Based on 249 opinions finded in 1 websites
Based on 249 opinions finded in 1 websites
Nº 165 in 237 in North Down
Nº 42 of 51 Other cuisines in North Down
Opinions
Very poor service . Member of staff who showed us to our seat was very unwelcoming and neither engaged with us nor smiled. Our order sat on bench at the kitchen for over 5 minutes before it was delivered to us and was therefore cold. I asked for fresh orange juice. I was given juice from a carton and not told that the fresh juice machine was broken until I asked. Very expensive also for very poor experience
Gillian H . 2024-08-30
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I will never go back here again! Horrible service Waited 5mins to get seated, 10mins to be served & when i eventually ordered a coffee & heated scone with jam & crram i waited another 20mins. Staff members not paying attention to orders taken. While waiting for the scone (which I observed sitting at the kitchen window for over 5mins) the woman who brought it over (looked like manager) was unpleasant & abrupt when I asked her to heat it. She then thought it was OK to touch the scone to see if it was warm, when taking it back to kitchen window another pair of bare hands grabbed the scones to heat! Her attitude was disgusting as was the scone which didn't even have the jam & cream so another wait for that. I was so tempted to get up & leave as was that bad. When I went to the toilets the flush is covered with the toilet lid which you had to touch to flush & no hand towels to dry hands.......to add insult to injury was so over priced £16+ for 2coffees & 2scones. I was so.shocked I even queried price!!
Angela H . 2024-07-08
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One of the worst experiences I've ever had. The shift manager on the 8th July was extremely rude and there eas only o e member of staff who had the ability to actually work within the customer service industry (unfortunately she wasn't the manager on duty). Waiting for 2 coffees and 2 scones which we had asked to be heated took over 40mins and when we received the scones we observed that they had not been heated as requested, they were taken from the counter by the manager on duty and placed in front of us, we said that we wanted them heated, she said that they had but we had full view that they had just been left I front of the kitchen waiting to be put in the microwave. She took them back and proceeded I touching them to check that they had not been heated before requested the kitchen staff to heat them, for the kitchen staff to then lift them with their bare hands to heat them. We eventually received the scones to which didn't come with the requested cream and jam which we had to request once again and then proceeded to wait an additional 10mins. The end of this nightmare was the total price of nearly £17 for only 2 coffees and 2 scones so we will never be back again.
Paul M . 2024-07-08
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Had quite a wait just to receive a menu although the waitress was very pleasant. Food was good but shocked that two small 'baby breakfasts' with tea and a coffee on top should cost £26. Much too expensive to consider a return
Thomas W . 2024-06-22
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Worst service I have ever encountered, staff belegerant , owner a horrible nasty piece of work , and smells awful , toilets need cleaning so do the staff
Godber L . 2024-05-21
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Over a year ago I wrote a very negative review, but have to say that on each occasion we recently returned the quality of food has improved greatly and staff seem happier and more helpful. Prices have risen, but that's been our experience throughout the industry. Best cafe in town again. Keep it up!!!
Stephen W . 2024-05-21
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Extremely slow, staff are very poor and don’t provide good service. Its a very noisy place - no need for such loud music blasting above the noise of customers. The staff walk through you even though you’re standing behind other customers as it is so busy - this was just ignorant and shouldn’t happen. Not even an excuse me. Food was just okay, over priced for how basic it is. I Won’t return and I don’t recommend. There is a lot better elsewhere.
davidw1530 . 2023-11-04
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Went for Sunday morning breakfast. Waitress v helpful. I ordered tea and croissant. Croissant very obviously shop bought and cold, quite greasy. My husband had Belgium waffles- so much sugar overload with synthetic cream. Don’t think we will be back. Decor however is good, although service s l o w.
X2784EUjoyces . 2023-10-01
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Busy café especially lunchtime on Saturdays. Very pleasant staff. Large helpings with lovely side salad. Good food.
U4241XNjosiem . 2023-09-23
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This establishment used to be one of the great places to dine in Holywood, but have to say it has really gone downhill. The limited menu wasn't great, drinks arrived luke warm , and the wait for food was really long, Service wasn't that great either .
Michaelwh320 . 2023-08-25
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Not friendly nor food value. Called in went to counter. Was watched by 3 staff as I approached. They then continued to converse whilst I stood at the counter a mere feet away. Eventually they decided to acknowledge me. Ordered a take away Sausage sandwich as they didn’t to a roll. Paid £7 for what was in essence 2 sausages in between 2 slices of bread. The sausages were like warm. The coffees were too hot and bitter. Whilst standing waiting I saw a girl approach with menu to order as nobody had bothered to attend to her table. There were enough staff to do all these things but as they were more interested in taking to each other , customers simply don’t count. Overall a terrible experience and I felt absolutely ripped off. I was expecting a little more than what I got for £7.
Alexander E . 2023-07-17
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I was so disappointed with the Service and after such a long wait for our food it came served to us cold, really bad, dirty cutlery wasn't polished, tea not washed properly overall I wouldn't recommend this place to have lunch.
Fergus M . 2023-07-05
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My friend and I called in on tues on a visit to holywood. We ordered the sourdough bread with poached eggs and smattering of advocado small pot of tea each. The waitress brought the plates to us and i couldnt believe my eyes 1 small slice of sourdough bread with a poached egg. £9. Tea was 2.80. Never again. Dick Turpin wore a mask.
Jet524518 . 2023-06-08
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Arrived and got sat at a booth. Having looked at the menu we knew what we wanted, we had to go to the till as there was an internet problem, I then got ignored by the staff standing at the till, they turned and saw me and then went back to their conversation, the chef happened to be getting something out the front, and asked was I alright and that’s when the waitress asked what I wanted, sadly really poor service here. When the food came it was very tasteless and rock hard bacon. Sadly nobody came to check on us which is a really important part of service. The good point is that the coffees are still the best in holywood! Don’t change that!
Peter A . 2023-05-08
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Awful experience. I had a very unpleasant experience during my visit this morning, which has left me feeling frustrated and disappointed. During my breakfast, I went to the toilet and left my backpack and food on the table. When I returned, I was shocked to find that my breakfast and coffee had been taken away. I immediately approached the staff to inquire about what had happened. The Manager explained that they needed to keep the table turnover high (i stayed less than 30 mins!) and since they didn't see my backpack, they thought I had left. I was extremely disappointed with the staff's actions, as it was unprofessional and disrespectful to remove my food and coffee without any notice or warning. Additionally, I was charged the full bill of GBP 13, despite not being able to finish my breakfast due to their mistake. The only thing they offered me was a coffee, which did not make up for the inconvenience caused. I believe that the staff's behavior was unacceptable and their actions did not meet the standard of customer service.
Mayng555 . 2023-05-03
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We arrived early looking for a little breakfast plus coffee. We ordered a ham and cheddar toastie each plus 1 tea and 1 latte. The toasties arrived after a bit of a wait - they weren’t yet terribly busy- and the hot drinks were nowhere to be seen. The toasties were £9 each and for that we got 2 rounds of bread, a slice of ham and a slice of cheese. No side salad/garnish/offer of sauces… nothing! It was dry to say the least… add tasteless, and overdone. The hot drinks arrived after we had finished our food with no word of an apology or explanation. The eventual bill was £24. Shockingly overpriced. Not once was I asked how was your food etc etc… hence I’m here publishing my opinion. Don’t bother with this place - they’re obviously not bothered about their customers!
Paula H . 2023-05-01
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Dreadful experience and wish I could give zero as the food & service was awful. We had to ask to have our order taken whilst staff walked around. The girls were pleasant when they were at the table, it was getting them to the table that was the problem. Soup arrived that was tepid, looked like dirty dishwasher & tasted awful. The other dish was basically a bowl of mushrooms cooked without any seasoning & tasteless. We weren’t asked how our food was & there was no mention about the full bowl of soup & bowl of mushrooms left-I had to bring it to the attention of the girl & my soup was deducted from the bill. An experience not to be repeated.
Sandra J . 2023-04-10
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Visited for breakfast - we both ordered fries and what came was a disaster on a plate. There was no wheaten bread (the menu stated the fry came with wheaten) and both our sausages were raw and cold. We would have brought this to the attention of the waiting staff, however no one approached us to ask if everything was ok. We didn’t even finish our drinks and couldn’t wait to get out. I brought it to the attention of the waitress who took our payment. Still charged £27 for 2 breakfasts and 3 drinks. Certainly will not be back
Treeevors . 2023-04-09
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This cafe used to be great, if expensive. It changed hands a while ago and maintained its high prices. However the standard of cooked food has dropped consistently. Uninspiring blender soups are par for the course. Most recently tried their fry. Bacon was burnt to a crisp. No potato bread or soda. Two poached eggs were cooked separately. One was hot and overcooked, the other had been cooked perfectly, but clearly some time before we ordered and was stone cold. I was asked if I was happy with our food and I described the eggs. The waitress agreed this was a very unusual way to serve eggs. Definitely wont be back until improvements made..
ALVAREZ1953 . 2023-03-11
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After completing the Bangor to Hollywood our walking group booked a reservation at very short notice with the cafe. In no time at all the staff had set tables up for the group. The food was excellent and the staff could not do enough for us. I would encourage any visitors to Hollywood to call in. You will be treated to great customer service and lovely food.
Casuals84 . 2023-01-15
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Popped in for tea and made very welcome by staff and customers - great pot of tea and Wi-Fi. Highly recommended.
Penndoll . 2022-12-11
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Grab a gorgeous Christmas scone with beautiful coffee before the next lockdown! This is a super coffee shop with tables well spread out, and friendly attentive staff. Roll on 2021 and hopefully normality and a chance to really enjoy coffee shops like this one!
blue047 . 2020-12-18
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saw several waiting staff and kitchen staff walking around the café without masks, and only male staff member had mask on behind the counter, others had taken their shields off when not serving tables and were very close to each other.Also would have been more reassured if staff only held cups by the handles, basic hygiene?
snapy4 . 2020-12-17
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During a day trip to the North County Down Coastline me and my brothers decided to get our lunch in the small Coastal town of Holywood. Holywood is well known for it being the hometown of the golfing professional Rory McIlroy, but people don't know that it has a number of very nice cafes and restaurants, such as the Homebird Cafe. This deceptively well sized artisan cafe on the main street serves some of the nicest coffee and sweet treats in the area, and its lunch menu isn't too bad either. The Chicken and bacon club sandwich is delightful and the addition of egg slices and what I presume is their own blend of egg mayonese adds to the taste. The range of cakes and tray bakes around the counter are really the staple of any good cafe in Northern Ireland and you can do no wrong with a nice apple bakewell or a chocolate fudge cake. The coffee mocha was very nice with the sweetness of the chocolate and the bitter smoothness of their own coffee blend which you can buy off the counter if you are a home coffee enthusiast yourself. Great lunch but I need to warn that parking along the roadside is difficult and very limited but there are some car parks nearby which you can park for a few hours.
Nicholas D . 2020-11-22
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Get my coffee before work here everyday. Staff are great and in particular Rachel with her fantastic playlist to brighten your day!
Terry C . 2020-09-16
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I would highly recommend ordering the smashed avocado on sourdough with poached eggs, this was the second time I got the lunch and would happily order it again and again. My boyfriend had the Bacon bagel which looked amazing as well. In all we love the atmosphere and our service experience was faultless, although I noticed that we weren't asked if things were okay after being served. Aside from that, the staff were friendly and respected social distancing. The tea is delicious and topped of a great lunch. It is a little pricey for what we ordered but happily paid as I couldn't fault the food. Plan to visit again soon
KattySmyth . 2020-09-16
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Paid £16 for 2 bacon baps (completely plain) and 2 coffees - to takeaway I might add. Was completely shocked. The Centra on the High Street sells bacon baps, that are in a par in terms of what you get here, for £2.50 a sandwich. Catch yourselves on Homebird. So annoyed with myself for not challenging the price at the time.
Avalena . 2020-09-15
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Poor menu Poor price list display Mediocre food Prices exorbitant We where charged £23.50 for a Latte , a Tea , a Bacon Bap and a pulled chicken wrap . Really ! Dick Turpin wore a mask ! Daylight robbery Homebird get a grip !
Karen K . 2020-09-09
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Whilst attending this establishment my Friend and I ordered the fry chicken when it came out the sausages were burnt and the eggs were cremated. Due to the breakfast being that bad my friend and I called over the waitress who is also the shift manager and told her this wasn’t very good (in a polite manner) and explained this has put us off our breakfast we will just take the cups of tea. When we went to pay to our shock we were being charged ! For the Fry’s the same Fry’s we did not eat and returned after a confrontational conversation with the shift manager who argued we returned the food because it wasn’t to our taste we bit our tongues and paid the price promising never to return in short The staff were a chaotic mess The food was burnt and uneatableThe shift manager was highly rude and short. I will never return to this establishment.
samaF2379OJ . 2020-08-19
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There were three of us heading out for lunch and it was definitely an experience, every customer around us complaining about the lack of service and having to ask for drinks three or four times to get anything, I received my food before my coffee and five minutes before anyone else at our table, they didn’t seem to have half the menu chicken or ham surely these should be well stocked in a busy cafe?! The gluten free bread sandwich that fell apart when lifted... Three coffees with burnt coffee that were borderline undrinkable and all that for nearly £26! The only positive was the sausage rolls were great!The staff could hear customers complaining but walked around ignoring it... How this place is still open is beyond me! Such a disappointment in a lovely looking cafe!
OscarLisburn . 2020-07-14
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Was impressed with the quality of the bacon in the bap. However my girlfriend got irretable bowels from the avacado and poached egg. Overall it was ok.
Adam M . 2020-07-14
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My husband and I had a lovely brunch here on a Sunday morning. We did have to queue for a table but not for too long and got a nice window seat. I had a really good veggie breakfast with a potato cake, halloumi, egg and homemade beans. My husband had something meaty and enjoyed it too. Look forward to going back for brunch
Lauren C . 2020-01-25
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We called into Homebird on Sunday for just a coffee and scone and it was great. The cherry scone was one of the best we’d had in a while and we are quite expert at eating scones!!!!!! Lots of the cooked breakfasts looked absolutely delicious and some very clean plates were returned to the kitchen.We also happened to be in Holywood today (Tuesday) and thought we would try the cafe again, this time for lunch. We both had “croque monsieur” with the optional fried egg for only an extra 50 pence (making it a “croque madame” apparently) - absolutely delicious especially with the Sriracha sauce and the home made Sriracha sauce with tomato. The staff were friendly on both visits. Yes, on Sunday we noticed that larger parties were having to wait a while as groaned about in some earlier posts, but there were lots of staff on duty and all seemed very pleasant and eager to serve.We will most certainly return and recommend you give this place a try.
rockc_13 . 2020-01-21
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Had a great breakfast here on New Years Eve. Supremely tasty and enjoyable. Fast service. Good choice.
AMWhelehan . 2020-01-08
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Visited with a party of 5 . Waited 35 mins for a booth to accommodate us . We were head of the queue but another party were permitted to bunk the queue as the chef knew them !!!! Pointed this out to staff who were ambivalent to this . Left in disgust . Won't be back .
Cruiser828819 . 2020-01-05
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We stopped here for lunch on the way to Belfast. Tasty food and staff are friendly and helpful. Lovely spot.
Tugboat_11 . 2019-12-23
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Did not enjoy my visit to homebird cafe, service was non existent and its seemed to be very expensive for just simple things. Good location though.
Foodie2kk . 2019-12-12
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Visited homebird cafe for the first time recently for a special tapas evening it was excellent.The restaurant was full but the waiting staff coped well with this they were very efficient and friendly. As always Joery Castels food was well presented and delicious. Great evening
Lornabell30 . 2019-12-12
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Ordered kids French toast for £4.......out it came. One piece of bread. It used to be £3.50 for 2 rounds, which was overpriced, now it’s a disgrace. Overpriced is an understatement! Poor food, high prices. I used to be fairly regular, but won’t be back.
b0n099 . 2019-11-10
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We are regular customers of homebird and normally food is good albeit very overpriced for what it is. Visited today for lunch with my daughter and they have changed the menu (which they have done before and isn’t a bad thing in and off itself) but it’s now extremely limited. They have removed all of the sandwich & salad options from the main menu and have only one of each on the specials (neither appealed today). Menu is mainly brunch options now which I just didn’t really fancy on a Friday afternoon. But I went with the eggs Benedict on multi seed bagel whilst my daughter had bacon & toast. To be absolutely fair the guy who took my order was excellent and did say he would try and accommodate me but I was happy enough with my eggs benedict ..... until I got them. They arrived - looked great on the plate although small for the price - two poached eggs (perfectly poached though) on half a bagel and a few slices of baked ham that were so dry I could’ve used them as soles for my shoes. The eggs and half bagel were fine but simply put completely overpriced (nearly £8)- even if the ham was edible they were overpriced. Disappointed in where this place is going but appreciate they must be responding to what they think most of their customers want - I’ll just have to find somewhere else for lunch in Holywood!
Q5637WCsandraw . 2019-10-25
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My daughter became a committed vegan some years ago, enabling (compelling?) me to become more familiar with plant-based cuisine. And, at the hand of a very skilled chef, some of it can be pretty good.Unfortunately, this wasn’t. I’ve eaten in Homebird before – and, though I found my portion rather small, and left hungry, I thought the (non-vegan that time) food pretty good.There are kind of two approaches you can take to vegan cuisine – try and imitate meat dishes (rarely successful), or create really interesting and flavoursome dishes from scratch. If you attempt the former, and are unsuccessful, the results can be pretty disappointing – and that’s what happened here, I’m afraid.I had the “vegan breakfast”, which was an attempt to imitate a fry – it contained elements such as “aubergine bacon”, and “black bean and beetroot sausage”.The first problem was that, although the staff were pretty attentive, it was a long time before I got my food, and I was pretty hungry. When I arrived, I was a little shocked at how small the meal was – again, you’re imitating the most hearty of all breakfasts here, so to receive what can only be described as a snack was disappointing.The ingredients… two tiny pieces of some kind of potato bread; a spoonful of home made baked beans; couple of pieces of tomato; mushrooms; strange pile of purple stuff; and a smear of something grey on the edge of the plate.The potato cakes were OK. The tomatoes were… tomatoes. The beans OK, though possessing no greater character than the produce of Mr Heinz. Eating the mushrooms, I became aware of something slippery amongst them; I thought one mushroom had perhaps been undercooked, till I realised I was eating the “aubergine bacon”.I honestly couldn’t have imagined anything less like bacon if I tried. Except perhaps an orange. Which brings me to the “sausage”. As you can hopefully see from my photo, there isn't anything like a sausage on the plate – that little pile of grainy purple stuff to the left was it.I think you’ll agree with me that a sausage is a skin stuffed with a spicy filling? Vegan casings (seaweed, since you ask) are used even on many meat sausages nowadays, being cheaper than the animal-derived equivalent – yet none was used. The reddish stuff didn’t have much flavour – had it been livened up with spices, salt and pepper, the lack of sausageness might have been forgiven.I tried smearing it with the grey stuff on the side of the plate (top of picture), which I imagined might have been an attempt to emulate HP Sauce, but it didn’t taste of much either. Actually… I’m pretty sure HP is vegan – might have been better to use that.Finally, the dish was garnished with pea shoots – which I like, but… on a fry?Vegan food can be SO much better than this, when it doesn't attempt to be something it isn't. And this café is capable of better. I found a picture from last year of two non-vegan dishes a companion and I enjoyed – I didn’t get around to writing a review back then and, sadly, neither dish is on the menu any more.
pqvx . 2019-10-20
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Undercooked sausages and when I politely returned to the waitress, undercooked sausages returned to me !
PatriciaVance302 . 2019-10-15
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Went for a coffee with my 8yr old daughter. The place wasn’t busy by any stretch, 10 people at most.
CEni00 . 2019-09-29
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One of our favourite cafes - if not the favourite! Wonderful range of tasty and healthy items on the menu. Pop in for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or just a coffee. Never felt rushed to vacate the table - relax for a while and enjoy the cafe culture... Friendly attentive staff, great quality food and coffee, relaxing atmosphere and prices spot on for the quality you get. Always keen to see the latest special on the board!
Anto_L69 . 2019-09-21
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Everything was great, loved the food and the service. Staff were very friendly, particularly young blonde girl. Would definitely return
Chazat123 . 2019-09-15
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Drove through on our way to Bangor and so glad we did. Spotted Homebird from the car and found somewhere to park. Lovely relaxed atmosphere. Menu catered for my vegan daughter and we had a delicious lunch. Range of non-dairy milk for the coffee. Friendly service too.
tracycM6350IX . 2019-08-21
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We called in late in the afternoon for coffee and were greeted warmly and made to feel very welcome .
2020vision . 2019-08-20
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Previous visit a couple of years ago and, sadly, was put off by noisy background music. Tried it again recently hopeful of giving benefit of the doubt but still as noisy as ever and difficult to have a conversation; I cannot see why clients are expected to cope with overbearing background music that is much too loud. Nevertheless, the lattes are still great.
William W . 2019-08-06
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We visited this cafe as we liked the reviews and the location. The first impression was ok but no welcome nor greeting. Place very empty but staff ignored us until we approached and asked for a table & menus. Clearly we were a nuisance, they took ages to take an order, then the food took a long time. On top of that there was a mistake in each of two meals. Server disgruntled when we brought this to her attention and changed it begrudgingly, no apology nothing pleasant about experience.
Ronnie F . 2019-07-23
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Decided to give this a try today just for a change from our usual lovely eaterie in Holywood. Popped in with two family members just before 3.30pm. Was informed no hot food available. Family members in need of rest so stayed. Settled on coffee and tea for two. Unfortunately only one scone left which I asked to be heated. Only choices left were fifteens, chocolate brownie or gateau. Not suitable. There was another family group beside us but no-one after us. Heated scone took a while to arrive. Paying bill was shocked to discover my heated scone cost me £2.80. Tea for one was separate at a cost of £2.40. In any other nice eaterie from Ards to Bangor or Belfast-a warm scone with jam and cream-plus tea- costs no more than £3.00 in total! Will be returning to our regular place in Holywood next week.
Annehappymemories . 2019-07-16
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Popped in here for coffee and after seeing the food being served we decided to have lunch...the open prawn sandwich on wheaten bread was wonderful. Fresh juice, yummy milkshakes, fab selection of coffee, extremely friendly staff, quick service, quality food and all at a great price means we'd definitely return on our next visit to Holywood.
IrishEyesSmile . 2019-05-22
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We called into Homebird for breakfast. We were greeted and seated quickly. The menu was good and they happily adjusted the Homebird Huevos to omit the coriander for me. The resulting breakfast was excellent. My husband chose the cinnamon French toast with crispy bacon and maple syrup. He enjoyed this, but felt a little more syrup would have helped. The coffee was excellent. All in all, a most enjoyable breakfast.
Belle65 . 2019-04-27
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V good selection. Had the “Homebird Hash” with fresh orange and a flat white. Awesome. Will definitely be back for the french toast.
Briancolin . 2019-04-20
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Lovely food, amazing atmosphere. Would recommend. Very family & tourist friendly! Great value on the specials
BackPacker582016 . 2019-04-19
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One of my fav wee spots! Family friendly, delicious food and great service. Always enjoy and cant fault it!
Rebecca N . 2019-04-19
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Great buzz and food delicious Layout works really well as small kids have a play area out of the main area keeping them safe and out of the way of servers
haroldmark . 2019-04-19
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Hi Guys, I have never eaten in here but Jayda Fransen from Britain First does. Hardly the type of clientel you want to sit beside whilst having your lunch. However if you do Homebird is the place for you.
. 2019-04-19
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Loving going here when I visit my family in Belfast!! Such great staff! Love the Bircher, pancakes are also incredible!!! Make sure you get the tray bakes to take home if you’re full!!!
tburns1 . 2019-04-19
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The cafes food is great if you eventually get served.
markdavies19812016 . 2019-04-12
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Although it was very late we stopped for lunch in the Home Bird cafe at 4pm. We got a lovely warm welcome. The staff were very friendly and professional. The Coffee was very good. Because we were a group of 5 we ended up sitting in the families of young children area which hadn't quite as nice an atmosphere as the front part of the cafe. The menu selection was varied. My smashed avocado on toast was delicious and the rice krispie squares were just right.
Mandy S . 2019-03-03
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We were five. There is a sign once through the door saying "please wait to be seated". So we waited. Two staff were behind the counter and saw us but seemed to just carry on gossiping. We needed to put two tables together so after waiting a reasonable time we walked into the body if the cafe. Still ignored. One of us went over to the counter to speak to the staff while another took the initiative and joined two tables. One of the staff appeared and moved a chair for us - no apology for ignoring us. We waited for the final two to join us. Then we ordered coffees and food. One person ordered a croissant to be heated, the others were pancakes (ok), smashed avocado with salad ( a cliché), muesli (ok) and eggs Benedict with ham (very poor - tasteless ham and not enough lemon/white wine or vinegar reduction and no cayenne pepper). The coffees came right away so were consumed or cold before the food arrive - we were not asked if we wanted the coffees early. The hot croissant arrived next long before the other four dishes. This is a very amateur operation and is not at all recommended. There are plenty of other options in Holywood - go elsewhere.
PhilipH2201 . 2019-03-02
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First and last visit. Experienced customer service at its worst yesterday. The member of staff who was particulary rude to us on Saturday afternoon (just before 5pm) needs to rethink her approach and attitude towards customers. If someone can not hear what someone has ordered would it not be normal to say “sorry could you repeat that, I didn’t hear what you said” but no, the girl who served us obviously did not attend the customer service training and when she didn’t hear what my mum had ordered stated very abruptly “speak up”. She continued in this tone as she took the rest of our order. My young daughter actually didn’t want to order anything as she felt intimidated by the way this girl had spoken to her nana. I would appreciate it if someone could train this member of staff on the basics of customer service as it was a very negative, upsetting experience. We ended up across the road at Cafe Nero were the staff were both helpful and friendly.
. 2019-02-24
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We have been here a few thousand Mrs over the last few months and although the previous visits were nothing special, we thought we would give it another try. Unfortunately the same glum waitress is still there. I don't think I have ever seen her smile or even acknowledge a customer when they come in. Very offputting and it is infectious throughout the place as the other staff look equally glum. Food is very much overpriced. £6.50 for a sausage bap! Double the price I pay else where. Think I have given this place enough opportunities to improve and sadly ( like the waitress) I won't be back toilet wasn't clean either and lacked toilet roll.
. 2019-02-19
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Have been to the Homebird Cafe a few times. Atmosphere is great always busy. Nice place to take your children as there is a children's corner with activities. Food is great and staff are friendly.
. 2019-02-17
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We called in for a late afternoon hot chocolate. Lovely waitress, nice atmosphere, good hot chocolate with the option of marshmallows & cream added. A nice little play area for the wee ones was an added bonus! Coffee was also good.
. 2019-01-22
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Tried to call in for breakfast. Even though the Open sign was showing and the lights were on the lady informed us they didn’t open for another 10 minutes. No offer of come in have a coffee while you wait etc. Terrible. This place used to be good but the staff don’t seem to care, where is the management??
. 2019-01-19
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I used to call here regularly for coffee, a light bite at lunchtime or a takeaway cuppa first thing.Called in at lunchtime in October and was blanked by 3 different members of staff.Am a 50 plus wrinkly woman who works locally and had to that time felt very welcomed.Waited over 10 mins to be acknowledged even....no luck.Have swopped my allegiances elsewhere.Luckily plenty of lovely options in Holywood...
. 2018-12-30
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On a cold windy Sunday we called in to get some brunch and coffee. Servers had very little interest in us and when they eventually took our order they were so disinterested in us. Food came quick enough and it was ok but pricey for what it was.
. 2018-12-18
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This used to be quite a good spot in the centre of Hollywood. On yesterday’s performance it has lost its way. Firstly, the service is painfully slow. I ordered chowder and it took over twenty minutes to arrive and, then, wasn’t great. A later ordered a cortado and watched the young waitress only start making it ten minutes later. It was then delivered by a very surly chap, who set the glass of coffee on the table without a saucer or spoon and the glass wasn’t even full. Appalling! There is no sign of anybody with management authority. I won’t hurry back
. 2018-12-17
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My first time trying this cafe. Food and coffee are both good though on the pricey side and service could definitely improve. I went in and sat alone waiting on my friend. I was pretty much ignored and had to catch staff attention to order a coffee while i waited. We ordered another coffee each after our food and the girl forgot about it altogether so another guy gave us coffees meant for another table.
JayToner . 2018-11-17
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Stopped at Homebird on the way to drop some friends off at the airport, although they appeared to be very busy we were shown to a table after only waiting a few minutes, we explained to our server that we were under time pressure and we were assured this wouldn’t be a problem.
RJGRA . 2018-11-12
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Opened the door to be met by a sullen stare and then after looking away she gave us "automated" attention. This was The Person In Charge. Her staff, stood behind the counter equally sullen shuffling about. The place was jaded in need of a good scrub and sparkle. The only energy about it was the ching ching of the till. This place is not cheap. The food though was good and surprisingly a generous helping. We had Eggs Benedict, Smashed Avocado, and pancakes with syrup from kids menu.
Greenbody . 2018-11-11
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Visited Halloween for lunch, all the ingredients, poppy out eyes ( at the prices) shocked at the meagre portions, terrified at the menu, bewildered as to how they managed to charge a child £3.50 for about a slice and a half of toast and a scrambled egg ! I do mean egg, not eggs. 5 star hygiene rating but not a five star hotel. I felt mugged as I left, will never be back.
joeamy . 2018-10-31
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Visited Homebird last week with 2 family members, one of whom was vegan. We were NOT impressed! A vegan salad that consisted of undressed lettuce leaves, some strips of pepper and a chutney does not qualify as a salad in my opinion. The price was also extortionate for this poor excuse for a salad. When staff were asked about this they were extremely dismissive and refused to accept that there were ground for complaint. They begrudgingly stated that the chutney was made fresh on their premises and that should suffice!
Annette W . 2018-10-27
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Homebird Café is situated right in the middle of Holywood's High Street and has been around for over 5 years. Its nicely laid out and there's a "mini-creche" at the back, so if you're looking to avoid small children - sit in the front part.
Allovertheplace2013 . 2018-10-23
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Great atmosphere and service. Food style is original and distinct from the rest of the Holywood cafes and it has a good selection of whole food plant based dishes or dishes that could be easily adapted. For a quick snack there is a good range of freshly baked pastries, scones and tray bakes. Enjoy eating there.
WFPBguy . 2018-09-23
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A pleasant cafe to meet friends for coffee or grab lunch. Homebird has a great ambience, nice staff and offers decent food at reasonable prices. Nicely located in the centre of Holywood,
foi5002 . 2018-09-04
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My daughter and I visited here for light lunch, ordering Chicken Waldorf salad and Chicken Nachos. We waited for 50 minutes. Service was very disappointing - wish we’d gone elsewhere.
39alisons . 2018-08-24
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Myself and my wife popped in for lunch for a quick bite..I had the pancakes and bacon and my wife had the smashed avocado, both were excellent and the staff were really friendly and pleasant too. Would defiantly recommend. 10/10
Food4life66 . 2018-08-24
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Met a friend here for a late lunch when our cafe of choice had closed early. First impressions were good. Nice atmosphere and good vegetarian options on the menu. Our server was maybe having a bad day as there was no chat and certainly no smiles. When the food arrived it was partly wrong and the server took it away unapologetically. While waiting for our replacement I noticed my sandwich was missing a key ingredient. I pointed this out to the server who said ok - and disappeared coming back a few minutes later with a little pot of cheese for me to add to the sandwich myself. When we went to pay, our server avoided us as she directed another member of staff to take our money. Overall, the food sounded better on the menu than it was presented and our experience was let down by poor customer service.
Beehiverocks . 2018-07-29
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I waited over thirty minutes for a club sandwich to takeaway, had I known how bad it would be I wouldn't have bothered. When it is priced at nearly nine pounds without any sides you would expect great things but instead got served a stale dry tasteless sandwich. Definitely would not recommend
Angie H . 2018-07-13
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Visited for lunch and we were very disappointed. The service was very slow and the waiter was doing his job but could not smile or make us feel welcome. The drinks were served but our meal took a long time. The presentation was not good. A sandwich without any garnish. The pulled ham was cremated, black and dry.
EloraBangorian . 2018-06-14
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A friendly place with excellent staff and really good coffee. The food is great and very varied from day to day. The very best thing recently is that they have changed to stainless steel straws! If only other places would follow this example. Well done Homebird.
Ann C . 2018-06-13
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Really lovely independent coffee shop in Holywood. They do great breakfasts and lunches, with specials everyday. Emphasis is very much on homemade and they totally hit the spot. Soups are outstanding and so are the scones and pancakes. Great teas and coffee selection. I have been here lots of times and this place definitely deserves a 5 star review.
Pen_Rose88 . 2018-05-28
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I visited this place twice during a recent visit to Belfast to spend time with family. The first time we chose it because my brother who is disabled managed to find a parking spot right in front of this cafe, so it was a matter of convenience. In saying that, we weren't disappointed. I'm guessing it was the manager/owner himself who took our order and he was very pleasant and friendly. We ordered the soup of the day which was sweet potato and carrot, served with a slice of wheaten bread. The soup was hot and tasty, the bread was okay. My brother also ordered the special sausage roll, which unfortunately took a while to be served (seems the person who took the order went out of the restaurant and his colleagues forgot to serve it). It wasn't a problem for us as we weren't in a hurry. After that, I ordered a cappuccino and a slice of carrot cake which was really good.
DorothyCairo . 2018-05-16
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The smashed avocado, poached eggs, chorizo on sour dough bread is unbelievably good! Went in with a work colleague on a Friday for an end of week lunch. Quick service and had a really good atmosphere and buzz about the place! We sat at the window bench, so was great for people watching. Definitely recommend!
Matthew R . 2018-03-02
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I go every time I'm in holywood love the food especially the breakfasts. and the staff are great. 🤗
Jilly S . 2018-02-19
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Stopped by for a lunch time treat. Tea, Sausage Roll and Carrot Cake. An average cafe by Holywood standards. (rather nice). Folk are spoilt for in Holywood...lol
Trevor C . 2018-02-01
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As a regular user of Homebird. I have to say it's still the best place to eat in Holywood. If you have not been, go and if you've not been for a while, time to revisit.
Marty Y . 2018-01-10
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Great place in holywood for brunch. Would recommend the food over the Coffee Yard 10 times over. The tall manager/owner is as consistently friendly, welcoming and good as the excellent food and one of the best hosts I've ever come across dining anywhere in the world! BUT....the rest of the staff on the floor would do well to take note and follow his lead. The last time we visited we were sitting for 10 minutes before anyone asked us for our drinks order. An older, seemingly more experienced waitress stood chatting to two regular customers as we tried to get her attention. We finally got to order tea and coffee which still hadn't arrived long after we'd ordered our food. They were eventually prepared but the barista and a waiter stood chatting and laughing over the counter (and our drinks) as we watched on in frustration. The food arrived but we had no cutlery. Waitress walked off without asking if she could get us anything else. We struggled to get the attention of a waiter who at last brought us knives and forks but no apology.
Mowbray O . 2018-01-01
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Thoroughly enjoyed brunch today served by our friendly and highly efficient waitress Corey. My 11 year old son devoured the big breakfast while the French toast with bacon and maple syrup was fluffy and light. All freshly prepared and served with a smile during a...
dandgthorn . 2017-11-11
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Had coffee tea and scones here on
Sharon M . 2017-10-24
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A few months ago wrote a glowing review of this place - things have sadly changed. Despite a mob of...
John R . 2017-10-01
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Used this place many times and it always delivers. The staff took our orders of chicken wraps quickly with our...
SimpleJack59 . 2017-09-11
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This place is always busy on a Saturday morning, but it's worth waiting a few minutes. There's a great brunch selection, the service is rapid and the coffee is pretty good as well. A great place for a relaxed chat over a comfort food breakfast.
TouristBoy . 2017-08-17
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We go regularly to Homebirds as food is excellent and ambience is good. However although we recognise all the staff they are most unfriendly, surly and unhelpful. With the exception of the tall bearded manager, staff are unhappy, and seem to resent having to serve doing only the absolute minimum for customers. What a pity, a smile and a welcome would make this place a gem.
Ronnie F . 2017-08-08
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Si quieres que te toque cocinar sin hacer/cocina. . . . . Este es el lugar.
Toni M . 2017-07-16
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went here for breakfast very poor 7.95 for a breakfast of what consisted of pork 8 sausage under cooked mushroom Wheaton bread that was cut paper thin and a small Rankin off (homemade beans) that were bland and tasteless safe to say I will avoid this establishment in the future
Jonny W . 2017-07-01
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We had a late breakfast here on Saturday. The place was very busy and our food was excellent. I had eggs benedict with smoked salmon and the poached eggs were easily the best I have had in a long time. My wife and daughter were equally pleased with their food but it was a long time coming, which is a pity as I believe it deserves 5 stars. Maybe, it was a one off but if they were short staffed, there should be back-up to avoid people being unhappy. I'll give it another go and would still recommend it.
DLP555 . 2017-05-28
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Have eaten here a few times and it is always busy. Grilled brunch enjoyable and good that there are large and small options. Croissants OK but on one visit the jam was excessively runny. Occasionally it seems to take a long time to get seated.
CardiffZorro . 2017-05-16
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