Café Parisien in Belfast

Visited for the first time a few days ago with friends and never again. First of all, took a good while for the order to be taken. When the food 'finally' arrived, it was extremely disappointing before even tasting it. I ordered the steak frites 'well done' but did not expect a burnt shrivelled piece of meat on my plate. Proceeded to cut into the steak and it was extremely tough and not well done on the inside at all, bright pink, which absolutely turns me. The ones that ordered the chicken supreme were also highly disappointed with the tiniest chicken thigh set on green mush and no garlic potatoes as was on the menu. A few people actually stopped at McDonalds on the way home it was that sparse. Dessert, profiteroles came with the middle not filled with fresh cream as what is the usual but with GREY HARD stuff in the middle. Was also on the menu to come with chocolate ice cream but came with vanilla. Let's just say I've not been well today. Service was extremely slow, as the other reviews state, we were forgotten about. Had to ask a few times for our water to be filled, every time the jugs were taken away they didn't come back without us asking. Also as below reviews say, we must've waited about half an hour after finishing our mains for our plates to come and dessert to come, and again we had to ask for this to be done. £38 for 2 courses.....definitely not worth it. First and last time being here and won't be back or recommending.

I hate writing negative reviews but feel that feedback may help this place reach its potential. Our overall experience was hit and miss but the overall disappointment came from the service. Some very basic level things were not done well. The venue itself is beautiful. Light, bright and comfortable. On arrival the maitre d was pleasant, polite and helpful. They accommodated my young nephew for food he would like and made us feel very welcome. Unfortunately after our food arrived we seemed to be forgotten about. No one came to check if we were OK, to take drink orders or to clear plates and glasses. We waited an hour before I called someone to order kids dessert. We chose bottomless brunch but regretfully is not completely worth it as no one came to top up drinks. We got 3/4 drinks each so not all bad but we had to call someone each time and on one occasion I went to the bar myself to order but it got forgotten about anyway and I had to call someone. If there is 2 hours for bottomless the drinks need to be quicker and staff more attentive. I am hopefully wrong but at times it appeared that service staff actively tried to avoid us. I made eye contact and gestures which were ignored (possibly unseen) as staff appeared to disappear behind a partition or corner. For a venue at this price point the service was just not up to standard. I have worked in hospitality myself and do not wish to be waited on hand and foot but the basics of regular check-ins, clearance of dishes and bottomless drink orders should be met easily. The food and drinks were tasty so no issues there but until service is improved upon I would not spend my money to return especially for bottomless brunch which offers 6 drinks but gave not chance to get that many even if they are wanted or not.

My Husband & myself went to Cafe Parisien on Thursday 22nd February for an early special birthday afternoon tea. WOW! It was amazing. Staff were so friendly & professional. The afternoon tea was absolutely gorgeous. Can not remember staff names but their all a credit to Cafe Parisien. We had a window seat upstairs with amazing views over Belfast City Hall. Thank you so very much for a truly memorable day. Diane.

I have never been in Belfast before so I has drawn to the Parisian by its bright cheerful yellow awning. Nathan was pleasant and helpful and also spoke French! I stayed on the ground floor but there is an upstairs with more seating

A group of 10 work colleagues attended for the evening 3 course meal etc. The food was ok, but I wasn't able to enjoy the food given the following. What ruined the experience was that we were seated along the end window which has a long couch to sit on. We were given 4 small tables joined together, the type a couple would sit at. There were only 5 single chairs so the 5 sitting window side had to squeeze together along a table fit for 4. I ended up on a chair sitting angled to a table corner as again not enough space on that side of the table either. I almost considered holding my plate in my hand. There was no offer from the staff of an additional chair so we could seat people at the two table ends, or an extra table which would have been ideally the best solution. We were going to ask but a few in the group didn't want to complain as the discomfort was obvious to see, just ignored by the staff. Perhaps this is a regular seating arrangement and therefore the staff didn't take notice of it. When the bill was split a tip seemed to have been automatically added, probably normal for a group of 10 diners, but to do so when we had obviously sat the whole meal in discomfort was a bit distasteful. Tips are the customers way of rewarding satisfactory service. When they are added automatically, regardless of the level of service given, it's simply an additional charge and looses its significance. Perhaps if dining there, only do so in smaller groups.

The service here was really slow to the point that we had to get up to order drinks. Our plates were left in front of us for an hour as we finished our drinks. The food was average at best, well done steak was pink, my friend was too embarrassed to return as no one came near us. We were excited to come here for brunch but will not be returning, a completely underwhelming experience which could have been excellent given the location.

Lovely location & perfect for birthday drinks! They did get one of our drink orders wrong but they were happy to fix it! & 10/10 service from CJ the bartender - I was unhappy with one of the drinks I ordered (spicy margarita, was overwhelmingly sweet) and he remade it perfectly. Ended up being one of the best spicy margs I’ve ever had ⭐️

Very disappointed by the service. Very slow service, had to come in from outdoor area to place order for drinks as we had been forgotten about. Drinks order was then incorrect, no apology, server took the drink away and never returned with a replacement drink or explanation. Partner went inside to check on the status of replacement drink, told it was on the way and server waved his hand at the bar as if to say ‘look it’s being made’ (very rude). Partner returned and had finished his drink and still no sign of my replacement drink. Decided to leave at this point as very poor service and no communication. It didn’t appear to be busy, staff appeared to be very confused. Explained there was a mix up with drinks to ensure I would not be changed. No apology again. Very disappointing as views of city hall were lovely. May have stayed longer if service had been better.

Great food, great service. Wedding anniversary dinner, attended to by the lovely Ella. What a lovely time we had amongst a happy, almost festive atmosphere in the room. I wasn’t particularly hungry, but couldn’t help finishing the braised shin of beef, it was that good, the Jerusalem Artichoke Risotto too was superb and such an excellent point of difference on a menu. Ella guided us with our food and drink choices, and seemed to be genuinely interested in our experience - great lady. Then she comes out with an extra treat for us - see attached photo, thank so much team. The dessert panacotta was superb too. Fully recommend a visit.

My partner and I always admired the building when passing, so we finally had a chance to call in. We were told to be seated and would be served soon. We waited and waited but no one came to take our order. I went to the bathroom and the bar man was just collecting glasses. Maybe he forgot about us. The welcome we got wasn't great. A bit unintersted. The inside lacked atmosphere. Most other customers looked miserable. If you've been to Paris before, you will understand this cafe doesn't live up to it's French style title!

Lovely spot for lunch! The food was excellent along with the service. Highly recommend ordering the Croque Madame, everything about the dish was delicious. Would definitely go back!

I wrote to the restaurant with my review but they haven't bothered to reply so I thought it's fair to post it here. We had a very mixed experience at Parisien but won't be giving them the benefit of a second chance. 1. Our gluten-allergic guest was ill soon after her meal so it seems like there was some cross-contamination. They were aware and the waitress checked. This is unacceptable and the lack of concern from the restaurant reflects our overall experience. 2. The service was friendly but generally poor. When you have 3 or 4 staff standing around chatting with only a couple of staff actually serving there is no excuse for lax service. As examples, we had to ask for our wine twice, had to ask for our desserts twice and repeatedly had to ask to have empty plates, glasses and water.bottles cleared. 3. Some of the food was very good, some of it simply wasn't good enough. For example, 2 guests had venison. One piece was cooked very well. The other was very rare, borderline send it back. Of the deserts. The profiteroles were hard and the filling was stodgy. The chocolate pudding was heavy. The wrong ice cream was served and had to be changed. The Dophinois potato was excellent. The sauce for the venison was excellent, the red cabbage overload was not.

Food was tasty and the service over all was good. We got the set menu and started off with a duck parfait and sautéed mushrooms which were nice. But, the main meals were absolutely amazing - we had the chicken supreme and salmon which was the fish of the day. Lovely.

As a first time visitor to The Parisien I was atracted by the generial appearance from the street and especialy by the menu displayed in the window. At 1.15 pm on a very busy Monday, the final one before Xmas, I wasn't suprised to be asked to wait for a few minutes for a table. On being seated I was advised that there would be a short delay before my order could be taken as the kitchen was under presssure . In view of how busy the streets of the city were with throngs of people this didn't surprise me. Despite the servers being busy I was quickly provided with a carafe of iced water with a slice of lemon. The pre warned of delay in my foods arival gave me time to review my mornings visit to the city and plan my afternoon in very plesant and comfortable surroundings. My choice of Lemon & Thyme Chicken Supreme with roast root vegetables, winter greens, pomme purée, ham & leek velouté was delicious, cooked perfectly. The selection of deserts, although I resisted the temptation to sample, all apeared to be excellent and judging by the empty desert dishes on nearby tables would not have disapointed. All in all an ecellent experience, delightful suroundings, first class staff and superb food. I will be back next time I travel into the city !

We dropped in for a quick cup of coffee at lunchtime while visiting the Christmas market across the road at City Hall. The coffee was good and we ordered a cheese plate for sharing. The cheeses were lovely and were accompanied by delicious crackers and chutneys.

Had a lovely meal and Megan L was the best! Credit to the team! Meal and drinks were perfect, lovely spot! Thanks Megan we will be back x

What a beautiful venue overlooking Belfast City Hall, which looks especially lovely in December with all the Christmas lights. We were seated reasonably quickly at our table, which we were grateful for, especially as we had turned up earlier than our alloted time slot. The...

Pre-booked our table here for my friend’s birthday. 5 minute wait as they were turning over dinner tables and the ambience was so relaxing I’m surprised they didn’t want to leave. Beautiful decor, we had a beautiful booth with 360 views of the layout, clean...

Disappointed in the quality and cooking of the food. I had a piece of tasteless salmon which was completely raw and cold in the middle. My partner had a very dry turkey and ham lacking flavour.

This spot would be so lovely for a nice dinner before a night out like ours… although our drinks took 20mins to come and even came at a separate times. Our mains didn’t even come within the space of an hour and a half so...

Went with friends for afternoon tea. Food was delicious & variety was great. ( not your normal afternoon tea). Service was top notch & sadly can't remember our servers name, he was excellent ( thankou) personality was on our level. This is a lovely venue...

Booked afternoon tea and it did not disappoint The food was amazing and a great choice of sweet and savoury. The staff were super attentive and friendly and exceptionally professional

Was served by the most amazing person called Patrick Made us so welcome, smiling happy Great personality, the music was first class great vibe, good first class I am most definitely coming back Especially the music surroundings, and not forgetting Patrick 😊

Classy restaurant with the best service I have experienced in a long time. Food was delicious. Atmosphere perfect for an easy quiet lunch on a Sunday.

So pleased to be able to go back to this beautiful restaurant. We had a great experience today very helpful staff great food ambience is the Best keep it up guys we will be back soon (yes Patrick even though my husband managed to spill...

We visited for a light lunch. Seated promptly. We asked for water and ordered a light lunch. By the end of our lunch despite asking twice we hasn’t received any water but third time was a charm. The soup was absolutely lovely.

We went here for afternoon tea for a birthday and at £30 each with 6 of us we were really looking forward to this. Unfortunately we were quite disappointed and certainly would not rush back. The place is beautiful and I really enjoyed my cocktail...

Visited this restaurant on a Saturday night without a reservation . We were a party of 7 and were delighted that they could offer us a table. From the moment we seated, the service was first class, both ,attentive and friendly. The food was excellent...

I was there with my daughter and ten of her friends for afternoon tea on Saturday 19th August. The food was fine dining which we expected but the service was diabolical. Yea arrived thirty minutes before food we had to ask for more tea/coffee there...

It's such a beautiful setting for a 40th birthday party. Was supposed to be out on the veranda, but due to typical Irish weather, it was moved inside just encase. We went for charcuterie boards, which were absolutely to die for. Although expensive at first...

Arrived on a Sunday afternoon and offered table for coffees/cakes. Plenty staff around but sat for 20 minutes before a male member of staff eventually asked if we'd like to see the menu. Menus were brought and yet we sat for another 10 minutes with...

Friendly and helpful staff, beautiful decor and great location. A wide choice on the menu and we both enojoyed both our courses, great value too. We would certainly revisit if in the city again, and hopefully we will be because Belfast has a big heart!...

Everything from the start to finish was fantastic! Service with a smile, food, flavours, atmosphere, reasonable prices. It was my second time in Parisien, I forgot how good it was. Can’t wait to come back! Ps. I am not big mussels fan, I don’t usually...

We have enjoyed the atmosphere and Interior and the welcome was welcoming and kind. We had a nice table on the balcony. The menu card looked very promising. The food was really tasty and the waitress Megan was really good. She knows what customer service...

Lovely start to the meal but then things went downhill. I was very disappointed with my main course of duck. It was horribly overdone and yet cold at the same time. It was replaced but was little better as it had not rested and was...

The nicest food and the nicest staff especially Luke. Nothing was too much hassle. Felt so welcome.

What a lovely rooftop bar! We wanted to stop to rest out feet whilst shopping and spotted Parisien. We only stopped for one drink but the staff were lovely and the location overlooking City Hall on a sunny bustling day was amazing!

Just popped in for a coffee and loved it so much stayed for lunch and a glass of wine. Lovely little place to sit and watch the world go by. Beautiful inside and really lovely view of Belfast City Hall. Staff attentive and friendly. If...

We chose Parisien for the first meal of our visit to Northern Ireland and what a good choice it was. The food was delicious and Beth provided superb service. We shared the bread board with praline baked Camembert and had our first taste of heavenly...

We popped in around lunch time but just for drinks and we’re made very welcome by Victoria. Wow does this girl know her way around cocktails……Dark and Stormy was unbelievable as was my friends Porn Star. Great ambience, they didn’t rush us so yes you...

We are sitting here in Cafe Parisian and I am blown away by rhe standard and quality and especially the flavours of this incredible meal. There are only a few occasions in life where the memory of an unforgettable meal stays with you, and tonight...

I popped in to Parisien today for a spot of lunch and a lady started to choke. The staff acted immediately with the manager performing the heimlich manoeuvre whilst a staff member called an ambulance. They kept the lady as calm as possible. The paramedics...

Yesterday, my husband and two children went to Cafe Parisien for some lunch. On arrival, we were met with a member of the front of house team who asked if we were in for lunch which we were but only advised they had a light...

Went here for Sunday lunch and it was just lovely. Calm and sophisticated inside with a fantastic view over the Christmas market. We started with French 75s which were perfect. I had the foie gras, pork belly and profiteroles and my partner ordered the french...

Visited Parisien the other week with my family for dinner, totally exceeded our expectations! We ordered a couple of starters but the salted cod croquettes was definitely the highlight of them all. For dinner, I myself, ordered the chicken supreme which was delicious. The staff...

We visited Belfast last weekend and popped in for dinner .All the servers were really lovely and attentive. The food was amazing especially the French onion soup and confit duck legs we had for starters. My partner had the roasted duck breast for mains which...

This restaurant really disappointed us. The food was very low quality with extremely small portions and high prices. The food was not tasty at all, and not at all gourmet, even though they want to be a gourmet restaurant. I do not recommend it. It...

Just happened upon this place for lunch with a friend. Greta food and presentation and a very nicely set table. The restaurant itself is well situated and has a lovely decor. Our starters were simple and superb and freshly cooked. We both had duck for...

Brilliant service lovely food and very nice cocktails no complaints at all would definitely go back. We had a main and dessert everything was well cooked and presentation was fabulous

We had a voucher given as a Christmas gift in 2020 We booked and had to be cancelled due to Lockdown and Cafe had to close absolutely Wonderful that our voucher after all this time was honoured and we got to go last night ,...

Lovely place to eat! The waiter / owner is a hilarious guy! Highly recommend! Such a lovely place to eat

Great meal, great service, great atmosphere- something a little special. I echo a previous reviewer who raved about the Duck. 15 of us had without exception a very special meal. Special thanks to Anna who seemed to be running the show effortlessly and Catriona who...

Stopped by for a coffee and found this Cafe to be an excellent place to eat or just have a coffee. Right in the city centre. I noticed what others were eating which looked great. They offer brunch and open for evening meals too. Will...

The best afternoon tea I have been to in Belfast. I went with my mum when it wasn’t busy and we were lucky to be seated at the large circular table at the back with nice views. I have been to a few afternoon teas...

Really enjoyed afternoon tea here today. As much as you would want to eat with a good mixture of savoury and sweet and very good value for money

10 of us went for dinner. The staff were great. Very knowledgeable about the menu. The place itself is beautiful and tasteful in decor. The food arrived timely and was absolutely beautiful. Everyone enjoyed everything. The wine was recommended based on food choices and topped...

We had a very pleasant lunch in this atmospheric restaurant. My companions enjoyed the crepes and I sampled the burger and all the meals were generous and flavoursome. We washed it down with a very nice French Sauvignon. The staff were helpful and attentive and...

Took my husband here for lunch. I have been a few times with my daughter and a friend and really loved this place. We live 20miles from Belfast so not down in the city too muvh. So my husband was impressed.A Little Gem he said....

Absolutely fab night. We had our staff night out-30 ppl. All had a great meal from start to finish and everyone was so overwhelmed with how fabulous the service was!!! Atmosphere and attention to every detail made our wee night out amazing. Thankyou to all...

This is a lovely place for a relaxed lunch/afternoon tea. Very attentive staff. Best meal I've had in Belfast for a long time! 5+ stars!!

My sister and I visited on a busy Saturday night at the start of Feb 2020 after an extremely busy time with a sick parent. We had the best meal and service I’ve had in Belfast in a very long time. The staff are just...

We had lunch here for my birthday, chosen on the fly. The decor and style is based on the White Star Line Titanic colours and style: this was right up my street and was coincidentally before we went to the Titanic museum later in the...

Lovely place with delicious food and friendly staff-went with friends and everyone loved the food and ambience

After spending a weekend in Belfast we decided to have one last meal in Belfast and we’re very glad we came to Cafe Parisen! We were greeted by our waiter Jonathan who couldn’t have been any more accommodating as there was 7 of us. Drinks...

We had a dinner here and got a table easy. They cafe a cocktail restaurant downstairs and upstairs a restaurant. I think the balcony would be THE PLACE in the summer evening. Food and service was good also. We had duck breast and it was...

I visited here as a farewell dinner with my other half, we both went for vegetarian dishes I had the risotto it was really tasty but the portion looked like a starter for £16!! My partner had the cauliflower which looked unappetizing it had no...

My husband booked a table here for New Years eve. We had a set menu to choose from. On arrival we were greeted and given a lovely table over looking City Hall. We were pleased to get such a good table considering we had booked...

Nothing else to say except wonderful, fantastic, magnificent!! A must to visit! Food, service and attention from staff is excellent.. Well done Cafe Parisenne!!

I tried to finish my meal but cant *( Staff was good and attentive Menu is British and irish Not French--- ambiance?! They spent a lot !!! My sauce on salmon have split already right when served Would love if they have improved to embrace...

Turned up at 1630 to be told the kitchen was shut until 5, but we could go upstairs, tell them, get a drink and wait. Goes upstairs, got told we couldn't have a table but could sit outside on the patio. We explained we wanted...

Our family had a very pleasant evening at Cafe Parisien, particularly because the service was friendly and good. The food was lovely, although the duck starter could have benefited from a sauce. It just felt a little over priced for what we got

We had to wait around 45 mins for a drink. They may have had a shortage of bar staff as all the glasses were piled high at the bar. It took a good 15 to 20 minutes to attract attention of the staff. The food...

Good food, good warm and friendly service, very near Belfast City Hall in the town centre. Very busy in the run up to Christmas but the staff accommodated us. Good food, served hot by warm friendly and pleasant staff. I will return.

Ambience is first class as is the food and service but what let it down was the state of the bathrooms. Water over the floor, toilet roll over the place. More attention to the finer details but I will be back

We have just left less than an hour ago. We were sitting on terrace which is beautiful and had a drink. Myself and my daughter needed the toilet. There was a queue upstairs and there appeared to be a problem so we went downstairs to...

Downstairs toilet was dirty. Prices of tea are quite dear. Green tea wasn't the nicest. Staff were lovely though

Came here for a Christmas party. The staff were very good despite it being packed and the service was great throughout the meal. The duck starter was v.good but the main course wasn’t great, had the turkey and it just wasnt that nice. Others also...

Called in here on a busy Xmas Saturday afternoon. There were no tables free but we were able to reserve a table for an hour later. We returned and were given a table on the terrace overlooking the city hall which looked great all lit...

We stopped off here as part of our Reindeer hunt Sunday. I was so tempted to stay and have the Turkey Ballotine but my two girls dragged me out!! Will have to pop back for a closer look!!!

We had the most amazing experience here this afternoon. We had the pleasure of Marta being our waitress! She made our experience even better! Very attentive & knowledgeable! The food was beautiful & we will definitely be back! Thanks Marta & happy Christmas 🥰

My 2 sisters and I took our 84year old mother for lunch (15 Dec) after a little xmas shopping .Lunch was good but gosh were we cold .We all wore our coats as we ate (as did most other diners).We mentioned it to the waitress...

We had lunch here today and we will not be back. The downstairs restaurant was so cold we had to eat with our coats on. I mentioned this to a waitress who pointed out that it was a very cold day and we were in...

I have been here twice in the last month once for a party we organised to try it out and the second for a Christmas dinner. The first time the service was pretty bad drinks never arrived and we felt neglected all evening that we...

2 of us had a lovely meal here , the food was excellent and The service was very good, attentive without being intrusive. Only downside was my partners Profiteroles were very hard, choux pastry wont reheat, so she didnt really enjoy her sweet but everything...

Situated right across the street from City Hall where the Christmas market was in full swing. We enjoyed a croc monsieure for lunch which proved both satisfying and tasty. The decor is lovely and creates an atmosphere of a typical Parisien cafe without the smoking....

A group of us went here on Saturday for our annual get-together. The food was really lovely I had the vegetarian lentil dish and it was very tasty albeit a smaller portion than I would have liked. Initially thought they had given me a starter...

We had a lovely dinner here. Great food, lovely view over the Christmas market and friendly service. I had two starters rather than a main course and starter as the choices were so tasty. French onion soup lovely.

We visited here yesterday after the Christmas markets, the decor is lovely. The staff are lovely and friendly. The food was ok, small main courses. My husband was disappointed with the small amount of meat in his main. The atmosphere was lovely so we didn’t...

I can’t recommend this place enough! We were looking for somewhere to eat and chose here purely because it looked so inviting from the outside with all the fairy lights etc. Working in hospitality myself I can’t help but judge everywhere I go and they...

Have ate at the premises before, tried the afternoon tea well impressed. Great choice, of savory and sweet selection, helpful server who went out of her way to make us feel welcome and nothing was too much trouble. Great view of City Hall and Christmas...

We held a dinner/reception for 50 family and friends here after our wedding in City Hall. Everything about the event was exceptional. The food was superb, the atmosphere fantastic and the staff so attentive and polite. Several of our guests (including our vegetarian and coeliac...

We ate here last Saturday as a group of six to celebrate a couple of family events and thoroughly enjoyed our evening. I had asked for a particular booth on booking form, but was contacted by a member of staff to explain that area had...

I had dinner here on Saturday the 26th of October. The service from the front of house staff was amazing! Very attentive! I had the scallops to start which were very good especially the dressing on the rocket! The sauce vierge isn’t like any I...

After a bit of mid -cruise shopping we chose this hostelry for a couple of liqid refreshments. Service was a bit slow. Drinks are on the fairly expensive side, but the stout was nice.

Visited here last week with a large group of work colleagues. Very friendly staff and food was excellent. Will definitely be visiting here again the next time I am in Belfast.

Had a nice lunch last Friday 11/10/19 Very, good choice of wine and i had a great burer and fries, very relaxing.

Myself and my friend dined here on the Wednesday night of belfast restaurant week we had the goats cheese starter and beef main both were lovely served by the nicest waitress she couldn’t do enough for us! We cannot wait to return! Thanks!

Relaxing coffee and cakes on the balcony opposite City Hall on a sunny Monday afternoon. Well presented food and outstanding service. We will definitely be calling in again next time we visit Belfast

Lovely welcome from the staff. It was pretty quiet on a Tuesday afternoon so had most of the top floor to myself. The champagne afternoon tea was absolutely delightful, as were the views out to City Hall and the young lady who served me. Though...

Absolutely amazing and excellent value for money Staff were brilliant in accommodating my dislike for cheese Food was fantastic