If you ask me, cafes shouldn't be part of big chains. Forget massive franchises like Starbucks and…read morePret a Manger, coffee shops should be intimate, welcoming and unique. Belfast Coffee Company is just that. Situated on Royal Avenue, just across from Belfast Central Library, it is nicely placed close to both the city centre shops and the painfully trendy Cathedral Quarter. I called in for a cup of tea on my way into work in the morning and have to say that I received a genuinely warm welcome. I'm quite fussy when it comes to my tea, so for me, the fact that the staff member serving me listened to what I wanted and delivered it perfectly is a big plus. If I had to pick a hole, it would be that first thing in the morning, they didn't really have enough of a selection for breakfast. The cakes in the display cases looked amazing, but I didn't have the stomach for cream cake first thing in the morning and the only other option was a scone (not my favourite). All in all though, I loved the atmosphere, the attentive staff, the location and most importantly, the free chocolate I got with my drink!

I'm totally in agreement with the previous reviews. Small independently owned coffee shops are much…read morebetter than the big name franchise chains. I have to add you should try their Baileys milkshake! I ordered it on recommendation from one of the staff. I wish I knew his name because he was the nicest man (I'll go back and find out and update) but he was our waiter for the duration of our stay and I have to say the service was excellent. He knew everything about the items on the menu and could offer his opinion on nearly everything. It was great to be able to trust his opinion on the choices. Added bonus (which I love) were the complimentary Irish chocolate treats. We got a few of these and took some home to enjoy with our after dinner coffee. I did notice that the younger staff weren't quite as knowledgeable as their colleague who served us but I'm sure they'll learn. I haven't had the pleasure yet of sampling their food on offer though it dodes look delightful. So in conclusion, try the milkshake it was definitely my favourite choice.

Wanted a good cup of coffee and I wass just visiting Belfast as I walked by this quaint little…read moreplace my friend and I decided to give it a try and it was very good and the people were really nice.

I've been slowly but surely conquering all of Belfast's coffee shops but today after a morning…read moremeeting I walked past one I had never visited, I then convinced myself I needed another coffee despite the fact that I had already racked up 4 coffees in the first 3 hours of the day. You can never have enough coffee though! Metz is much more than just a coffee shop with specials boards behind the counter jam packed with lunchtime options and tempting sweet treats protected by a glass screen behind the counter. Metz is somewhere in between old-fashioned tea room/coffee shop and hipster hangout. Exposed brick work on the walls lean it towards hipster but the stack of condiments adorning each table bring it right back down to earth. To be honest I don't think it matters what genre Metz belongs to as judging by how busy it was they are doing something right. The staff are second to none - my laptop was barely out of my bag and the apron clad barista offered me the WiFi code. A few of the other serving staff were greeting customers by their first names and if they didn't know them they kept it formal by referring to them as Sir or Madam. The food looks amazing and the coffee is decent but not world beating. Metz has now been bookmarked to try for lunch.

The smell emanating from the toilets totally spoiled what had the potential to be a great…read morebreakfast. unfortunately the staff appear to be nose blind but myself and my wife barely got through breakfast. In the end my wife had to put on a facemask as the smell was making her feel ill. Very disappointed as in the past while seated on the ground floor out of the path of the toilets everything is great. Once we came back downstairs the smell of the coffee masked the toilets. I don't think I would return.

On a wee jaunt to Bangor today I thought I would grab a quick café lunch with my mother dearest and…read morethe first place that popped in to my head was Café Brazilia - although when I walked up to the door there was a frightening queue of ladies with prams patiently waiting for a table - So I didn't even bother to go in. Instead I went to The Red Berry - Although it was second choice on this occasion I think next time I'm in Bangor it will be my first port of call, here's why; The Red Berry is extremely spacious - we got a seta at the window and although it was busy we could comfortably chat without getting distracted or overhearing other tables. You have to order at the counter, so go in, grab a table, look at the menu (on big boards behind the counter) then go and order. The food selection was great - a nice healthy menu. I opted for the Goats cheese and Chicken and it was excellent - loads of chicken! It was cheap too - for three meals plus 3 huge (and I mean HUGE) hot drinks it came to £23. Added bonus - service was rapid. I noticed that they also sold Suki Tea and had a rather large and tempting selection of cakes - perfect for a quick snack as well as a hearty lunch. All in all I'm glad we choose Red Berry - the food was great and the bill was even better!

After many (failed) attempts at overcoming excruciatingly painful personal issues, I finally did…read moreit... I went to a coffee shop on my own, purchased a 'freshly blended' iced drink on my own, and sat at a table on my own. Just me, on my lonesome, all by myself. Even a year ago, I wouldn't have been seen dead in a coffee house on my ownio. I was far too aware that everyone would be looking at me and laughing at the girl in the corner...deserted, desolate and detached. Of course, I now know that's not how people act, but in my head, and at that time, it most definitely was. Caffe Nero was the coffee shop of choice, having only fairly recently taken over Paul Rankin's cafe on the corner of Fountain Street. As I am not a tea or coffee drinker, the only other options are hot chocolate or a cold beverage, so a 'freshly blended' iced drink it was. I like the way you select the drink in the fridge (I went for orange, lemon and lime) and then take it to the counter for a bit of whizzing action. Weeeeee. Whilst watching the female barista give my drink a good blend, I must have had the expression of a decidedly unfamiliar Caffe Nero novice, for the male barista asked me if I had a loyalty card. When I replied no, he gave me not one, but two stamps on a new one and handed me it. Must've liked the look of me. The drink was incredibly thirst-quenching, and also seemingly bottomless. Despite a good 40 minute sit-down in Caffe Nero, I still could not finish it, and by the end of that time, I was absolutely bursting for the loo as I'd drunk so much. Great value for money methinks. The next time I'm feeling particularly daring and gutsy, I'll be stepping back into Caffe Nero, armed with my twice-stamped loyalty card. Looking forward to it already.

Caffee Nero reminds me of what caribou coffee shops looked like when they were still a major…read morefranchise. They have loyalty card which I happily gave away to the local next to me who had his stamped out pretty well. I wasn't going to be in the area for some time and someone should earn that point. The coffee was fairly priced. I ordered a take away mocha (coffee-to-go) for about 2.85 pounds. The barista was very accommodating. I didn't want another English Market coffee mishap so I asked how sweet they made their mochas. She specifically made mine less sweet.... with room for cream (whipped cream). It was okay. It was still sweeter than my preference. I give this place a four star for the convenience (right next to the Botanic train station) open atmosphere, cleanliness, and smiling service. For Americans who prefer Biggby's over Starbucks. This is the stop for you.

This place is a real hidden gem. It often gets missed as there's loads of coffee shops like…read moreStarbucks etc near-by, but it's worth calling in. The food is great (see my tip in the cream cheese bagel!), the coffee is even better and there's a good selection of other drinks including Suki-tea if you'd rather. The only downside is the awful decor. The bright coloured walls look like they've seen better days and the giant photographs and pictures look dated and old.

With its bright colours, rock music and walls covered in American art-namely pictures of the golden…read moregate, this place really does do exactly what it says on the tin. Its young, fresh funky and does great coffee! They also serve food and you can get stuck into panninis, sandwhiches salads and both mexican and californian inspired dishes such as their wonderfull fajitas. For those with a sweet tooth, the cakes are big, homemeade and delicious and to cancel them out the smoothies and juices are perfec for that rare summers day in Belfast. The coffee house has ample seating both inside and out and does seem to possess that American Charm. A great wee place a stones throw from the hustle and bustle of Vic Square na da cheaper welcomed change from the usual haunts..ie. Starbucks. Great food, great coffe and a great location! Its win, win.

This was a first visit and we would certainly return. The place was very bright, spacious with huge…read morewindows facing onto a Main Street just off royal avenue. It was warm on a cold, fresh winter morning with a gas style fire burning away which added to the welcoming feel of the place. Most of the seating is low set, big leather couches so it's easy to get comfortable here too. The one thing I really liked was it was clean and properly clean. This contrasts with many of the chains and particularly Starbucks and Costa where my recurring experiences there tend to be consistently dirty floors and tables with staff not bothered. The service was ace. We were a group totalling five but three of us arrived first. The staff came to us twice to take our order but we wanted to wait until the others arrived. So service was certainly attentive and it wasn't a problem. The orders were taken and coffees were served pretty promptly once we were altogether. The coffee was good, although I would have preferred mine hotter, so maybe the cups hadn't been pre warmed, and they could have made more money from us had they asked us if we needed more coffee. We were there over an hour and once the first order was delivered we were not asked again. So folks you're missing a trick, especially with long stayers.

Welcoming in the early morning! Great view of the street and sky. Very comfortable sitting, good…read moremusic, great tasting espresso. Highly recommend.

As mentioned before there's plenty of choice in the Botanic area and to be honest Clements is a bit…read moreof a boring choice. It's primarily a coffee shop with small amounts of food on offer. I went in here to get a quick bite and whip my laptop out. The decor is comfortable and there's plenty of space, so it's good for working. Yesterday I went fro their sandwich special which was The New Yorker. Although it was obviously pre made it still filled a whole and only cost £3.50. You'll struggle to get a cheaper lunch in Botanic. The staff were great - really attentive and polite - In terms of service it was excellent. They serve you at your table so there's no need to go to the counter. All in all if you're familiar with the Clements brand then you'll know what to expect. Nothing special but nothing disastrous either. A solid 3 stars.

Clements Botanic would always be my go-to for a cuppa if I ever find myself up that way…read more Yes, it hasn't changed in years and perhaps is now looking a little dark and dreary despite the colourful branding all of their places have. Yes the leather seats may have you sitting at a weird angle due to wear, but it is still popular despite the local competition. While waiting for a meeting I enjoyed a little coffee there today. One of the highlights of this place for me is the people-watching. Students and business types, parents and first-daters are all here and the buzz is enough to distract from the serving of a latte in a tall thin glass. This is a pet peeve, mainly because I can be a spilly lady, but to kill time and watch the world go by, I'll overlook it.

I've not been in here in a good while but decided to give it a whack…read more Stood waiting to catch the attention of the staff, 5 of which were standing right in front of my engaged in a mixture of conversations, drinking their own coffee and well... not much else. Was eventually served, but the coffee wasn't cleverly hot, quite a bit over extracted and the scone was pretty dry. Used to get so much better from here.

Had a quick coffee meeting at Sinnamon today and although I was impressed with the decor, outside…read moreseating area and general ambiance I wasn't impressed with the coffee. I ordered a flat white which was beautifully presented but it just lacked any real coffee taste. It tasted more like hot milk. Usually a flat white hits you with a big bitter wake up slap across the face but this one had no pick-me-up qualities at all. I'm not sure if this one flat white represents the coffee offering at Sinnamon but with Belfast going through a recent coffee boom Sinnamon seems to be beans behind! There's no doubt that it is a nice destination for a quick snack and a brew but coffee bean experts beware! Love the outside seating area and the funky furniture in the interior - to sum up, it's a nice wee coffee shop, nothing to scream and shout about, in a decent location but coffee wise it's miles behind.