The Starfish in North Down

Usually queued out the door it's so popular. Food excellent, staff friendly and helpful and a place with real character and old world style.

I had a grill from the standard menue. The sausage was overcooked and hard. The soda bread was so tough and overcooked I had difficulty cutting through it. Definitely not worth £14

Excellent food. I'd highly recommend a visit.

I’ve only eaten here once or twice as it almost impossible to get in without a reservation - it’s always very busy. It’s part of the larger cairn bay lodge and the Starfish is not clearly signed from the main road. It does, however, have a sizeable car park at the rear. The food is really good and the service is friendly and homely. My family would use it much more frequently but, as I said, it’s hard to get a walk/in table.

Arrived at 1.50pm and stood waiting for a table (there were many free!) to be told 10 minutes later that the kitchen closed at 2pm (contrary to the sign outside which said 2.30pm). Grim service.

I enjoyed my visit to The Starfish. The food was good and I was impressed by the friendliness and attentiveness of the staff.

City of Bangor should be grateful to have such a beautiful restaurant in the Borough !

We were lucky with the weather that day to take a table outside & it’s our all time favourite place to go for food. One chose the Irish cooked breakfast & I chose the “ purgatory eggs” chilli, peppers , tomato base with crumbled feta cheese & sourdough toast & we had coffee with complimentary fill ups ! Service was spot on & we met Holly the resident pooch who was friendly … we will be back again soon , Thankyou to chef & servers !

Amazing food and free top ups of filter coffee. Enjoy the amazing view infront while enjoying the brunch!

Food very good one week then poor the next week

Fantastic location. Nice enough food and pleasant service but £1.50 for an extra shot of coffee falls into the " You're having a laugh" category. It has put me off a return visit. Gerry Milligan. Not sure what the ? Means but.perhaps it was that I had pressed the send button in error before completing my comments. The above is now the full.message.

10/10 this place was so welcoming and quirky. Views are spectacular even on a rubbish day. Staff were so wonderful with us and didn’t mind our little ones causing a bit of noise and mess! Food was totally class too. Can’t wait to come back!

Good when you get in. However, when standing at the ‘please wait to be seated’ sign, there’s no acknowledgment from staff. Second time I’ve been left standing for 5-10 minutes while staff come in and out from the building and don’t acknowledge your presence, or let you know if there’s a wait on a table.

My wife brought me here for the first time Fri 10th May as she loved it previously. I could see why she loved it right away. The way we were welcomed and the standard of service even though they were extremely busy. Every detail of this place has been really well thought through. The decor is quite quirky but in a cool modern way that just works. Even the background music suited the character of the restaurant. The menu is really varied too. There was 4 of us and everyone raved about the food. I will definitely be returning

Had a delicious lunch in the Starfish cafe when we arrived early to checkin to the Cairn Bay Lodge for 3 nights. The menu has so many tempting brunch and lunch options it was difficult to choose, but we plumped for a delicious Japanese-style salad and a BaHo Bay bap along with refreshing soft drinks. We also sampled the best ever vegan sweet-treats which were a fantastic option for my non-vegan but dairy-intolerant companion. Overall, the freshness and quality of the food we had, and the attention to detail in each dish was top notch. That, combined with a nice, friendly, cafe vibe made it feel a very comfortable place to us. The building itself is a clever blend of original Arts & Craft features alongside quirky, eclectic decor... lots of interesting details to catch your eye while you're there, competing with the great view over Ballyhome Bay too, of course. We had a table for lunch inside but there were also outside tables set up on the sunny front terrace. While we were there in April 2024 the cafe was open from 9am to 3pm, Wednesday to Saturday (closed Sun/Mon/Tues) and I'd say it's worth going earlier rather than later because you might well be tempted to have more than one course!

Fantastic place. We visited with our family for brunch and were well accommodated even with our grandsons pram. Food was excellent, i had the purgutory eggs, one of the best dishes i have ever had. Really friendly and attentive young staff. Maybe a bit pricey, but not any dearer than some famous high street coffee shops. Cant wait to return.

What a lovely establishment!!! Welcoming at the door, seated quickly to a clean table next to a big window, overlooking garden and the sea. Food was incredible in presentation and taste. A Must Vist, very very nice experience.

Brought two friends for lunch as live nearby. The owner took our order and was extremely rude to my friend who simply asked for a smaller portion. We waited for some time for our meal , when the waitress came to take our order yet again!! My friend was so upset at the owners manner, but the rest of the staff were fine. Food was no better than average as eggs undercooked. Will definitely not be back

Views over the lough. Helpful staff, rustic as in old victorian rooms, and good grub.

Shocked to say that whilst here with a friend last week, they couldn’t cook an egg I minute longer to ensure it wasn’t soft, simple request I thought, as my friend is pregnant and can’t eat soft eggs. The reply was…we are too busy for that. I’m sorry, I don’t care how good you think you are but that was ridiculous. I’m pretty sure vegans and vegetarians are catered for so I couldn’t understand the response. Wont be back…..thank you for you reply. It is as unsatisfactory as your service was on the day. Once informed you were too busy and don’t make boiled eggs, we simply asked for a poached egg to be cooked a minute or so longer to ensure it was safe to eat. Can’t understand why this was so difficult. As you say, my choice whether or not to return. Have been coming here for years, with a large family who also visit . However, your response has made it a very easy decision not to return.

Lovely food and great service and staff

Lovely wee spot but popular so you cd wait for a table .....food was wonderful and staff were very friendly

I visited The Starfish yesterday with my husband for the first time and oh my was it amazing! The delicious food (we went for brunch), the buzzy atmosphere, the view and the lovely staff and service exceeded all our expectations. I highly recommend this place!

A table with a view over the bay & palm trees in the grounds of the cafe! A lovely menu to choose from for an early lunch , we chose the granola & soup & the other was “ purgatory eggs” ! The granola bowl was amazing presentation & taste .. such an amazing g selection of grains , nuts , cherries & the panacotta truly wonderful ! The soup gorgeous & home made was carrot & lentil with toasted sourdough .. the other the spiced egg dish just amazing … great cheffing well done & much appreciated! The service was however rather slow so take time to be here ( we had a small slot to order & eat ) … we will be back again soon !

Recently had breakfast in this busy, local location. Food as usual was delicious and from a menu with lots of choice. Service is quick and friendly. Would thoroughly recommend this place.

This was absolutely the best lunch I ever had!! Lovely place, great views.

Stopped in while on a trip for breakfast very friendly, very clean, food and service was 5 star would recommend stopping in if your in the area

Delicious scallops, chorizo and black pudding at The Starfish. Cute place!😁

Hard to imagine a better breakfast, brunch or lunch spot. Superb food. Fantastic staff. Lovely building. Often a wee queue but well worth a little wait. Highly recommended.

Everything was wonderful. I had to step out to take a phone call and was absent for 10-15 minutes, even before food was served. So, I thought it would sit on the table all cold when I got back. But they brought the food nice and warm right when I got back to the table. I really appreciated it. Also, food and coffee was very good. Great view too. All together it was a wonderful experience. Thank you💙💛

The breakfast, brunch, or lunches are always beautifully presented, healthy, and delicious. Whatever your diet, the attention to detail combining fresh ingredients with flair, along with friendly, impeccable service, makes this a reliably lovely place to enjoy scenic Ballyholme.

Fantastic brunch the other day we'll worth a visit if you have never been Very tasty food excellent staff

Great place for something a bit different

Great food, great staff, best place for brunch on the entire peninsula

Both my friend and I had a delicious lunch , good value, in a relaxed atmosphere and beautiful views.

Fantastic food and superb location! Will definitely visit again.

It's our little treat of the week. Possibly the best breakfast I've had in NI. Oozes quality, and the staff are so kind!

Very nice cafe, serves a lot of dishes which include eggs! Great service and nice surroundings.

Really good food and lovely sea views, very helpful staff

Great food and menu choice. Well worth a visit. Pity they don't open for Sunday brunch!

This is Our favourite Place in The World to Eat ,Stay and chill .So much that We booked Our Wedding family guests in there for a week Absolutely Amazing. Thanks Graham and Chrissi

Quirky surroundings with lovely food, fantastic service and great view.

Excellent place for a coffee, breakfast or lunch. Bijou B&B and quaint inside decor. Service was excellent, as was the view over Ballyholme Bay. Sunny day to sit outside. We'll be back!

Incredible food, setting, and atmosphere. The staff there are always so kind to our kid, thanks again, we'll be back.

THE best French toast I've ever had and lovely staff. Highly recommended.

Lovely place by the coast, the food has always been delicious but every time we go we all hate the coffee, it's way too sour almost like there's something wrong with it... Still keep going because the place is lovely and the food is good!

Perfect place to enjoy a snack or lunch overlooking Ballyholme Bay. Good choice on the menu and anything I've had has been fresh, tasty and beautifully presented. Very pleasant staff and prices quite reasonable.

First visit after being recommended by a friend. Lovely spot with gorgeous views. Staff are excellent. Coffee was absolutely first class and my loaf cake and hubby's banana bread were delicious. Will most definitely be back.

Still one of the best places for breakfast or lunch in the city. Great owners staff and selection of lovely food. Popular and busy! Consistently high standard

Everything was lovely would recommend

Enjoyed the Crab Benedict. Thought the combination of crab, avocado and egg was unusual, but it worked pretty well, even if the crab flavour was not as pronounced as I'd hoped. Pleasant outlook makes it a good place to meet.

The sausage in the bacon & sausage bap was very solid and I didn't eat it all. Was disappointed on arrival as we had both come there especially for the porridge which was brilliant the last time we went. It wasn't on the menu this time but we tried other options which we didn't really enjoy. There were only 2 other people in the breakfast area so little atmosphere. A few more outside though. Most pleasant staff though.

Great location,,. Up market menu

Took my wife and nieces for breakfast this morning. Wonderful decor, friendly staff and great quality produce, well cooked and expertly presented. A step-up from the usual breakfast/brunch menu and we can't wait to return. A definite keeper!

Eclectic cozy feel. I love that it's right by the sea, and it has a lot of charm. The food was delicious, and I never felt rushed even though it was busy. Refills on filter coffee as well!

Really great vibe, service and food! Cosy and delicious:)

I really loved the place! Last year I traveled from Guatemala to Northern Ireland for holidays, I had the opportunity to visit a lot of places with my family, this place was one of my favorites. I liked that It's near the sea, with a relaxed area, good decoration and the most important things: the nice people and the amazing food. I would like to come back soon!

Excellent food bit of a wait for a table but shows they are busy which is a good thing

Great views. Friendly staff. Yummy food.

I always enjoy going here for brunch! Can be busy at times so be prepared to wait for a few minutes for a table. “Eggs in purgatory” was a firm favourite but the rest of the menu is also very good!

I was there with a friend for brunch. She had the fry, I had the veggie fry. Food was delicious and we had a wonderful view out over the bay. We will definitely be back.

Excellent food and lovely staff. On my first visit I had the pimped up avo toast which was delicious. Yesterday I had the ham benedict, I would rate it as the best breakfast/brunch I have ever had, will definitely be back.

Lovely place, cosy, homely, and food was superb. I think genuinely the best black pudding I have ever had!! Will definitely be back as it’s almost on our doorstep! Great service too.

In a beautiful location, right by the sea. Stunning views from the windows. I love the character of the place. Food lovely, and staff very helpful.

We'll be back often as it's a super place for lunch ☺️

I recently visited The Starfish and was very impressed. The breakfast selection was excellent and the view of the sea was stunning. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and the brunch options were great. Highly recommend The Starfish for a memorable experience.

Great place with amazing view, clean and beautiful rooms.The hosts are really friendly and welcoming. Breakfast was great. The only thing I would like the owners to change would be the problematic door code system at the entrance a simple key lock would have been better.

Lovely breakfast, atmosphere and service. Special place.

Loved this gorgeous place...food was amazing and house was a beautiful stylish old house with a friendly atmosphere and staff

Enjoyed morning there with a friend . Food good .

Lovely little coffee shop, splendid food available AND free coffee refills!

Lovely place - first visit. Huge scone - maybe too big!! Lovely staff and atmosphere.

First visit to this amazing restaurant. Food was delicious, Staff so friendly and nothing was a hinderence. Thank you and look forward to next visit 😊

This place has an amazing view and absolutely gorgeous food,staff were great,couldn't do enough for you. Would definitely recommend.

Excellent and great friendly service. Food was beautiful and tasty. We try and time our walks along the beech to coa in side with there opening times.

I was here a few months ago now and had an awful experience when bringing my dog. I was at their outdoor seating, another dog off lead came over appearing friendly (collie type) and then it went for my dog. Turns out after speaking to staff it’s the owners dog and is allowed to roam freely. I Had been here before with my dog and friends and had no issue, but after this I won’t return. Food is nice generally but kind of expensive. Coffee is average.

A gorgeous place to sit and eat but they are charging a lot for very little. The breakfast I ate was one slice of tough sourdough, some avocado, chutney and one egg and it was £12! My friend ordered the french toast which came with a teaspoon of mascarpone. when she asked for some more, another teaspoon of it was brought out and £1 added to her already substantial bill. This was such a disappointing brunch we won't be back.

Great view of Ballyholme bay, staff very attentive, limited food choice but very good quality and plenty on plate. Will definitely go back.

Really quirky inside very friendly staff good food would recommend.

First time I'd been, great food and service plus the views not bad either over ballyholme 🏖 beach.

Quel endroit agréable ! Le personnel est adorable, le banana bread à tomber ! Et la vue sur la baie est superbe. Je recommande ce restaurant !

Beautiful location and fabulous food.

Beautiful breakfast. Struggled to finish it. Lovely seaview table and gift shop as well.

Amazing breakfasts, lovely ambience and the service is attentive without being intrusive. Prices have just gone up quite considerably.

This is a charming cafe /restaurant on an elevated site with clear views of the seafront. We all had the seafood chowder which was absolutely the best I have had in Bangor. Lovely bits of various seafood in a light creamy sauce with vegetables and samphire. The staff were attentive and the prices reasonable.

Lovely find on a wet day. Staff very welcoming and full breakfast served until 12.30 fabulous. Other food looked great.

Excellent coffee and food in a beautiful setting and always so much to look at and admire.

Food really lovely, service impeccable, refills of tea and coffee, beautiful views. What more could you ask for. Highly recommend!

Fabulous cafe based in a lovely 100 year old house that also has a B&B business. You don't have to be staying at the B&B to eat at the cafe. The food is outstanding and the service is friendly and efficient. It serves breakfast, lunch, great coffee and has daily specials on the menu. This popular Bangor cafe is in a beautiful location that looks out to sea at the mouth of Belfast Lough. There's indoor and outside seating and plenty of free parking in the area.

amazing restaurant and amazing and friendly service

Lovely interesting menu. A really beautiful old fashioned setting. Great for brunch with sea views. Staff lovely.

Lovely! Great staff and an excellent menu. The setting is beautiful, overlooking Ballyholme Bay, and especially if you get a window seat or eat at one of the tables outside in the better weather. Jenny, the owner, is very friendly ans always makes you feel welcome.

Absolutely beautiful brunch! Very high quality ingredients, nice relaxed decor. Really good choice of dishes, very well priced for the quality of dishes received. It has a lovely seating area in the front garden, with beautiful views overlooking the sea. We will definitely be back!

Slow service experienced but nice location and decoration. Worth a visit at the end of your walk on ballyholme!

Loved the scone, great coffee, excellent service and great location

I had lunch with a friend on Friday 14th January. The staff were so helpful in answering our questions. I had the winter saldad which was just incredible. The tahini dressing really enhanced the dish and every mouthful was a delight! My friend really enjoyed the chowder. I appreciated you listing where the food was sourced and it was so good to see you were using local suppliers. Please never remove this salad from your menu. I will bd back!

After queueing for half an hour the owner decided to take someone who just turned up as they knew them. Won't be back. There were 13 people in the queue ahead of this person who the owner was on 1st name terms with. Didn't offer us the table, and as there weren't table big enough for our group we would always have been split between 2 tables.

Very nice i will definitely be back. Lovely setting with great food. Great veggie options as well. The only bad thing is that the portions are a little small for the price. But definitely very tastey and i would treat myself again.

Delicious food, superb surroundings, friendly staff, great value. I’ll definitely be back.

Very good as always. Had the fry which was lovely and dry. Staff so pleasant and helpful which is just norm in this place