Avoca in Belfast

Cups very cold and by the time you pour your tea it is cold. Poor service had go back to counter to get milk. Very cold place to sit in not comfortable.

The area is great, the food is very good the restaurant is clean . However the staff …. I was served as I often am by a man with long hair in a bun he in all the years I’ve been coming NEVER smiles he obviously HATES his job . He should definitely not be customer facing . On the other hand I asked the lady who was clearing tables if she wouldn’t mind clearing one for two so I did not take up a big table , nothing was too much trouble gave me options on which table ( it was busy ) she chatted about weather and how nice the food was she was genuine , polite , efficient, pleasant and smiley . I asked her name for the point of this review which is Sarah, spelling maybe not correct . This is who should be at the counter .

This is the 3rd time I've noticed price tags incorrect on products, twice before I've made the staff aware. Today I went to get some chocolate, the price tag was £5.65 but the actual price at the till £6.85. I am starting to believe it's done unporpouse and this time I'll raise it further.

Just a brief stop for cake and a soft drink, nice place and all the food looked great. Cake was very good. Nice shop too with lots of nice things.

Staff are hard working, food was good. Slightly overpriced. The guy with the beard mask has zero people skills and extremely rude. Rest if the staff were great.

While the food is good the service is slow . We queued for approx ten minutes ordered and took our seats . Two meals arrived after a wait but mine didn’t appear and after asking it was produced 30 minute later. But it was chicken curry instead of lamb ! While the is food is good and staff are nice the lack of any sign of management or supervision was concerning . Slow slow

This place we found by accident and we were so happy we did! The food is fantastic! It’s kind of like garden centre vibes because you have trays, but what amazing food! All healthy and freshly made. Croissants, salads, little quiches, arancini balls, I wanted to eat everything. If in ever back in Belfast, I’ll remember this place!

There were so many things that were off putting about this place that it’s difficult to know where to start. Downstairs in the clothing section there was an awful smell. The toilets are adjacent so I assumed that this was where the smell was coming from. Wrong! Upstairs is the cafe and if the smell was bad downstairs it was ten times worse here. Fish…but the kind of smell that you can’t acclimatise to … it just kept on giving. So, so bad. Anyone who is gluten intolerant is on their own. There was no decent advice other than stand and read through the ingredients of each item. This is 2023! If other establishments can be informative about their food then it’s not unreasonable to have the same expectation of Avoca. Years ago this was THE place to go to but evidently not now. Never, ever again.

My review is more about the takeaway food. The best selection of breads and scones. Massive and delicious. I love the mix of available oils, chutneys and sauces especially at Christmas.

It’s a gastronomic delight just to look at all the amazing food in the upstairs cafe. So many wonderful things to choose from. Love it. Also the actual shop downstairs is lovely to browse as well.

I usually love Avoca but not this time- ordered seafood chowder and wheaten. The queuing system means that the food is sitting while you wait to get drinks - I didn’t bother ordering tea as it would have taken longer. By this stage a skin had formed. The chowder was tasteless and accompanied by a brick of wheaten bread that was solid . So disappointed - couldn’t eat it - I should have complained but was one my own and didn’t have anyone to try it out for me in case I was being fussed. Won’t be back.

The chowder was tasteless with very little fish pieces. I would say it was more like a white sauce soup and the wheaten bread was hard due to been overcooked in the oven. This would have been one off the worst chowders I’ve had.

Lunch was excellent here, fantastic and delicious food. Unfortunately though the service was a bit slow. The person on the till was also on coffee machine duty and this delayed things for everyone. Another issue was quite off-putting: Once you order, the member of staff doesn't hand you your tray but places it on a railing/counter near the till and you then queue up to pay. As a result of long queues your tray may be a good distance from you and others in the queue are standing right over your order. This results in people coughing, sneezing and scratching their head/ hair while they are directly over your food!!. I don't know why the member of staff just doesn't just hand you your order and you mind it yourself while queuing!!.

I've been here twiice recently: once for brunch and once for coffee. Both were pretty good. Both were a bit slow, purely through shortage of staff, I guess, but we got there in the end. The food is solid cafe food, well cooked but needing reheated before serving. And there's the rub. My baked potato was hot enough on the outside but cool in the middle. These days there's really no excuse for that. Step up on the staff training on how to use a microwave properly. Ambience is fine; clientelle mixed so no-one would feel out of place because they're too old, not cool enough or, of course, too young and too cool! My rating above is higher than it would have been after the first visit, because of the decent coffee and nice wee Portuguese custard tart.

Avoid this place. Slowest service I have ever witnessed. One staff member taking orders, taking payment and preparing orders. Waited 20 minutes in the queue.

Excruciatingly slow customer service even though it was not busy. A extortionate 50p. Surcharge on Oat milk when the diary alternative is free. Anti vegan silliness.

We asked for gluten free options and were told that we had to look them up in the 90 page allergens table online (with no search filter). Staff said it was company policy not to give any information other than that and couldn’t help us navigate choices. Lovely staff but s ridiculous policy. I would have taken a risk and ordered nachos but they were out! We left after just a cocktail. What a shame.

Omggg - fallen in love with Avoca! Please come to England !!! Liverpool in fact ! Visited twice over a weekend in Belfast & so impressed. Queued for ages to get served but so worth the wait… food just amazing. Scones…. Jesus, Mary & Joseph 😲

Pancake stack with bacon. Pancakes are tasteless and stodgy and came swimming in watery syrup which made the whole thing a sogy mess, really disappointed.

One of the best lasagne I've had. Plentiful as was all the meals we had. And simply delicious, especially for what is a cafe within a shop.

A very busy spot for lunch be prepared to queue up, great selection of homemade food, healthy options salad bar, fish cakes, salmon encroute, chicken & broccoli pie, vegetarian, vegan chicken pea falafel, desserts, scones & pastries. Had the salmon encroute with 3 salads £12.95.

Excellent in every way. Delicious food and helpful and friendly staff. Reasonably priced too for such high quality ingredients. I have been 3 times since February and plan to go again next week! Highly recommended.

Amazing food .. but staff are not consistent.. there are times there could be 6 people behind the counter but not one of them taking orders - hence always a very large queue… not sure who’s in charge … but serving food to hungry customers should not be made that difficult.

Food was fantastic, especially the 3 salads I tried, however the service from some of the staff was well below what I would expect. Firstly, when I asked about the menu options for lunch, I was told by one of the deli counter staff (only one wearing green apron) that they don’t have menus and she didn’t know yet what dish of the day was- despite it being 11:40 and lunch service starting in 20 mins. My partner also commented that the same member of staff was also short and rude to her and other staff servicing behind the counter. It doesn’t make for a great experience. Secondly, after we had eaten the food, I went up to the back counter where they have teas/scones etc as my partner and daughter wanted to try a mixed berry scone and a pear Scone. The girl said they were out and had only fruit and plain scones left. I ended up buying these and they were fine. My disappointment was as we were leaving the store, they clearly had loads of the mixed berry and pear scones at the entrance S you came in!! Poor customer ervice and not something I would expect from a potentially great cafe experience. I will be writing to Avoca regarding this as simple customer service training would have give. Is a much better experience. Lessons need to be learned.

I'm a regular customer at Avoca and am used to first-class attention, but even I was blown away by the fantastic service during the Christmas rush in December. Despite the long queues and high demand, the staff remained patient and offered incredible service with a...

Hot chocolate from take out area at the front was completely white - no chocolate to be seen! Was literally hot water served at an undrinkable temperature which burned my mouth. Latte was slightly better but still very poor. Complete rip off and utter scam...

The Table service restaurant in Avoca Belfast has really gone down hill. it now only serves breakfast to midday and then tea or coffee, We sat down not knowing it was not now table service and no one came near us when I went up...

Took a break from shopping for a coffee. Tables at the self serve cafe were still cluttered with dirty dishes and can appreciate staff are very busy. So we decided to just opt for a scone and coffee down the stairs at the other cafe....

This café occupies a large space on the top floor of a upmarket clothing store. It is self service. I’m afraid I have to say that the coffee was probably the worst coffee I’ve ever drank. It was also very expensive at £7.10 for 2...

Visited for lunch, according to the board behind counter toasted sandwiches available on the limited menu, so joined the queue, over 30 minutes later my turn to be served only to be told the only sandwich was a Reuben which looked more like a pastrami...

We used to come here when in Belfast, food was tasty and the service was very good. But that section of the restaurant now only serves coffe, teas and scones and cakes. But the lunch buffet is open as usual. The birthday girl had the...

Had coffee twice this week in Avoca. The first time with a cinnamon and fruit scone and the second time with lemon curd cake. Both experiences were positive. The staff was welcoming and friendly. The coffee tasted great and the scone and cake were fresh...

When in Belfast, Avoca is always our ‘go to’ for coffee …. But sadly have to admit it was disappointing this time. The fresh fruit bowl was good but the scone didn’t seem to have been freshly baked that morning.

2 scones and 2 regular coffees £12 is a bit overpriced and the fact that the coffees were cold didn't make it a good experience. We will not be back as the restaurant/shop has changed, but not in a good way.

This establishment has went downhill, very disappointed. The staff don’t know what they are doing. Having to queue to have the food sitting at the till for at least 10 mins Sausage and bacon bap overcooked !

Excellent food options, tasted great and friendly staff. Would recommend to anyone visiting Belfast. We had the soup and it was delicious. The shops downstairs is fantastic as well

Had a visit to the cafe. Not how it used to be at all. Staff were not helpful seemed overwhelmed. We sat in the former restaurant part and it was like sitting in a noisy play park - no staff around children running and screaming....

Tucked away above the Avoca store the Arthur Street Cafe is a hidden gem. Not a huge choice but simple wholesome food at a reasonable price. Some good veggie options too.

Used to visit Avoca Belfast frequently before covid but hadn’t been back in a few years. Was so looking forward to lunch again at one of my favourite spots with a friend. Boy, has it changed. The lower seating area which was formerly the main...

Avoca was our go to place for brunch in the past, always reliable for service and quality. Yesterday at lunch time was just chaos. The self service cafeteria left us feeling rushed, the staff seemed stressed, they introduced a trial system of moving a group...

Very strange set up, can't order hot items until you're at the till despite queueing for a lengthy period already. The food was really good as was the coffee and everyone was friendly.

Went to Avoca this morning for breakfast with friends. We have been many times before especially as one of us is coeliac and needs gluten free. Always enjoyed. However Main restaurant still not reopened so had to go to buffet side. The option for gluten...

After exploring all the offerings on the first two floors, take the time to visit the cafe at the top of the building. Yes, it's busy (a good sign) with queue management in place. Yes, it's self-service, and not the same as the days when...

This used to be my favourite city centre cafe, but not any more! It is a pity that the lovely and excellent waiter serviced cafe has been replaced with the counter service cafe with a slow moving queue and a few options which amounted to...

Visited with friends late afternoon before a dinner reservation at a local restaurant at 5. My friends didn't want a full coffee each and we asked for 1 latte and a cup so they could split it (nothing do with the cost). The assistant said...

Food excellent as always, however as always, unfortunately had to wait 20 minutes in the line to order and pay, and once we sat down at a table there was 2 trays of leftover food on the table from previous customers, and in the almost...

A very basic dining area in an average shop. Incredibly they charge £8 for a bacon and sausage roll which is about as good as you would pick up at a railway station, all served from a canteen style counter. An absolute waste of money.

Don't often do this but having had such 1. Embarrassed and 2. Stressful visit to your Belfast store today I feel this is necessary. Stood in queue for 20-25 mins with a young child. I asked for GF option and asked could a sandwich be...

There was a wait as they are busy at lunchtime and have a friendly doorman who radios to see if seats are available. We had a 20 min wait but that was fine as the doorman was very friendly and helpful. We were ushered in...

I am not normally one to pen my disappointment but I was so so disappointed today at your Belfast restaurant. Having eaten in your Dublin suffolk street restaurant and in Malahide castle which were divine to say the least, first class and well worth the...

Decided to bring daughters for breakfast on Tuesday morning, this is a special treat for them and oh dear was I disappointed with Avoca!! Decided to go upstairs, nothing of interest in the prepared items in front of us. Random offerings and a couple of...

We sometimes opt to come here for breakfast when we overnight in Belfast. Their breakfast choices suit us perfectly and the food is always very fresh and tasty. We like a walk in the mornings so to dander to Avocado to enjoy their breakfast fare...

Sitting here in Avoca having a lovely lunch - vegan options are very scant. Covid regulations are amusing - I helped myself to a glass of water and was told due to covid restrictions I can’t do that, but sitting on every table is a...

Popped in for a scone and traybake mid morning. Good service and tasty bites. Coffee good too. Tables well spread out unlike the previous setting.

Just before the latest lockdown at Christmas it was so good to see Avoca in Belfast back in business (albeit too briefly) since closing its doors in March. Just like welcoming home an old friend - absence makes the heart grow fonder. I have always...

Enjoyed a cinnamon scone and flat white when in town today. generous portions, delicious food and a great range but I will just be getting the same thing next time!

Holy moly!! This shop is amazing and the cafe is a hidden gem. Had the most amazing roulade and the wee girls were great that served us. On a Sunday afternoon was a wee bit busy but could still get a table.

Had lunch here with my wife and daughter. I had the burger which was very good and would recommend. My wife had the lamb kofta which she enjoyed. The food is always good here. If you haven’t tried here, you should.

The food was lovely and plenty of options however the staff weren't very friendly (except one lady). The rest made us feel like a bit like a bother to them. But I would come back for the food and cakes selection.

Come here for breakfast every year on Christmas Eve, it never fails to disappoint! Love the atmosphere & the food is delish! Pancakes are always a winner for me

We popped in yesterday for a light bite before the two hour drive home. I had the Spinach and Ricotta Roll and it was excellent. My daughter had a plain scone that was served with homemade raspberry jam,a treat. We were there at an off-peak...

Visited for breakfast with my husband this week. We both enjoyed the food and service. The restaurant wasn't very busy at the time, and staff were able to enjoy spending time with diners ensuring they had everything they needed. I had the avocado breakfast which...

I love coming here the food is always great. But I was disappointed that I could not have a tub of baby food microwaved I work in the catering industry and have never found a problem with this. I was left to try and heat...

Avoca è una catena di prodotti irlandesi di grande quialitá, non economici ma genuinamente Irish, originali e di ottimo gusto:...

Very disappointed in Avoca today. Normally our favourite place for lunch. We go all the time and my daughters have soup or other food. I, however always have their delicious fruit scone with fresh cream. Today though because of some new policy we were informed...

I didn't realise that Montecarlo had come to Belfast, I mean £16 for a small fruit cake, who are they kidding, get a grip and stop ripping folk off!

We chanced upon this restaurant after a tip from a friend some time ago and were not disappointed: very attentive and quick service, water brought immediately. Great choice of salads with salmon, beef or ham, burgers, Greek and Turkish food, very international wine list. We...

WOW!! I was already a fan of Avoca for their GORGEOUS baked foods that you can takeaway... like cakes, muffins, scones etc.... so the cafe section was on my "to do" list and I finally made it in on 16 November with two of my...

We had lunch here on one of the days and it exactly the same as there other stores in the republic. Although busy the staff were friendly and helpful. Food good seating on benches . Good overall.

Came here today for lunch - extremely busy and had to queue for a while (not that this is a problem), but what was a problem was that people behind my group in the queue were reserving seating (that was already limited) before even ordering or paying for food. This creates an incredibly stressful environment, and it should be down to staff to police this so that those who have ordered food have a place to sit and eat it.

Busy and inviting with an attractive variety of goodies on display. Staff young and efficient. Good variety of seating. Tea pot topped up with hot water by member of staff without requesting it. All good and look forward to next time.

Ambience great. However,some food - scones and sausage rolls exposed to cross- counter ordering. Found this unhygienic. Food behind glass looked enticing but not for coffee stop,only for lunchtime. Queuing system for tea and coffee needs to organised much better- tea and coffee orders separate or expedited by-passing system.

Excellent quality food very well prepared and fresh...great selection of salads and hot sandwiches...homemade desserts and cakes amazing..good coffees...expensive but it's a treat ..

Have always loved going here but will not be back to eat there again. Waited a fair while to be seated even though there were tables available, but thought it will be worth the wait! Wrong! We tried to order our beloved scones and were told in no uncertain times that they wouldn't serve them between 12 and 3! As a policy I think this is ridiculous! I intended to have prosecco and a main course whilst my husband was going to have a scone and a cake, probably would have spent about £30.

Called in to the shop to get something to eat. Was busy and had to queue to be served. During busy periods you may have to qait a while to get served and getting seats can be another struggle.

En realidad no comí aquí, así que esta crítica es solo para comprar. Si estás en Belfast y quieres recuperar artículos hechos en Irlanda, no puedes equivocarte en Avoca. Una excelente selección de productos seleccionados de alta calidad para elegir en esta tienda. Compré algunos regalos que a mis amigos les encantan, incluido un pañuelo para un amigo que un asociado se tomó el tiempo para ayudarme a elegir entre las existencias traseras, ya que casi todo en el frente era para mujeres. Volveré y comprar aquí de nuevo. Fantástico.

Visited with family at 11.15am. Some of us had a scone, cake and toasted sandwich. Scones were delicious! - freshly made. All of the food was delicious as always. Lovely relaxed atmosphere too.

Came here for our breakfast at about 10.30, was quiet but got quite busy before we left.

I've been here a few times and it was always good, but it seems to have got even better. The lunch menu is extensive and everyone in our group was delighted with their choice. I had the beer-battered cod, served on salad with a side order of skinny chips. All perfect. For a follow-up I chose one of their Avoca scones, while my friends went for the panacotta or the white chocolate mousse. The mixed berry & cinnamon scone was enormous and came with butter, jam and cream in little pots. It is very noisy around the middle of the day because it is full of people chatting but it gets much quieter after 2.30. We were a group of retired former colleagues renewing acquaintances and we sat on until 3.30 when the restaurant was much quieter. Our waitress was brilliant and remembered six orders correctly twice without a notepad. Lovely bubbly manner too.We've booked to go back.

Called in on monday for a bit of lunch with a friend. What a choice of pies on the board asked for chicken ham and mushroom to be told only beef and guinness pie left. Quite tasty asked for cup of tea and at 1.10pm told no breakfast tea left only herbal tea. Asked for pot of hot water with a slice of lemon . But told disgruntedly that there was no lemon left. What is going on with this restaurant there is a Spar across the road. Thought this store/restaurant big tourist attraction.Very disappointed.

Enjoyed morning coffee with a scone in the waiter service area of Avoca....staff friendly and helpful! Scone very good though enormous and a cafeteria of coffee...(it was a bit weak ... but my own fault for not ordering Americano) Can recommend .....

Just had breakfast here and it was absolutely delicious. The eggs were perfect. The place is lovely and the staff were so pleasant. Definitely will be returning when I am back in Belfast.

Came here for the first time for Sunday lunch recently. It’s much bigger than I actually realised and was very busy. I ordered the burger which was nice and came quite quickly. The menu was quite varied. Service was pretty good but I felt the girl who was taking our payment at the till at the end was a bit dismissive. She was busy but it almost felt like us having to pay was an inconvenience to her.

Das Cafe/ Restaurant liegt im ersten Stock des Gebäudes und es sind überwiegend Einheimische hier. Alles gut und ehrlich lokales. Scones sind allerdings in der Mittagszeit von 12 Bis 3 Uhr Nachmittags nicht erhältlich.

I come here regularly for brunch and it always is five stars! Poached eggs with avocado and sardough toast is one of my favourites. The freshly squeezed orange juice is always delicious. Really good table service and the jug of water with mint is always a nice extra special feature!

We enjoyed a delicious afternoon tea in lovely surroundings. Each person received their own beautifully displayed cake stand. The staff were friendly and very attentive & more tea or coffee were regularly offered. It has somehow become the norm to ask for a doggie bag and our waitress was ready with boxes & bags to carry out. I would highly recommend and at such a competitive price, will definitely be back.

My mum and i had breakfast here at the weekend, it was delicious. I had poached eggs on sourdough with avocado and tomatoes. Mum had muesli with yoghurt and blueberries. Lovely cafe and friendly service. Also enjoy having a look around the store.

Dropped in for coffee upstairs and ended up with a pear and almond scone. It tasted wonderful. Beautiful gift shop on the ground floor but bring your big purse.

Very good breakfast here! Also very central (just a few minutes from Victoria Shopping Mall). We will be back!

Great spot for lunch in Belfast city centre. In the heart of the shopping district, Avoca offers a great range of dishes from main courses to desserts. Everything was cooked fresh and the service was superb! Well worth a visit as you can also explore the shop downstairs!

Had delicious breakfast choices from Healthy to traditional fry up or porridge. Will definately come back when next in Belfast.

Went to avoca for lunch with my wife and brother.

This is a true oasis in central Belfast. Beautiful things to buy in the shop. We decided to have lunch and we were not disappointed. I took the fish cake with three salads and my husband the cheese pie with salad. It was so fresh and yummy, I recommend everyone to go here! Unfortunately I missed out on all the delicious cakes.

From the outside, you would not expect it, but when you don't mind the hassle to walk through the shop you will be rewarded with an upstairs restaurant, both self-service and - if you want to spend more money - be waited. Great choice of different healthy food! Loved it

空港のAVOCA支店に売っていたサーモンが秀逸でしたが、空港だけのようです。街の中心地のこのお店でも売っていれば良かったのに。ソーダブレッドは小ぶりを数種類試した方が安全です。

Delightful little store selling lots of different things downstairs and selling excellent food upstairs. By far the best breakfast we had during our stay in Belfast.

When you eat this, you're ready to take on whatever the day throws at you. Good service, tasty and wholesome.

This is a must visit if you are coming to Belfast. Nice food, books, gift shop, deli. You can eat casual cafe style or more formal in the restaurant. Either way it’s good. Basic cafe, ornate restaurant.

Just the perfect start to a Saturday in Avoca with table service and good coffee with a selection of toast. Enjoyed reading the newspaper provided.

It’s with huge disappointment that I write this latest review, however, I feel that those in a similar position as myself may find it helpful. My husband and I treated ourselves to breakfast last Saturday. I suffer from a nut allergy which is always accommodated in the avoca in Dublin. However, back home in Belfast the restaurant can’t seem to cope with customers with allergies. I asked if the pancakes could be cooked without the nuts but was told twice that they couldn’t accommodate my request as the kitchen use the same pan for the pancakes. Having had the same breakfast in Dublin two weeks ago I was astonished that a restaurant uses the same pan for all their cooking and highlights that this is a restaurant that can not with customers dinning with such problems. It would worry me to dine here again. When I emailed the restaurant the following day they were pleasant enough, and looked forward to seeing me again. However, it is extremely unlikely.