. They have a full bar menu as well, which is always a plus. Outside the restaurant is a fire red telephone booth - one you would definitely spot while strolling the streets of London. Perfect for a photo op! Nothing but good vibes while eating at The Nook. The staff were lovely and I can't even begin to describe the scenery as it was all magnificent. Make this a stop if you're in Northern Ireland. read more

After climbing around Giant's Causeway for about 90 minutes, my husband and I were ready for something to eat. Our tour guide suggested The Nook would be quick and easy, because it was right across from the Causeway. Because it was so close to such a big tourist attraction, I didn't expect much. I figured it would be okay food and expensive, but we were hungry. Boy, were we surprised! You have to get a table, then order at the bar and give them your table number. We had Irish coffees - which were delicious...and strong! They then deliver your food to the table. My husband had fish and chips and I had the minute steak sandwich with onion jam; both our meals were better than we expected. They weren't too busy when we were there, around 1pm, and in late June. read more

According to the banner hung from the outside, this pub was rated as N. Irelands #1 Pub in 2009. And if the meal we had was any indication, the reputation was well deserved. We were famished after a day on the Giants Causeway, and dived into an order of Cod & Chips, Seafood Chowder and pints of Strongbow. Good stuff all the way around. It's a cute old place, with long, family-style tables with bench seating, more space than it seems at first, and several rooms for seating. We enjoyed the view out the windows as we ate, watching all the cars queuing up along the roadside waiting to get into the carpark...the line getting longer and longer as we ate. So, we decided to reward our clevernes for having already visited the Causeway before the rush by splitting a Bailey's Cheesecake for dessert. DELICIOUS! Only small drawback was the difficulty in getting out check and getting out. We asked for it 4 times, finally gave up and just went and made them run it while we waited. Bottom Line: We'll be back...they BETTER have cheesecake... read more

My soup was water with mushy vegetables dropped in. The cheesy garlic bread was pretty good, but impossible to pull apart without taking all the cheese. My friend enjoyed their prawn salad though. Not sure why it took 10 minutes to get the soup, cold prawn salad and cheesy garlic bread.... read more

See all

The Nook was such a nice little pub! It's always going to be at least crowded-ish because of it's location. Tour buses bring groups through here to eat lunch, so it comes in waves. The seating situation is a little odd. You order up at the bar for food and for drinks. However, you have to have a spot already claimed at a table and tell them your table number before you can get served. The seats are also designed in a strange way. Each seat can only fit one person sitting one side of the table instead of two people with their backs together sitting at two different tables, if that makes sense. I ordered the soup and sandwich combo and it was way too much food. So either be extremely hungry, plan to take food to go, or share it with someone. The seafood chowder was filling and yummy and perfect on a rainy day. The sandwich was great, but I ate it on the bus ride back home instead. They have very strong wifi here too. read more

Not a bad place to dine while you're up visiting Giant's Causeway. The atmosphere is warm and the service is prompt, something that's especially important if you're with a tour group and only have limited time for lunch. The food is OK but nothing extraordinary. I ordered the soup and sandwich (ham and cheddar) and the sandwich was literally just a slice of meat, slice of cheese between two slices of white bread and cut up nicely. I make the same sandwich for myself for lunch all the time. But again, with limited options in the area, you can't really go wrong here. read more