Cloth Ear in Belfast

Made a reservation in advance. Enjoyed the atmosphere quite a bit--it's an elevated gastropub with some modern touches within traditional decor. Comfortable seating and a quiet sophistication to the atmosphere. Elegant in theory, between the atmosphere and a gastropub menu that made our mouths water. Elevated takes on classic pub food, including some curries, etc. Clumsy in execution. Service was friendly but at best disjointed and the pace of the meal was excruciatingly slow, with very long waits between the appetizers and main course. We struggled to get a server's attention to order a second round of drinks and ask for condiments. Food wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great. We left feeling like we'd paid a lot for a pretty average meal.

We went here for dinner last night,on what was a freezing night in Belfast-this establishment and the service was warm and welcoming. Food was really good-staff were attentive and friendly. The Cloth Ear provided a wonderful end to our evening in Belfast. Keep do what you're doing guys!

Came here for a work doo. We are a loud bunch however we are polite and expect the same from servers. There was a bar tender that made us a wrong drink and when we told him he argued with us and still charged us. I then was eating my main and had to go to the toilet. My plate was practically full, a plate I spent ALOT of money for and they had taken it away. When I asked a server where it had gone she shrugged and ignored me. I then asked someone else and they said table said i was when I asked my table no one had said that. We did have a person that did have to much to drink however they were quiet, no bother at all really and they were so rude to them. Knowing how popular this place is, I was utterly shocked and disgusted. I would like to note I was sober.

The smoked cod chowder is an absolute MUST. The rest was all good, but I’d go back for that specific item every day. Seriously! Service was good and it is centrally located which was a plus for us.

I cannot express enough gratitude for the maitre d’ (I think his name is Chris) who saved our dinner last Saturday night! I had mistakenly reserved a table for Sunday, not Saturday, and was extremely embarrassed and ready to leave, scrambling for dinner elsewhere. Chris found a way to seat us and we had the most delicious dinner with great staff! So thankful for this and can’t thank The Cloth Ear enough for their wonderful hospitality! The fish and chips comes with curry for the chips, and it was delightful-highly recommend.

Experienced the worst level of customer service in a very long time. Arrived around 3pm, stood at the bar for approximately 20 minutes and not one member of staff approached us for a drinks order. Then saw a free table so tried it to see if the service would improve but it took another 10 minutes for the waiter to bring menus and clean the table which still had glasses and food debris on it. Decided to leave as after 30 minutes we had had enough. Disappointed to see how the service in The Cloth Ear has dropped. Won’t be back.

Wonderful barman (great guy with a beard) he was so professional, efficient and friendly. It was a Monday but it was still absolutely packed, people were being turned away it was so busy.

Such a shame for belfast that a lovely bar the service is so bad. Plenty of staff but still have to go to the bar and order drinks and return to pay Staff are not interested best avoid

Great again, yes been a few times and never been let down, staff very helpful and on this occasion with business visitors the staff showed the great hospitality we have in Belfast, down to little details when serving drink to the table turning the glass so the Guinness sign was directly in front of the guest, food everything just great, please ensure you update staff and especially the table food server with the beard true professional

We popped in hoping for a nice pub lunch but were left disappointed as the wait for the food and drinks was so long and when it arrived did not make up for it. We could see multiple members of staff just standing around slowing the service which was just frustrating but have to say the manager and older gentleman waiter were fabulous! Just felt overpriced for what we received.

Visited here with my daughters. We had a lovely meal. The food choice for vegetarians was great which is unusual! We all loved our food and the brownie came in for extra praise; best ever apparently.

WOULD NOT RECOMMEND!! Average food for the price, plenty of other restaurants around Belfast that are much better. Found a cigarette filter in the bottom of a pint glass. Highlighted this to bar staff and told “to be more careful next time” by the manager. Was shocked at how rude he was we walked out there and then. Appalling behaviour toward paying customers.

A friend recommended this spot. We made a reservation via opentable. Great environment. Nice spot for people watching. Good bar menu.

Same as temple bar in Dublin poor quality food at rip off prices. Give it a miss. Do not choose the rib eye steak at 35 pound Sterling it's a rip off.

What a great experience, surprised by other reviews mentioning poor service. I can honestly say I can’t remember receiving better service- - didn’t get his name but my waiter an older chap - unbelievably courteous. Food was very good too. Tasty chicken wings followed by a nice burger.

Visited here on Saturday to grab a bite to eat before a whiskey event elsewhere. I have to say i was very impressed. I will admit i was hesistant about ordeted what i did as many places have let me down, selling frozen pre battered fish as fresh cod freshly battered, the meal in question was fish and chips and i have to say it was very tasty. I am glad i didnt let previous experiences put me off. Services was also very good given how busy it was and fact we were sitting in a corner alcove. Warm friendly.and very little delays but equally no rushing. Price of meal and drinks for two people again reasonable I only had one very minor quibble and that was I ordered a Rock Shandy soft drink which was made with fanta orange and fanta lemon which was a little strange compared to the classic club orange and club lemon. Already looking forward to next visit.

We arrived on spec for my wife’s birthday and were given a seat in an open booth by the window, great. We then seemed to become invisible. There were plenty of staff milling around but no one seemed to be in charge. Eventually after a 20 minute wait we ordered wine and food. The wine was excellent but their signature curry was very average, more like a stew. My wife ordered a large chilli chicken which was very dry with minimum sauce but quite tasty. Eventually we were given a desert menu but sadly became invisible again. Nobody came back to take our order so I went to the bar and paid my bill and left. Overall this was just poor service and not what you would expect from this venue, I doubt we will be back.

Booked a table late ish on a Saturday night, all staff were attentive and nothing was to much of a problem, drinks were served very quickly (drinks menu is absolutely massive and has something for everyone!) the food was absolutely brilliant too, fish and chips...

Decent food menu and drinks. I would recommend the Toastie and a pint. The Fish and Chips was also good. Perfect for a quick stop if you are down by the Tower.

I got a £100 gift card 3 years ago, i'm still struggling to use the thing as the service is so dire I've left twice after waiting ages to get served.

Walked in on Wednesday 5th July for a drink whilst my wife was shopping. Advised that it was bar service if not dining...no problem. Approached the bar, waited for 10 minutes and was totally ignored by the guy on bar duty. It wasn't even that...

Met a friend here for a birthday dinner and we had a great time. The spicy margaritas were excellent, as was the rumberry punch. We snacked on crispy halloumi and falafels. The young staff were friendly, attentive and helpful but not intrusive or pushy, and...

It was our last night in Belfast and, since we hadn't booked anywhere for dinner and the Cloth Ear was just round the corner from our hotel we thought we'd give it a go. And, wow, what a good decision it was. We had a...

The food was really really bad. The chips were raw in the middle and the sweet potatoe fried were so burnt they were inedible. The breaded mushrooms tasted like dirty dishwater. We could not eat the food it was so bad. Honestly the worst food...

Went to the Cloth Ear as third choice as the other two places were full and glad they were! The food here was fantastic, very tasty and well presented. Our waiter Richard was very attentive and thoughtful in moving us to a better table and...

Have been here twice in the last week and several times in the last year for both lunch and dinner. The food is consistently excellent but the service is what tops it probably because it is attached to the Merchant Hotel which in itself is...

We managed to get a last minute reservation here on a busy bank holiday Sunday evening. I’m glad we did, the food and service were excellent. Very chilled place to eat.

We were only in for a few drinks which were all lovely (I especially loved the french martini), the staff were lovely and it was a nice vibe inside. The only thing is that it was a little expensive.

We came to the Cloth Ear twice while visiting Belfast and never was disappointed. The food tasted great and the service was great. I highly suggest making a reservation due to how busy this place gets. The staff was extremely polite and always made sure...

Amazing service and lovely food with some gorgeous Irish dishes. We were lucky to get a table on a busy Sunday evening - so please we did the building is gorgeous and staff warm and friendly . Nothing was too much trouble and my wife...

Pleasantly surprised by the veggie menu also the quality of the food. Their toasties and chunky chips are gorgeous. Also good service and well priced. 😊

So the Cloth Ear is supposed to be a very good bar serving high quality, professionally made drinks and cocktails. It is located in one of Belfast’s high end hotels (The Merchant) owned by the hugely successful Bill Wolsey and there are numerous other bars...

Absolutely fantastic evening spent here for my birthday. Our waiter, Daniel was beyond superb and never left us waiting at any point of our experience. Do not listen to the bad reviews on here... I've been here on multiple occasions and never had a bad...

Very poor. Ordered a bottle of wine. It was set up to us at the bar..unopened..why? Had dinner. Terrible, my main was sent back and what it was replaced with was worse. Not good enough!!! Don’t serve poor quality to people on the assumption they...

Food was good but not outstanding. Prices average in comparison to similar establishments. Nice environment and atmosphere. Staff poliet but service was dismal and let the whole side down. We watched several people walk out because they had given up waiting to be seated. Wonder...

Beautifully designed interior with period features. Very comfortable with magnificent blue ceiling. Can get very busy and loud with drinkers. Didn't try their food but they have good choice of wines (although expensive) and cocktails.

27th March 2023. Just had our meal and very disappointed. I ordered sirloin steak and chips. Pretty much ok 8 out of 10 … great so good start. My good lady ordered curry and rice with nan bread … pathetic portion and cold .. not...

I ate here alone as was in Belfast by myself on business. I had a really excellent shepherd's pie which came with a decent sized and very tasty side salad. The pub was quiet (Tues evening) so no problems getting a table but there were...

We went for a birthday lunch ! Left standing at the door to be seated in a relatively quiet bar. Bar service ridiculously slow . Moderately warm bottle of Prosecco served not opened for pouring! Food tasty but portions were laughably poor. Food service incredibly...

Booked for 4 @ 7.30. Slow service to start with waited 10 mins before we were looked at to be seated. Slow service for food and drinks order but when the food came it was lovely, Richard was our server and it was a delight...

An absolute joke, was ignored from walking in, to sitting down. Finally approached by a very disinterested staff member, who begrudgingly took an order of 2 coffees, after 15 minutes nothing had arrived. We had to chase the staff for our “huge” order. Embarrassingly bad...

We went for a meal with friends. From start to finish the service was brilliant. We were so well looked after. The food and cocktails were absolutely gorgeous. Great atmosphere and also really good value for money. Will definitely come again!

Visited on Wednesday evening and was pleasantly surprised that the bar/restaurant had a good crowd in and enjoyable atmosphere. We had two mains only, nothing too dramatic, just fish and chips and the burger. Have to say the food was delicious. Cooked perfectly and high...

I visited the Cloth Ear on a quiet Sunday with family , the staff were attentive and very friendly, myself and sister were disappointed with our main meals , my curry was meant to be served with basmati rice , it came with overcooked boiled...

Stew was like a thick Bisto gravy soup with some lamb. Barely any potato, carrot or onion. Not at all what I expected in a restaurant of this rating not anywhere near what I expect stew to be like. One of our party got a...

I had a birthday gift card for the Merchant Hotel which runs out this week. Decided to have a cocktail at Berts and a late afternoon lunch at the Cloth Ear. We really enjoy Bert's Bar, great cocktails and excellent bar staff. Onward to The...

We had our Christmas dinner here. The food was beautiful but what really made the night were the staff! From the moment we arrived to the moment we left they were brilliant!! The, bar staff, the waiting staff and the management. All the staff were...

Came here for my mum’s birthday. Loved the ambience and decor. We had cocktails, mains and shared a dessert. The food came quickly and was very tasty. Two of the mains were unavailable from the menu as they had sold out, but no other issues.

Easy to miss down a back street but head for the Merchant Hotel. Superb Pornstar Martini, delicious seafood chowder and well priced wine. Lovely table by an open fire . Staff are great too.

Our first visit here for dinner, hoping it won’t be my last. Service and food really lovely and the very best pornstar martini I’ve had in a long time.

Typical hotel bar nothing great at all. Understaffed but that’s a management issue no fault of the employees. They have live music, I think the band that I saw would be better suited serving customers than playing music,, don’t quit your day job ladies

Shared plates were good but meal went downhill after that. Pork fillet dismal. Service erratic and very, very slow.

Booked for a meal here at short notice as our regular haunts were not available. We considered that given the affiliation to the Merchant it would be a bit special - it wasn’t. It was just a normal busy pub environment, growling bouncers, bloke at...

Service good but quality of food was not up to the same standards we have experienced the last 2 weeks in Ireland. Maple chicken dry and overcooked, curry chicken sweet and not very spicy.

Had a great meal and drinks here. Food was amazing and the Boatyard vodka and the irish whisky I tried were amazing. Staff where great. Will be back next year on next visit!

Food was delicious. 3 of us had the beef and it was the biggest and most tender piece of beef I’ve ever had. Lovely atmosphere and really nice staff.

Very welcoming, both decor and staff. Excellent service, we ordered the seafood chowder and halloumi burger, which were delicious. Thankyou to Richard our main waiter.

We had lunch and drinks here recently and highly recommend this place. The staff were very helpful and the lunch was delicious. The zombie cocktail is delicious

Really gorgeous pub atmosphere. Service was pleasant and efficient. But the food was just meh. We ordered soup (butternut squash and coconut), chicken ceasar and some chips. All of it was bland. Soup was thin, chicken had been pre-cooked and was cold , dressing was...

We haven’t eaten here in a good few years The menu is really varied and lots of good choice Service excellent Homemade bread amazing Chicken curry Devine Duck super and well cooked Highly recommend

Food was good, but not worth the money. Nice but slow service. Cocktails were overpriced for what you got. Fine if it’s rainy and you’re hungry, but don’t hurry here!

Visited for our anniversary as we thought it would be a highlight with it being part of the merchant. Couldn’t have been more wrong! The service was horrendous - waited 20 minutes to even be acknowledged for a drink. My pornstar martini was watery and...

The restaurant was noisy, staff seemed to be overworked and stressed, portions were small, and prices were big. The food was okay but wasn't worth it for the price. Limited dessert menu, but we felt like we were already overpaying for what we'd had so...

Very helpful and interactive bar man, made cocktail making fun. Will definitely return if in Belfast, have already recommended it to friends

Had lunch here as a family. Food was good quality. Service good and pretty efficient Very nice bar. Would definitely go back

We had a group event and were allocated a brilliant booth at the front of the restaurant with a fantastic waiter. We all just ordered main courses which were pricey, but that seemed ok until we got our food. I paid nearly £17 for a...

It's nice to pop in here if you are staying at the hotel - you can charge through to your room and they are very friendly . It is pleasant to sit up at the bar anytime . As a vegetarian I was pleased to...

Booked early (1630) as we were attending the Queen concert, so only the pub lunch menu was available. There was no obvious member of staff greeting customers and showing them to their table so we stood around for about 5 mins waiting to be seated....

Arrived with2 friends for a meal booked for 8.00pm, food ordered and bottle of wine, food was good but expensive, waitress arrived at the table with card machine before we even had the bill, explained we needed the bill and that was fine, paid bill...

Imagine the most average burger and chips with a coke twice then add a £50 bill to it . They cannot be serious . Asked why we were charged for 4 cokes when we only had 2 the response came sarcastically “yah because we put...

Spotlessly clean. Great menu choices with daily specials. Food was really good Reasonably priced with great service. Definitely worth a visit

I dined here this week with a friend whilst on a short stay in Belfast. We were greeted warmly upon arrival and quickly shown to a table. The tone of the evening was set by our waiter Richard who had a fabulous personality and provided...

Never been spoken to before the way i was spoken to by the staff there tonight. Been going here for years, have been at LEAST a dozen times in the past 6 months - will never be back. Simple misunderstanding over a booking made into...

Have been before on numerous occasions... Fabulous service... Food is excellent.. Staff are very professional and friendly..!! Would recommend to anyone.. Fabulous day out!!!. Well done to you all!!!

I visited the cloth ear with my wife, sister and brother in law for a well earned lunch after trekking around Belfast. We all opted for fairly simple meals of which the taste, quality and presentation was of a good standard. The problem was when...

If Bill Wolsey can get it wrong on Mother’s Day then the NI hospitality sector is in trouble - and he did. Average food. Friendly staff, but really slow service. 90 minutes in and mains dishes lying on the table. Ended up skipping dessert. One...

Attended the Cloth Ear for a dinner of 18 work colleagues. Food lovely, staff really attentive and efficient.,, couldn’t have asked for any better. I can’t remember the names of the waiters however they were absolute gentlemen, a credit to the establishment,

We attended following a city tour, but without a booking. Staff on our unbooked Monday early evening arrival were extremely dismissive and unfriendly. We were offered poor seating, and made to feel uncomfortable. We were not given the benefit of happy hour cocktails pricing initially...

Si tratta di un ottimo pub ristorante, il personale è accogliente, garbato e disponibile, l’ambiente curato ed ampio; il menù...

What a place. Great background music, excellent service and food to die for. I've just eaten the best chowder I've ever had.....and everything else superb

We had lunch here as part of my sister's birthday celebrations . We were seated in The Snug which was great , very comfortable and private . Food was yummy , so were the cocktails . Service was excellent , very efficient and everyone was...

Exellent food. Great vegan choices. Very pleasant not to have to scour menu for plant based food. Good position in city centre. Friendly service.

This has been one of my worst experiences of food and service in Belfast. Staff totally out of touch with clientele and no real idea about how to look after people. This is a subsidiary of the Merchant hotel and this will definitely not enhance...

The smoked cod chowder was fa-bu-lous! (Although it was substantial enough that I couldn’t finish my equally tasty risotto) The service was warm & friendly - food and drinks arrived at just the right pace. The place itself is well decorated and has interesting clothing...

Mixed experience. We were looking for a spot to grab food on a busy weekend night without a booking. After initially turning us away, we were delighted with the doorman called out to us on the street and said he’d found us a table. After...

The older waiter is an absolute gent and a master of his craft. Beef Daube top drawer, beautiful cocktails. Great work, will obviously be back!

Food very poor, ordered seafood chowder was awful, basically both meals poor quality for the price I usually don't complain and easily pleased but felt I had to write this bad review, will not be back and very disappointed with the experience overall

Our only night out together in a long time and not quite sure what to expect with current restrictions. We were seated (passport checked and socially distanced) quickly and given menus but took a long time for waitress to return for our order - we...

Location/setting and drinks were excellent but the service was lacking. We were sat next to the bar and POS computer but not once were we asked if we wanted more drinks, we had to flag someone down each time. Before even getting the drinks we...

Horrible dining experience. This was the worst food for the money of any restaurant in Belfast to date. If you're looking for a quiet elegant dining experience this is NOT the place. The food was mediocre at best. The Vegan dish was horrible. The food...

The restaurant itself looked alright, but the food was truly mediocre. Genuinely the driest daube I've encountered. They did have more availability, and the service etc was good, but it's tough to recommend.

Nicely decorated for Christmas with a nice , festive atmosphere . Food was tasty and well presented , service was a bit haphazard . Everyone was pleasant and friendly but quite disorganised . Overall , we enjoyed the experience .

First time I had eaten in this bar/restaurant. Firstly there was some confusion regarding our table which had been booked for six. Finally after we were seated it took quite some time before a drinks order was taken, it then took over 10 mins to...

For the price point, it simply is not worth it. Its a really nice setting, i am not sure if it is associated with The Merchant hotel or just trying to appeal to the over flow of its residents, but the price they charge for...

We visited in summer, when it was quite busy. THere was a queue to enter, but once inside, the area where we were seated was almost empty. We had a lovely meal, and good service from the staff. Definitely a good choice for an evening...

Very nice bar, really enjoyed having a drink there, only complaint was there were more tables that could have been used even with social distancing. There were couples taking up a six table etc then us as a 4 were refused and had to sit...

Had a lovely lunch here today. Nice atmosphere, friendly staff and lovely food. Couldn’t complain about anything. Would recommend for lunch.

Do not order the cocktails!! Very small and as the night goes on they get weaker and weaker!! The French Martin was £9.50 and was about 100ml and my husband got a 250ml merolt for £8.25. rip off Britain!!

The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and our service was fantastic, the staff are so lovely. But the food was a disappointment. I had the “signature” chicken curry which was overly sweet, the portion size was too much and the rice was over cooked. My...

We came here for lunch on a Sunday. The service was great and the atmosphere was good despite the weather outside. Warm welcome and felt comfortable from the moment we arrived. My pork chop was great. Will definitely be back and would recommend. Keep up...