Hillside Nursery Coffee Shop in Newtownabbey

First visit for a while (not sure why) but once again everything was perfect. Fabulous building, quick service and tea and scones were exce6 - in fact, I would say the best scones we have ever had. Again prices were very good. Think we shall be back again quicker than before.

Just a lovely place. Food was so nice. Variety for breakfast is limited, however the lunch menu looked good. Will be back.

Two tasteless paninis, a tea and Diet Coke cost £22. Wish we’d gotten a receipt to work out how it amounted to this. Unfriendly staff and limited choice of food. Hot food under covers and staff obviously couldn’t be bothered to explain what each was, despite seeing us looking. The restaurant was lovely the last time we visited so I thought we’d caught them on a bad day… obviously not when you read the other reviews.

Great Sunday Roast in the coffee shop. Lovely atmosphere and staff. Fantastic garden centre with everything you could need, all reasonably priced! Thanks Hillside :)

Called into Hiilside for brunch, As you walk through the shop attention to detail in the display of BBQ, Pet items Garden lighting ,books and also local produce in excellent . The selection of bedding plants and flowers which is undercover of a large canopy area is a vast and varied selection , the outer plant area has also a well stocked selection . The cafe is bright and plenty of seating both outside and inside seating, the food is good a d staff both friendly and helpful through the centre. The womens clothing area at the back of the shop has good selection of clothing for women of a certain age . My only concern is about the womens clothing area, is the rather large window , which seems to have accumulated the largest number of dead insects and spiders webs over a long period of time and seems to have been overlooked . I am sure this could be sorted quite easily or someone could find themselves covered in a large amount of insects if the webs break under the weight . Maybe a few venus flycatcher plants on the window sill.

My wife took a family group of 5 ladies and 9 children, we went to Hillside coffee shop, (the first time,) for our annual Christmas breakfast on 23rd December. We arrived very early at 9:30, chose our seating, long tables for the children, and a bay for the adults. We had to ask for the seating and floor to be cleaned and it was done most ungraciously. We then went to order breakfast. The choice at this time of the morning was appalling. There was only 1 croissant!! The children and 2 adults ordered pancakes with bacon and maple syrup and hot chocolate. The toddlers had mini chocolate drinks. I had coffee and a scone. It cost £96. We were charged adult prices for the children! There was no bacon on the plates and when we queried it the assistant was rude and queried our order, plus she insisted on checking our receipt. I might add that at this point, there were very few customers in the place. The whole experience was dreadful and spoiled our annual outing. As the whole group was so upset, I returned in the afternoon to speak to the manager. He claimed that he would look into it. I left my name and number but heard nothing from him. I then sent an email to the Centre manager, she did contact me and said she would get back to me after she investigated my complaint. Three months, 2 emails and a number of phone calls later, I have heard nothing!! Appalling service, poor staff attitude, and no consideration for the customer. I would like to make one very positive comment. My grandson has serious allergies and the cook went above and beyond to check that everything was safe for him to eat. Unfortunately, he could only have beans and a slice of bacon.

As a gardener who has been buying plants etc in the area for a very long time, I can't agree with one or two reviewers who accuse the garden centre of being highly priced – I frequently buy my plants there, and find them competitive. Today, however, in a hurry, I decided to try the food in their café. Not good, sadly. I had a chicken, ham, and leek pie, which was actually quite tasty – but it was only just lukewarm. It was served with mashed potato, carrots, sprouts and gravy – also barely warm. The quality of the “veg” took me back to school dinners, a long time ago. Watery, slightly grey mash; sprouts cooked to mushy destruction, also grey; tinned (maybe frozen) carrots, as you’d expect; gravy made just from Bisto (or similar) and water. Pretty sad stuff. I looked at their salad bar, and was disturbed to see contamination of various salads with stray bits of coleslaw, which is a problem if you are allergic to eggs. Wouldn't eat there again.

I went the cafe for breakfast with a friend who was visiting. There was no queue so the staff were not under any pressure. I asked the staff member (woman with a long white ponytail )a question and got a grunt back. She then got us our drinks and was just downright rude. No politeness or pleasantness. I have just been reading the reviews and obviously this is what the staff are like everyday. Also I see the manager replied to a review in January and his reply was downright rude as well. Customers take heed and vote with your feet, I for one will not be back in the cafe.

Deeply shocked thst staff extremely nasty with us, particularly one male member, and as a result we left the cafe without ordering and bought nothing in the shop either. We won'return in a hurry and have left with very bad feelings about the place.

My friend and I met up for a chat and a coffee today and honestly, one member of the cafe staff in particular just made it unpleasant. Sour, difficult and rude! I understand that we can all have bad days but I’ve experienced this member of staff’s aggressive attitude before and this time I wasn’t going to let it pass. How is it possible that this cafe still exists employing such obviously unprofessional staff😡

Worst customer service we have experienced in a long staff. Extremely rude, nasty and unhelp staff. These people would do well to remember that customers mean they have a job. Asked for some toast for a child who has a very limited diet. Told quite sharply they wouldn't do that as breakfast was over. Now I could understand that if we had requested a full fry but 2 pieces of bread in a toaster??? Easier done than toasties that were being served. Also witnessed a staff member ball like a fish wife at an elderly customer confused by where to stand in line. Won't return and would NOT recommend

Horribly expensive and limited hot food choices. Place is understaffed and lady serving was disinterested and unhelpful. Friends I was with had one toastie between them and an extra side, a tea and a cappuccino and I had a hot chocolate, £19. I didn’t want quiche and there were no other vegetarian alternatives (which is ridiculous) so I had nothing to eat.

The expensiveness of this place has really put me off in comparison to other local garden centre cafes prices. Soup, lasagne, tea and coke came to £22.30 today and regretfully I didn’t get the receipt as I can’t work out how that would have added up to that.

I'm a loyal customer but won't be back any time soon as I had horrible service at lunchtime on 10th August. The pony tailed youth serving quite frankly shouldn't be. I hope management read this. He will lose you custom. He is surly and doesn't know how to converse appropriately. Common manners? Needs retraining or a new job. The more mature lady on till was equally unhelpful and in no way friendly. Despite the pleasing food there are plenty of other eateries in the area. Not any of the 4 staff members I interacted today as much as smiled at me. I'd come to hopefully buy some plants. It seems they are now an afterthought as the stock has been gutted to make way for Santa's grotto. I ask you? Really? A nursery? Thankfully I have 3 other nurseries where I can actually buy plants and seeds. I'm a local resident who has been a customer since childhood. I'd love some response from management re this but honestly I've no need to subject myself to that almost passive aggression / disinterest that radiates from your male server. Have a word with him or he will cost you in footfall. You've lost mine.

On chatting after our visit, out of a group of seven having lunch at the cafe, only I had no complaints about the food (I had a piece of cheesecake and coffee as there was little choice for my taste). The rest of my group learnt at the till that their salads (proffered by the server as if belonging to their order) were separately priced as add-ons. Sneaky! Brie in one sandwich was hard, a warmed-up sausage roll cold in the middle, other warmed up items failing on taste and required temperature. Some of these complaints could be attributed to the long-haired (straggly, pinkish colored) server who didn’t portray cleanliness or knowledge of their tasks. One of our group paid for us so I cannot attest to the over-pricing as other reviewers have done. One last point: for some of us it wasn’t our first visit and we were surprised at how few people were actually eating there this time. Word must get around! NONE of us will be back.

Regulars here for three years plus. Always warm and welcoming with a great selection of breakfast, Scones that WERE 1ST CLASS. Went back following week week- all changed. Staff miserable, like the food, their famous Scones- baked on premises replaced with small rocks! Such a pity, not much heat, cafe toilets dirty, prices laughable. Never be back. What a real loss. Tragic.

Arrived with a friend for coffee and a chat, to find a reasonable queue - not a problem. In fact usually a good sign. As we rounded a corner& reached the glass fronted food section we realised there was a large gap and as is the normal practice in most similar establishments, we moved up the queue omitting the entire food section, to the tea and coffee ordering station. The folk in front of us were all busy discussing and ordering their desired food. Immediately a male staff member told us to and I quote “get back in the queue!” The tone and order were both pretty insulting and quite loud so the entire area became involved whether they liked it or not. Despite this we assumed he didn’t realise we only wanted drinks, and purposefully, very pleasantly indicated our intent. The staff member in reply simply barked his previous comment “ get back in the queue” and pointed this time indicating to the queue behind us . No please, thank you or indication of reason. ( actually moving past the food section could have alleviated the queue - that’s why other places do it ? ) I can honestly say I haven’t been spoken to like this since primary school. Not a pleasant experience.

Only popped in for a cup of tea and a scone as it was a cold, damp day. Restaurant is very spacious and clean and the young man serving was very pleasant as were all the staff. Tea was excellent and scone was delicious. Prices were just about the same as everywhere else. Will certainly call in again.

Usual queue at counter, prices got to be the highest in the area A total of 15 family members including visitors from Scotland. Guernsey and a new born baby Managed to find seats around 3 tables and after having our fry’s, coffees and scones we were approached by a member of staff who asked if we had vacated a table next to the main party. One of my daughters explained that we were still using the table, indeed there were soft drinks and a half full pot of tea still on the table. When my daughter tried to explain that the table was still in use and we had paid for the food your member of staff replied, YOU DIDN'T PAY FOR THE TABLE.. I can appreciate that the cafe was busy but the attitude of your female staff member was despicable to say the least. Perhaps her attitude to customers should be addressed at the earliest opportunity. Suffice to say I or indeed any members of my family will not be returning to this garden centre and cafe and would question it’s ability to compete in the present financial climate. A visit definitely not recommended. George Ross

I usually don’t bother to write negative reviews but just needed to get this out of my system! Staff in the coffee shop were most unwelcoming and unhelpful during our visit today from start to finish. It was like absolutely everything was a huge inconvenience for them. Even when I was choking and in great distress they were more concerned that I was not standing in the right place. A normal response would be to check if someone was ok! I will definitely not be back and would not recommend to anyone. It doesn’t cost anything to smile at your customers no matter how busy you might be!!

We visited today with 2 little Grandchildren choosing to have lunch around 1/2 - 3/4 of an hour after opening. Food (AND SERVICE) were awful - my husband had a Turkey Dinner which we can honestly say it was the worst offering of a Turkey Dinner we have ever been served. Our 3 meals (to include 2 Childrens) were all cold (I would have expected them to be piping hot given that we were there shortly after opening). Gravy which flooded the plate was tasteless and the consistency of water, the only vegetable on the plate were a few carrots and the slice of ham wasn’t much bigger than a postage stamp……..I actually thought my husband had purposely asked not to have half the ingredients (normal served with a turkey dinner) included !!! Just NO comparison when when compared to The Gardeners Rest (Hillmount Nursery) & The Secret Garden Cafe at Dundonald. I mentioned to the girl at the checkout and she asked if I would like to speak to the Manager - I asked if he/she would do anything and was told probably not !!!!

I was there today with my mum and my sister. The service was excellent, the staff where all lovely and the whole place looks beautiful, with a great selection , I even bought some Christmas decorations. We stopped off at the cafe and had a...

Called in here for something to eat and drink with a friend. Very limited choice and prices are too high for what you get. No attempt whatsoever by the staff to make you feel welcome and although the seating area is clean and bright, the...

Staff rude unhelpful cleaning coffee shop at 3 so we couldn't get table. Coffee cold stale bind won't be back layout all wrong whats happened please please please

Christmas dinner was soggy and slimy and the presentation was awful. Other than a young girl the other staff looked disinterested and in a bad mood. Won't be back 😌

What can I say about this place but excellent excellent excellent was in ur place on Friday ordered a coffee a meal and dessert I'm a hungry boy lol the lady behind the counter couldn't do anymore to help me and so polite even thought...

I brought my young family on a visit to choose some Christmas decorations and get some lunch as a treat. I kept my newborn baby in their carseat and put the carseat in the trolley for convenience as we were shopping and I couldn't push...

Came here for lunch with my sister today. I ordered the turkey+ham and she got the veg soup. Both very big servings. Staff were friendly. For turkey+ham and veg soup+wheaten bread plus two appetisers it came to £22 which isn't too bad! Food was delicious,...

Due to dietary requirements ordered a slice of ham with vegetables, got the same amount of vegetables (small portion) if I had been having a full meal and was charged for a full meal!!! Staff very unfriendly and hardly any food on menu available at...

Met up with a friend having not seen her for 18 years and decided to meet halfway at this cafe. We ordered lasagne and 2 sides, pavlova and tea. The lasagne was like warm and the coleslaw and potato salad was sour. The pot of...

Have had coffee several times before and always thought things fine Visited yesterday and every part was poor The lady on the cash desk was very abrupt and also very disorganised and slow Despite several members of staff nearby she was getting drinks which made...

I went to the cafe on the very first morning they opened after lockdown last week to meet a friend. I have been lots of times before but I'll never order tea again as when I poured my 2nd cup all these brown chunks and...

Love Garden centres at this time of year. Lots of fantastic ideas, stocking fillers and Christmas decs!! Spent a fortune!!

Had the buy one meal get one free offer for lunch. Our food was beautiful, staff were helpful. Lots of choices

Visited this cafe on a reci for our walking group consisting of 15 members intending to walk and end at the garden centre for lunch.Three volunteers arrived at 11:30, let other customers go in front as they decided what to choose. At 11:34 order placed...

£10.45 for an inedible vol-au-vent and salad. The salads were nice. The vol-au-vent was heated in a microwave and like cardboard. Wise up. (In fairness you did refund)

We visited the cafe after taking our daughter to see Santa at the nursery, mainly as they gave us a voucher for a free childs meal. The childs meal was just a soft drink and a biscuit, dont know where you are from, but in...

If the Garden Centre is busy in any way avoid the coffee shop at all costs! We stood for ages in a very disorderly queue only to discover it was actually two queues, one for hot food the other an express for hot drinks and...

My wife had a Roast Beef Dinner complete with Carrots cauliflower roast vegetables, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, baby potatoes, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding. I ordered a Mince Pie dinner and asked the lady if I could have the same assortment of vegetables, she said...

I ordered 2 hot choclates and they were disgusting, and it cost £8:50.It was all watery I didn’t finish it terrible service. Never again

Absolutely horrendous. Went today for lunch and ordered two pies one chicken and broccoli and one bbq chicken they both came with three salad choices. The pies where cold, the sides where small and the salad potatoes where undercooked, the crust of the pies was...

Having had coffee and a tray bake on a number of occasions, I’ve always wondered about their mini meal type pies This week we called in for something more substantial than a bun A chilli con carne “pie” A delicious chilli flavour and substantial too...

Loved my Caesar salad and home made scones - simple foods done well, my potted plants are still growing 👍👍

Now I remember why I haven't been to this cafe in years. The meal (lasagne) was barely edible and pricey.

Was here today with my parents both the staff in the shop and restaurant were extremely friendly and helpful Vivien helped my father into a seat at the restaurant and nothing was any trouble will definitely be back

I disagree with many of the comments here and was shocked to find how negative they were. This is the opposite to what myself and my husband, mum, sister and in-laws have found over many years. Yes you can pay a bit more than B&Q...

My sister and I dropped into the coffee shop, during our visit to the nursery. Absolutely atrocious! Coffee shop had only a handful of seated customers. Queue for food and coffee was right out to the door! About five or six staff wandering aimlessly about,...

Food is well presented but hit and miss in terms of warmth and quality of food. Coffee is always lovely However overall it is very expensive Beautiful place and quiet and comforting atmosphere Staff are also hit and miss in being organised and being welcoming...

My friend and I have been going to Hillside every Friday morning for breakfast for 3 or more years, we always get a small fry each and a tea and a coffee, about 6 months ago prices increased from £9.75 to £10.50 no big deal....

I couldn't believe the prices in this centre!!!. Everything and I mean everything was much more expensive than other garden centres. One example was the hanging baskets which are bought in from elsewhere in cloured containers as I bought 6 in another garden centre the...

The food here is ok....nothing special there. Service is a bit confused in relation to orders and should be a lot slicker than it is, these things you could go with but the pricing is through the roof. We paid £35 for 3 Paninas, 2...

Miserable portions, won't sell sausage and chips unless your 12 or under. Even the staff say head of kitchen is a miserable git!!

Unless you have won the lottery I wouldn't bother to visit, food definitely not worth the money!! Really disappointed,won't,be rushing back anytime soon . Tables and chairs need a good deep clean ,and staff more interested in getting red up for the night than dealing...

My husband and I both ordered a piece pie and the server asked me if I wanted salad or chips. I picked chips and my husband just asked for a piece of steak pie with chips (he wasn’t offered sides). We then sat down after...

Most weeks my mother and daughter go for lunch in this coffee shop. I don’t know why as I have never been impressed by it, overpriced I feel. This will definitely be their last visit! My mother’s usual lunch of chicken chasseur was dry and...

The cafe is a nice place if you sit outside,inside is a bit like a dining hall,the food is Similiar to school dinners and way overpriced,you can eat better and cheaper in a Belfast city centre restaurant.its ok for scones/pastries etc,but the cappuccino is far...

Spacious restaurant, no queue, so served quickly, had coffee and choice of scones, the pear and almond was tasty and enjoyed the capuccino. Lots of seating available and was quiet, so time to relax for a chat. Not a regular visitor as not local, but...

Went here for lunch with close family, and for the first time had a hot meal there. It was quite good. They had about 4 options, and put plenty of potatoes and veg on the plate. We got there about 12.30pm and there was no...

At the start of this month me, my dad and son were visiting hillside and while there we decided to get some food at the coffee shop when we arrived there was a large que which we knew there would however the que was not...

There is a lot to choose from in this restaurant, but I go for a traybake and coffee, which I have to admit, are always very good. Would agree with other reviews, prices are unreasonably higher than other good neighbouring cafes, which is why I...

Really not impressed with the manager of the cafe. I witnessed him being quite rude to his fellow employees. The prices are ridiculous and my scone was still frozen in the middle. This will definitely put me off returning to a very stressed and unorganized...

Disappointing expensive food . They want to take a leaf out of HILLMOUNT garden centres restraunt (castlereagh) where the food is beautiful and very reasonably priced unlike hillside it's worth a visit . But I will say hillsides garden centre is amazing as is their...

We pop in fairly frequently to buy plants – the garden centre is pretty good. But the restaurant… OK, I ordered a ham and cheese panini and Americano coffee. I’m not really sure how to start this next bit… the panini was like something you’d...

My daughters and I had taken the kids to see the Xmas shop today. 6th October. We decided to go for lunch at their cafe. I ordered the soup and had to send it back. Very watery and luke warm. The girl wasn't very pleased...

we were taken for a meal by friends I was a bit wary when we went to the nursery but I can assure you the meal we got was fist class there was plenty on the menu my wife and I and a friend took...

We came here for a browse round the shop and a bite to eat, because we couldn't get into Coleman's due to the roadworks preventing access. I had the turkey and stuffing sandwich with cranberry jam - soft wholemeal bread with plenty of filling -...

I went for coffee and a catch up with my sister in May and after that visit I promised I wouldn’t be back. On that occasion we decided to have a second coffee as the first cup wasn’t enough to wash down our cakes (delicious...

Overall this could be a good restaurant but the staff at the ordering of the food section need a special course in customer service, especially Sandra at the till. By the time you get your food a nd then have to wait to pay the...

Go here often to pick up a few plants ect great place for gifts for people who like gradening and home decor. I get some pet stuff here aswell. The cafe is lovely for breakfast and lunch the in sun room or outside. Plenty to...

Had a small group here for a coffee morning - beautiful seating area beside the fire. Staff friendly, hot drinks were lovely, and those who had cooked breakfasts and scones thought they were delicious. No complaints.

We had heard of Hillside Nursery from a friend so my Husband and I decided we would take trip out to see what it was like. We were not dissapointed. Plenty of Car Parking Spaces to accommodate Disabled which was good to see, we normally...

From the minute you walk into the restaurant, its like youre taken back a few decades with the uniform that the staff are wearing. Absolutely rotten. Stood waiting for a traybake for ten minutes with no queue, but staff continued to ignore me despite making...

baked potato and bloomer very poor value for money baked potato was not as ordered bloomer dry and largely tasteless this was fast food served within 5 minutes of the order but lack of care in preparation and serving let the café down

Good selection of food after 3pm Staff were friendly Food was beautiful Lovely setting to chill out by fire

The queue for the food was long and we took this as a sign that the food was going to be good but actually the further up the queue you went it became clear that it was unorganised chaos. We asked for a turkey sandwich...

The restaurant organisation is terrible, food at counter could be plated and handed round customer, especially since its just a fry. Having to wait in restaurant queue to buy an oversized over price cold bakewell slice. No non dairy milk, but gluten free biscuits. Tables...

Second visit, tasteless food, tiny portion, and very expensive. Lovely place but feel a tad disappointed that they have to be so stingy.

Hillside Nursery is a lovely garden centre with a cafe. We called in to the cafe just before 1pm and had to wait in the queue. I ordered a raspberry and while chocolate scone and was very disappointed with it. I did see one small...

Lovely little cafe with tasty food, desserts and ice creams. But 2 things let it down. There was no WiFi in the conservatory area AND there was a woman 'vaping' to her heart's content. I truly wanted to vomit over her but instead abandoned my...

Love this place. Country warm feel to it. Brilliant home cooked food and puddings massive portions Price good Kids made more than welcome Chilled atmosphere Plenty of car parking spaces. Staff friendly and helpful.

Always the best garden centre coffee shop around and it was so again today. Second visit in a week and the coffee and cakes are really excellent. A good selection of hot and cold dishes.

Hillside is a great garden centre that you could shop for all your gifts year-round without running out of ideas. The restaurant is in a separate building with a huge conservatory or a cosy "living room" to choose from. Food is consistently good and, if...

Nice garden centre linty of choice. Can be a bit pricey but then you are paying for quality. Called into the restaurant for a snack. Good selection but again I felt it just a bit more expensive than the norm . Tables were clean and...

I call in to Hillside for a coffee or to pick up a special plant for my beloved. Hillside has something for everyone. Plants, pots, coffee, pet food or whatever. A great garden centre on the outskirts of Belfast.

Set in a garden centre this is a lovely venue to eat at. You can spend quite a while here looking round first. The coffee shop serves hot meals which are of good quality and value. On average £10 will get you a full cooked...

I took my daughter to see their Christmas display and stopped at the coffee shop for refreshments. The coffee shop is beautiful a large airy conservatory with ample seating. There is an array of cold and hot food available and reasonably priced for the excellent...

This is a lovely place for coffee or lunch after browsing the garden centre. Lots of lovely desserts and the lunch menu caters for most people.

Visited the coffee shop today with my daughter and her partner as they were treating us to lunch. We had been before and the food was great. We did notice the place was very quiet but we thought because we were there at just after...

Great food in lovely surrounding. Great wee gifts as well. Go here every week sometimes just for coffee other times for a meal and your never rushed the girls are lovely. The plants and gifts are smashing and the Christmas shop is fab although always...

Very nice bakery in this cafe loads of choices nice coffee and tea of course will be back again for sure

After many years of visiting Hillside, sadly I will never return. I tried to return a product and was told by the manager David that "he didn't care what I did with my property" (the purchased product). He said "we dont have to offer an...

Well what can I say.... lovely nursery but they take gardening too far when they serve insects namely black (fast) spiders in the salad... I kid you not! We had a long stand in the queue because there was no server for 10-15 minutes but...

We decided to take our 5 and 7 year olds to see santa. We booked, paid the extortionate amount, then stood waiting in the freezing cold waiting for our turn. Mrs Claus wasn't in the xmas spirit, she was miserable, wouldn't look at the camera...

Queues were so long Staff were under pressure Prices were not a song Whether to go back I am not sure

Visited on a v busy sat lunchtime,had been couple weeks prep nd had the Christmas lunch priced at £7.95.it was ok- not brilliant not awful.so decided to go for the same again,was up by 50%, now £11.95!!!!!now Iv never been let down by the choice...

We visit Hillside regularly and always love it, everywhere is just beautilful. I wanted to buy three single vouchers for afternoon tea and was told I could only buy doubles, why would I buy four when I only needed three so I'm not buying any!!!...

We are regular visitors to this beautiful nursery and often stop for coffee because of the gorgeous surroundings. We have tried lunch here several times and found that although the food is pretty good, it can be a bit pricey. The restaurant is somewhat busy...

The food was excellent. U have been several times and always been impressed. Staff were helpful. For the quality of the food it want expensive.

This is a beautiful, family friendly place. The Cafè is surrounded by the beautiful garden centre which makes for a great view out the big glass windows in the conservatory room while you sit and enjoy you're lunch. The food was outstanding and on par...

So many lovely things to see. Great selection of different things and the cafe was brilliant. Staff were good.