General Merchants in Belfast

Great service, great food. Its all good. Whenever we turn up there is always a queue, sometimes that extends as far as outside the door. The staff are brilliant though at turning around the tables. As soon as someone has paid their bill and leaving the tables are cleared and set up for the next set of customers. Once sat and you've chosen your food, you will not be disappointed, I'd always recommended the General whether you're there for breakfast, brunch or lunch.

Went for lunch with my mum and brother on Tuesday. Lovely atmosphere and nice staff. My brother ordered the breakfast and he said it was great. I ordered a smoothie whilst it was delicious it was not worth the money due to the size of glass in came in. Myself and mum ordered from the specials which was pasta with bacon and mushrooms in a creamy sauce unfortunately this was the most disappointing food I have been served in a long time. The pasta was thick, heavy and tasteless, very unpleasant to eat so I didn’t. When my brother went to pay I heard the staff member ask was everything ok and he said my sister didn’t eat hers but she didn’t batter an eye lid so that’s when I decided definitely won’t be goi g back there.

Good and coffee excellent! Atmosphere great. Such a unique coffee shop.

NOT DOG FRIENDLY This place advertises itself as dog friendly but when we arrived we were told dogs weren’t permitted inside, so instead we must sit on the street at the outdoor tables. But with sitting outside, we were informed we couldn’t have table service for some bizarre reason and so would need to place our orders inside. And then when the coffees came, they were in takeaway cups because they ‘aren’t allowed mugs outside,’ yet the food arrived on actual plates because actual plates are allowed outside, just not mugs for some bizarre reason - make it make sense. It was actually such a disastrous experience that we had to laugh. So really, it’s dog friendly if you get a take away. Everywhere is dog friendly if you wait outside with your dog, even the bloody hospital is dog friendly by their reasoning. I totally appreciate that some places don’t allow dogs and that is of course fine, but we were visiting Ireland for a week with our dog so we had actually travelled across Belfast as it is advertised as dog friendly. Had it not been that we had arranged to meet people there we would have left and went elsewhere. I certainly won’t ever be back. Food and coffee was okay but the service was atrocious. I am a fan of the Newtownards Road branch and I think they do at least allow dogs in the conservatory part, just for any other dog owners needing dog friendly places. But stay clear of this one.

We always loved coming here for a great coffee and nice atmosphere. It’s usually busy and we have to wait for a table, which we don’t mind. However, on our last visit we were told to stay outside and wait. This was in the middle of winter. We wait for 15 or 20 minutes in the cold before seeing quite a few seats free up by the standing bar at the entrance. We go back in to wait and get out of the cold and were very rudely told to wait outside in a condescending manner. Usually the staff in here are friendly, but the man organising the seating arrangements by the door was just awful and spoke to us like we were dogs. We felt embarrassed, we just wanted to get out of the cold and we were happy to continue waiting for a table. We left without getting anything and unfortunately we won’t be back with thanks to this gentleman.

This is the perfect breakfast place. There is a calm atmosphere with table service and gentle music. The staff is very courteous. I had poached eggs with sourdough bread and hash browns; tasted amazing. Flat white in particular was tasty.

Always good whichever branch you're at. Huevos Rotas can't be beat.

Had the Korean fried chicken burger and fries. It was ok, but wouldn't order again. It didn't really have enough gochujang sauce so tasted like a regular burger, quite bland.

The food was okay. I think I was overcharged, hard to say as they wouldn't show us a bill. I know, we should have insisted. The staff seemed mostly OK, but the girl who served us was not very nice.

Food good. Quite sure I was overcharged, but the girl wouldn't give me the bill so I couldn’t check, just expected to pay without it. Also she was unfriendly.

We went there for breakfast during a recent trip to Belfast, travelling there specifically because it was promoted online via reviews etc as a dog friendly restaurant. When we turned up at the Ormeau Road branch we were met with a staff member at the door who said dogs weren’t allowed inside. We were then told we would need to sit outside, but if we were sitting outside we couldn’t have table service and so would need to come in to order. Then when our coffees came, they arrived in take away cups. When we asked for normal cups we were told they weren’t allowed normal cups outside (but bizarrely they were allowed normal plates outside for our food). So basically, it is dog friendly if you serve yourself and get a take away. It was really disappointing and the staff weren’t very good at handling it. They also couldn’t really offer an explanation for any of these ridiculous rules that made no sense. Nor were there any cheaper prices for the self service and the fact it was basically a take away! Had we realised beforehand that it was going to be such a shambles we would have went to another establishment on Ormeau Road that is actually dog friendly. Aside from that, the food and coffee wasn’t bad.

Antrim Rd for breakfast and it was freezing, they insisted on keeping door open, even though I asked and the 2 tables beside us commented it was freezing and asked could the door be closed. I was told they were busy and needed the door kept open? I was cold, food got cold very quickly too. Wouldn’t return.

I had coffee(batch brew) and cinnamon swirl both are very good definetly visiting again😊

Enjoyable breakfast. We travelled to Belfast from Moira as we do to try different eateries. The General Merchants comes up regularly. Being 53 and growing up during tough times, it's great to see these places opening up around the city and Belfast becoming metropolitan like other major cities. The coffee, a latee, was superb, one of the best I've had. My wife is diabetic so it was disappointing there were no diet drinks available, at all! Varied menu and quite a few things I had to google, being old i like to know what I'm eating lol. Lots of healthy choice but being an old norn iron guy, Sundays are for bacon and sausages. Food was grand but a wee tiny plate meant quite a few saving dives to catch the bacon. Staff were friendly, polite and attentive and the atmosphere was excellent and relaxed. £38 was more than a tad dear. We tend to compare everything to our Moira local, the Fat Gherkin, I'd say the gherk is better but we def weren't disappointed and if someone asked us to meet them at the merchants, we'd def go.

Top class menu, the brunch is excellent. Ye rescued a wkd of very poor food in Belfast. Including bar food in our well known 5 star hotel and a Michelin guide restaurant near by. Keep up the excellent work, just wish there was a General Merchants closer to Limerick.

Was recommended HAWT Potatoes - they weren't at all hot and were very greasy. The broccoli was cold on the top of the food and the sweet potatoes were barely lukewarm. On top of that there was a real greasy feel to the dish. I left over half of it and told the waitress it was a bit cold and greasy. My wife had Heuvos Rotos, and again it was also greasy. We had ordered coffee but they brought the coffee about fifteen minutes before the food, so by the time the food arrived the coffee was finished. Would not recommend - I'm sure there are nicer places to go to on the Ormeau Road.

Everything was great. Excellent service, great atmosphere, and very good range of options on the menu. Only problem for me was that the eggs were slightly undercooked, but can't really complain about anything else

Wonderful place to enjoy great food. Staff are friendly and helpful.. worth a shot. Always a little busy but patience will pay off. The burger is delicious.

Excellent cakes 🍰 home made & delicious 😋 & there’s a nice enclosed outdoor seating area & it’s close to the waterways walk 😁

Food was delicious as always and portions are so generous. Staff were really helpful and friendly.

Loved the food, it was brilliant and later had some coffee. Wasn’t sure what was wrong with the espresso, but it didn’t taste good at all. Maybe just one time situation.

We love going here. Food is great as are the staff. Expect to have to queue to get in if you go at lunchtime however as its very popular.

Great! Wonderful personal :-)

Always love coming to General Merchants and food was amazing as usual and Mike who was serving us was excelllent. The only thing that lets this place down is the Tea! I had to ask for hot water twice as it was so strong and in the end up still couldn’t drink it. It honestly tasted like chemicals. Please sort!

Great food and coffee, busy atmosphere we had to wait for a table for 4 but worth it. Even Sir Kier Starmer has had coffee there.

Exceptional food, small restaurant but staff are lovely and very accommodating

I had high hopes for this restaurant as I had seen many tik toks etc of people trying the new antrim road location. Queued for 20 mins to get in so thought that was a good sign. Honestly the worse chicken I have ever eaten. My partner and i both got the chicken burger and neither of us could finish them as they were inedible. I had to double check the meat wasnt raw as that was the sort of texture it was. Just disgusting would not recommend at all.

Lovely veggie breakfast bap, best breakie I’ve had in NI! Would be lovely if there was an option to have it in a soda farl.

Excellent coffee, good service breakfast 7/10....

Food was nice although staff are pretentious and rude!

what a horrible time here ,first we were freezing and waited a long time for bacon bap then a another 10 mins for pot tea was told 3 times tea was on way ,by this time we had finished the baps this is after the girl nearly roasted me with the hot tea ,def not be back

What a spot! These guys have a big reputation and after just one visit it's not hard to see why. You may have to wait for a table but your wait will be worth it. Ridiculously friendly helpful staff and unbelievably good food at a reasonable price. The coffee/food scene in Belfast is a crowded space but these guys are absolutely smashing their corner. So, so, so good! Enjoy!

This is a review for North Belfast General Merchants. Recently open, looks great, and great service! Food was amazing too. Lovely vibe. Keep this standard up. It’ll not work if you let it slide. Well done. We’ll be back.

What a wonderful experience. Atmosphere was cozy but busy. Hot chocolate was thick and delicious. Our meal was so delicious. Nice, refreshing flavors. Great way to start the day!

waiting outside is when it is busy 😳😳😢

A lovely spot for breakfast or lunch. The menu offers tasty options,especially if you like vegetarian meals. It has a nice atmosphere with very pleasant staff. It is a bit pricey, but I would say worth it.

Had such a lovely time at General Merchants. Emma and Anna were phenomenal, so accommodating with my allergy and just the most friendly staff. The Huevos Rotos were divine, could not recommend strongly enough.

Food was excellent, really delicious chicken burger and brilliant service from Anna and Emma! Absolutely recommend for lush food and great vibes

Coffee here is so nice, 5 star recommend;)

Best coffee in Belfast bar none. The food is always exceptional! Never had a disappointing meal or a disappointing coffee. My favourite place to go in Belfast.

Wow! This place is buzzing for brunch - great selection of dishes on the menu, with some exciting specials too. Coffee is really good and the portions of food are enormous and delicious! Come here hungry for sure. The staff were also friendly, knowledgeable and approachable. Highly recommended

I would say the best brunch in Belfast! Also the most amazing staff ever!

Very good coffee and friendly staff, just wish it would stay open until 6pm.

Rarely come to this location as I’m based in East Belfast, love the food and sometimes this store varies in dishes (specials) from the East store which works in my favour Busy location, sadly this store doesn’t get the best sunlight and it’s quite a dark cafe so try get sitting by the windows if it’s a small party…it’s a great vibe anyhow! Friendly staff, superb food every single time, best brunch place in Belfast!

I went to the Ormeau road branch with a family member who is coeliac (for anyone who doesn’t know what this is, they cannot eat gluten). We were told the table was about a ten minute wait which we didn’t mind. We had asked a girl if they did gluten free options for food (gf bread etc) and she informed us that they did so that was grand. When ordering, my aunty had asked the waiter a few questions with regards to gf options. The waiter informed us that they cannot “promise” foods will not be contaminated with gluten. The menu actually had a GR option on it (gluten reduced) now this is just plain ridiculous and basically only there to cover their backs, should anybody get sick from gluten contained food. There is no such thing as ‘gluten reduced’. Either a kitchen can offer gluten free food where they can assure customers the food is not contaminated is with gluten or it isn’t. It’s that simple. ‘Gluten reduced’ is no use to somebody with coeliac disease who can get very sick from eating gluten. We had asked the waiter to ask the chef to see if he could do anything. The wait came back and informed us that unfortunately, again, they cannot promise this. Basically they cannot be bothered to accommodate those with coeliac disease or probably anything else that means they have to spend 5 minutes longer preparing the food in a separate area. No separate toaster could be used, no separate area apparently to do this. We did inform the waiter that you could use a clean, separate board that is only used for those who require gf foods and that there are toastie bags to place GF bread into to avoid contamination with the non GF bread. Very simple measures to ensure coeliac sufferers can enjoy a lunch without worrying about getting seriously ill. They actually had the audacity to charge us for the flat white that was ordered for the coeliac sufferer who had no choice but to just get a coffee as she couldn’t eat anything on the menu. Staff quite rude too over all of this especially when I questioned their menu when I got the bill.

Great food, rude staff, if I could give the service less than 1 star I would have.

We loved our coffee and food. Service was top notch.

Food was good, customers service needs a improvement, was unenthusiastic and impersonal. Servers were more interested in talking among themselves and got orders wrong.

Went to the one on Ormeau Rd and everything was so delicious. Started eating before we could take any photos! The staff were so nice too - I went to cut my chicken, and it decided to live again and fly off my plate! The waitress came over and got my another piece which was so so sweet because I was absolutely starving and so sad about the loss of my chicken tender 😂🐔

Visited on Sunday 16th July. Busy cafe with a great buzz. Food was delicious and the coffee is probably the best I’ve ever had!

Food is always exelent in here. Great coffee to. Its a must visit if on the Ormeao road

Lovely café, food and coffee was absolutely lovely - higher end breakfast grub. Staff are very friendly and attentive. Will absolutely be going back, an alround good buzz

Visited here today with my husband and was blown away by the customer service. The food and coffee was excellent, too.

Amazing breakfast. Super fast and delicious with art decoration. Good balance of many favors got surprise by the nuts and strawberries. Taste so fresh. Great place to eat.

The food is ok. The kids food was good but small. I had the chicken burger, tasty but very thin, from being bashed. Place is busy and service good.

That aint general merchants in the picture!!!

Great cup of coffee and amazing selection of food

Lovely place. Great cakes and coffee. Lovely staff.

Good food for the price. One waitress kept bumping into my back though when serving or walking behind me. It wasn't awful but just really annoying as she didn't even apologise or even seem to notice she was doing it.

Excellent. Worth the wait for a table

The food was amazing. We got avo brekkie and huevos rotos 😍 I would say this is one of the best places in Belfast for brunch. But...we weren't satisfied with the filter coffee which can be improved

Atmosphere, food, service all exceptional highy recommend

Delicious food and good oat flat white. I think it was busier than they are used to so not enough staff but the atmosphere was great and lovely building and decor!

Flew to Belfast for the day ! And a friend recommended her ! The menu was imaginative and the food was excellent - we need on in Glasgow !

Great salad packed with goodness....and falafel!

Strange one. It has an artisan vibe re decor and menu but food below par on this occasion. Poached eggs on toast, with additional sausage. Eggs good, but the sausage was some sort of cheap jumbo 8" catering sausage you'd get on a dodgy hotdog stand. Chicken and waffles. Might be me... but maybe use maple syrup rather that the super sweet thick toffee sauce. Not great.

Stunning breakfast! Lots of options. Had the “Benny” fab eggs Benedict with an Asian flair. Nice atmosphere and the servers are kind. Busy spot tho!

One of the best breakfast places in Belfast. Consistently delicious food, with generous portions. Try the chicken and waffles, hash browns and the soup

Recommended GM by a friend when we were in town for a day.... but you were closed (though everywhere but a bit of paper on the door said you were open) I hear it's very nice! Maybe next time...

Called in today for my lunch, absolutely delicious. The sourdough bread was exquisitely toasted and the eggs poached to perfection. Your chef is a credit to you.

Great food, fantastic place. 👍👍👍

Very tasty food and good atmosphere

Amazing food and customer service, very well thought out! Couldn’t complain about anything and coffee and tea was great!

After eating we got up to pay the bill & order a few things to go. Was told twice loudly in front of other customers we could do it from the table. I had Wanted to check what the fresh baked were & use the toilet. Instead I left & waited outside. Hope the customer service here improves. I can see from other reviews there is a problem. We have eaten here & in 5a regularly & have never experienced rudeness like it.

Regular visitor and always enjoy the food but not a great experience today. The restaurant is walk-ins only and this is still the position on the website. Arrived today and could see empty tables and empty spaces at all of the front window tall seats. Was told there was a 20 mins wait - not sure why but that’s ok until I was told I had to wait outside in the cold and the rain. I asked could I wait at the front where all the empty window seats were and was told no! Seriously?!!! Anyway, I have a disability so this was not for me - went to Soul Food up the road and it was fabulous and that’s where I will go the next time!

Worst coffee ever.Couldn’t even drink it.I just left the coffee there and i left.

Excellent food with great choice. Really good quality.

Great place for brunch or lunch. The vegan roll was excellent and perfectly done and the meatloaf sandwich was class. Good coffee too. The staff are the best and the front of house guy working on the 2nd Jan deserves a medal for getting folk seated and sorted. Will definitely be back!

Cozy atmosphere, relaxed but attentive staff, good selection on the menu with something for everyone, had the vegan bap even though I’m not vegan and it was amazing, will definitely be back (if I can get a table!)

Great food with equally good service. Only downside was restaurant was very cold.

It’s a brunch menu all day, sorry but not for me, No menu displayed from outside, and unless your in the know, they don’t have a sign over their building as of Dec 22 Prices are reasonable and staff friendly

They have a serving hatch so I can get great coffee when out walking the dog.

Walked from city centre.. not dog friendly as on website

Such delicious food! This should be a Michelin starred restaurant. Amazing food and great quality. Kudos to the chef!!

Absolutely delicious food, very friendly staff too - and incredible value for money

Food was lovely!! I dont do reviews but i have to mention the absolute ignorant, rude and abrupt man working there yesterday. Tall man with long hair kept looking over and barking at a girl to put away a bottle of hitvit that was beside her. He should not be working in a place dealing with the public.

Great Coffee, vibe and Staff. Belfast gets better every visit. Eugene SMYTH

General Merchants never disappoints, the food is incredible and the staff are so friendly. Would definitely recommend the Huevos Rotos

My daughter is a regular here. Today was my 2nd visit. Both visits, I've been impressed with the genuine warmth & friendliness of the staff. We had the last 2 seats in the place today, yet we were seated, served coffee and food delivered to the table in a little under 15 minutes. For delicious, freshly cooked food, that's incredible. I wasn't hungry today, so only ordered scrambled eggs & toast. Basic, I know. GM somehow managed to turn the lowly scrabled egg into something utterly delicious! The best eggs I've ever had in my life! The atmosphere and decor inside GM is quirky & deliberately 'grungy (not to be mistaken for dirty. It's certainly not)! Once inside, it's hard to believe that you're on the main road into Belfast. Love this place. I plan to become as much of a regular is my daughter.

First time writing a review here, but I felt I had to. I'm not sure of the parameters (some of) the staff in a place use to decide who they will be rude to, but the only conclusion I can come to is there was something about me and my friend that one staff member didn't like. The food was fine - it's essentially the same type of thing that you will get in any similar place in Belfast, and the staff member who brought us our food was nice. My espresso was not good. We have been here a few times, and it has never been good, but I loaded it with sugar and on I went. A tea was ordered too which wasn't great, but, whatever. I was finished my good before my friend, and as we were chatting, a staff member came to the table, they came up behind me, and without asking if I was done, took my plate. Now, to be clear, I had set my napkin on my plate, but still, they made no comment at all, didn't ask if I was finished, just took the plate and off they went. I was quite surprised at this, for a few reasons. One, it would be common practice to ask if the customer was finished before taking something away (I mean, it would be standard customer service), and two, because they came up behind me and in effect grabbed the plate while standing in my blind spot, it kind of made me jump. After a short time, my friend finished their food, and the member of staff who brought out us food came over and asked if they were finished and asked if we wanted anything else. Another drink was ordered at this point. Very quickly the original plate-taker came back and asked if we wanted any buns (a weirdly specific question - just buns I guess, nothing else?), and when we said no, she asked if we wanted the bill. Of course, we explained that another drink had been order. At this point we were starting to wonder about the service. We noticed no other customer's plates have been cleared in an abrupt manner, we didn't see anyone else being asked if they wanted the bill. In fact, we were asked a total of three times if we wanted to bill. Again, we did not see anyone else being asked this question. Of course, that isn't to say they weren't, we just didn't see it. And we didn't see it to the extent that we did. So, when it seems one group of people is being treated quite differently to the other customers around them, really, the only conclusion you can come to is there was something about us they didn't like. I am at a loss to understand what this could be - we were not rude, we were not loud and abusive, we ordered our food when the staff come to use, we didn't complain about anything. When interacting with the nicer member of staff we thanked them (both when they brought our food and removed one of the plates). So, since it seems we were not welcome, we will not be back.

This was my first time in general merchants but definitely won't be my last. Great place. Great atmosphere and the best brunch I have ever eaten.

Really enjoyed going here. Place was busy but we got a table with no issues, staff were very nice and help. Would recommend.

First time visited General Merchants ,but its gonna be my favourite place from now own. Instagram type of food ,not only looks Amazing , tastes even better . Lovely friendly Service with a smile from a young man . Everything on a menu looked appealing ,was hard to choose from . Will be back and highly recommend ! They do mimosas and cocktails too !! 😍

Great breakfast great coffee . Nice atmosphere.

吃过最好的早午餐了 味道样子都很绝，同样的价格在国内开分店都行哈哈哈 如图只要17镑

Excellent food and coffee. Have a range of own branded coffee for sale. Staff are friendly and informative. Reasonably priced.

Fantastic service food, staff and setting. A******

Having brought a horrifying thirst upon my throat by chasing a reckless hound, I resolved to soothe my poor gullet through the consumption of one of the milkier beverages. It had been some time, many years in fact, since my body had tussled with caffeine. A worthy adversary I had discovered, as did my uncle (now deceased) upon my last encounter with the stimulant in 1983, during which a terrific uproar occurred at a birthday breakfast. The stubborn egg stains haunt the walls to this very day. Still, the world seemed new and fresh and I resolved to tussle once more. Entering the establishment, I interrogated the boyo at the counter sharply concerning the virtues and pitfalls of the various classes and divisions of coffee. Much to the satisfaction of those yet to order, the fellow proved to be filled to his very brim with wisdom and I soon received a lesson in bean geography and artificial milks that I shall cherish forever. Upon his recommendation, I opted for a flat white and duly handed over a significant quantity of currency. My pocket was soon very light indeed, but I eagerly awaited a drink of such quality that it could only be made with the creamiest milk from the happiest cows and the most handsome coffee beans in the smartest of little brown jackets. What he handed me was startling. It seemed to be quite literally a flat white, so much so that the cup (itself a cheerful yellow, like the suns of a sunny childhood) seemed to be totally empty. Applying the logical segment of my mind, I deduced that the expert barista had done me a great service and had produced for me a white that was totally and utterly flat. I supped at my purchase and perceived the slightest moisture, the few atoms of milky coffee in my cup not sufficient to 'wet' my lip in so many words. I had a whisper of a taste of something almost like coffee, which lingered but an instant. Although I had paid handsomely for the pleasure and found myself still with a raging thirst, I learned much from my visit and resolved in future to bring a spirit level and a microscope to fully appreciate the flatness and thinness of the beverage. A true feat of engineering.

Great spot. Great atmosphere. Delicious food & great menu 🤙🏼 Visiting from Dublin & well worth the visit. Really friendly staff too.

Food fab staff super well worth the visit