Well, Toasted turned out to be quite the little treat! With about a half hour to kill between the…read morepoint we had to drop our daughter off for school and then be back in time to see her play, we didn't have too many options, and as a result called in here. I've seen the sign out on the main road (which would be easy to miss) every day as it's on my commute to work and yet I've never been in. So this worked out well. What a great hidden gem, loved this place. If you're looking for it, it is opposite the attendant-less Maxol garage, down the side of the used car place. The décor has all the hallmarks of a trendy contemporary coffee shop/deli, nothing too original, but to their credit they have distilled the design to the best elements of it and then executed the layout very well, so it's a nice place to be. The staff were great too which I love as there is little to endear a place to me more quickly than nice people working there who are nice, not through customer training but because they are just good folks!! The food when was great, a wide range of mouth-watering choices are clearly displayed across the huge menu..... which is the entire back wall of the place. It has been painted in blackboard paint and the menu chalked up in big clear writing. The prices although on the higher end of average aren't extortionate by any means so I wouldn't call it cheap eats but you get top quality food and service for just north of average price. The coffee was great, which is an essential element for me and the last thing I ate was a scone..... as we were there so early, it was freshly backed and still warm from the oven......................... so so good!

Nice little find 5 mins from our vacation home. amazing baked goods, solid breakfast and proper…read morecoffee.

It definitely took me a good ten minutes to work our why this little cafe was littered with little…read morelemon ornaments, lemon shaped candles, lemon wall hangings / plaques, and other associated lemon-esque accessories. As I looked around at the various features, I was left wondering 'why so many lemons?!' And then it hit me. The cafe was called The Lemon Tree, and I hadn't even noticed. How embarrassing. Aside from the lemon tree theme and name, there wasn't a literal lemon to be seen. Not even on my sister's scampi (which was deemed delicious despite the lack of said lemon). Cute name though. The Lemon Tree is somewhere you would imagine to be located in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales. With it's wooden chairs, old-fashioned lace table cloths, huge dark fireplace and low ceilings, this cafe certainly has a very snug and traditional feel to it. The menu reflects this, with a good number of solid 'pub grub' type options, including soup, pies, sandwiches etc. As I previously mentioned, my sister opted for the scampi, which came with a massive side of chunky chips, while I went for the chicken goujons (predictable...as always) with a load of those fab chips, plus a sweet chilli dip. The scampi was gorgeous, the chips were wonderful, and the goujons weren't bad at all. If only they'd been coated in breadcrumbs though...why do these places insist on making them in batter?! A very pleasant, homely experience, which left us well-fed and happy...no bitter tastes whatsoever.

The Lemon Tree from the outside is barely identifiable as a coffee house, it just blends into the…read moremain street of Saintfield as if it were just a house, but inside it is a small and quaint little cafe/ coffee house. I t is not exactly cutting edge here, it is more meeting your granny for a scone and afternoon tea than moccachinos and lattes to energise you and then send you off to a high street of hustle and bustle. They do a range of breakfast meals like fried and pancakes, soups, quiches, salads, sandwiches, wraps, scones and a range of tray bakes, all of a homemade nature. Everything is lovingly made and prepared. Things here are homely, filling and satisfying, if nothing particularly mind-blowing. A chance stop off here will not be a bad choice, though try and go in will someone older or you may feel a bit out of place!

Scrabo Garden centre is gift central, obviously it is a garden first and foremost but it doubles as…read morea rather handy place to get some presents. You can even make a day out of it, it has free parking all day and a restaurant that is second to none. On the garden centre side of things it has a comprehensive selection of plants, shrubs, fruit trees and just general greenery. The shop sells compost, pots and fertilizers, just general brownery (made up word) All this will help you maintain the garden. Theya lso have a few pretties in the shop, no im not talking about the girls working there, im of course talking about the furniture and garden decorations as well as barbecues. This place is top quality, I would definitely recommend a jaunt to Scrabo Garden Centre.

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.

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!

Lovely cafe situated in Dundonald Elim Church. All staff…read moremembers are welcoming and friendly. Have been there a few times now and food and staff have not disappointed me yet! Would recommend this place for a family outing, a friendly catch up or just for a wee pot of tea!

Wow. What a find !!…read more Located inside Dundonald Elim Church. Good car park. The food is lush and great value. Probably undercutting standard cafe prices by at least £1 or £2. Good size portions. Selling lunch type food including scones,soup,burgers and sandwiches. As well as tray bakes and hot drinks. Chocolate biscuits cake was to die for. Wash it down with a cream egg milk shake. The setting is very homely. The staff are nice. The cafe has been set up to help the employment of people with special needs. There is a lovely wee sign on the table asking you to be patient. Look forward to returning.

I think I am too young to dine in The Georgian House - I mean look at me using the word 'dine'…read moreinstead of 'eat' when I refer to it - it makes me come over all snobbish. The staff are nice and the house itself is exactly that, a big old house and when you enter there are two seating areas which used to be two big living rooms. Weirdly, there wasn't a single man in either room - just groups of two or three ladies who all appeared to be talking either about church or other people! They were all in for some fine-dining and I felt like a right plank sitting on my own with a book. I ordered lunch anyway though cause I was hungry. I wouldn't have if i'd seen the menu before - I was after a baked potato or maybe a wee baguette - something filling, cheap and wholesome. I definitely ordered the wrong thing. I ordered cajun chicken and it was nice, a bit more substance to the dish would have been better but it looked very good. A toasted burger bap with lettuce leaves on top, then three strips of chicken marinated in Cajun spices - no top bun! a little mango chutney and some fat chips - tasty but more like a piece of art with all the sauces drizzled over it and the layout on the plate. One cup of tea and three bits of cajun chicken was £9.45p - way too expensive for me and too serious for my liking - I was glad when it was time to leave. One really good thing is that they give you a lovely fat after eight after paying - yum yum!

Don't get me wrong, this is a lovely place with friendly staff and the food is very nice - but the…read moreproblem is that I nearly always get the same thing when I come here since the menu is fairly limited. I would rather give 3.5 stars but rounding down instead of up is probably fairer in my opinion.

I firmly believe if this place was in Belfast it would soon become known as a local landmark. This…read moreis a criminally ignored little cafe, and the people of Ballygowan should feel lucky to have it, though most of the chivvy population wouldn't know good quality food if it slapped them in the face and said pot noodle. The shop is located in the upstairs of the garage store and is surprisingly spacious feeling and airy despite being rather small. The food here is truly sensational. The lady who is the cook, Liz, is a wonderful chef, whipping up delicious and sometimes unusually heart soups, salads bursting with favour and ciabattas and open sandwiches crammed generously with rich delicious fillings. They also do delicious milkshakes and smoothies, with the pineapple and mango smoothie a particular taste bud burster! If you are in the vicinity go without hestitation.Local people feel it is expensive but it is standard cafe prices. If the streat gave you food like this the people of Northern Ireland would be a lot better fed than they are now!

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.

Didn't get a chance to eat because e were told the kitchen was closed at 4:45…read more First time in Ireland and at restaurant. Luckily all restaurants around them were open. Ended up next door at Wolfs which was delicious

Seeing all the great reviews for Binky's I had to try it out. Binky's Kitchen and Binky's are side…read moreby side, or rather they are one eatery with two sections. We went into Binky's Kitchen and a large sign advised us to wait to be seated. A waitress found us a table immediately and provided us with the dedicated Vegetarian menu which we specifically requested. A broad menu with five Vegetarian options listed. I ordered the Superfood Salad which consists of rocket, spinach, avocado, beetroot, goats cheese, peppers, pine nuts and a sunblushed tomato oil dressing, it was flavourful and delicious. My dining companion had the Vegetarian Bake which I sampled and while nice it was a little bland with too much cream sauce and not enough veg. Feeling greedy we ordered coffees and desserts. Soya milk lattes are available on request. Coffee was fabulous and our Banoffee Pie and Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Ice Cream Sundae Jar (what a mouthful!) out of this world. Such beautiful and massive desserts. I really enjoyed dining in Binky's. Service was quick, food scrumptious, decor warm and ambiance relaxed with a family friendly feel. You do need to be hungry to eat here though as the portions are massive. Prices are good for such generous portions and quality food. Two main dishes, two desserts, two coffees and a soft drink cost us £32.53 in total. A great cafe and casual restaurant.