The Windrose Bar & Bistro in Carrickfergus

The best restaurant in Carrickfergus. So happy you’re open again!

Only by chance realised it had reopened so called in for a drink not food although there were people eating. It was lovely, fresh, clean and warm with lovely decor. Would like to go back for a meal.

Nope! Tried The Wind Rose this afternoon for lunch. Interior lovely with several customers enjoying meals. Many, many empty tables, however when requested a table for two for a quick lunch was told "None available as getting ready for evening entertainment". Attitude of staff same as last time. I, nor my colleague, will be back.

This was my first time in the Wind rose from reopening and I must say I was very impressed, the service was great, the staff were very attentive and the food was delicious, I got the daube of beef, the portion size was great and the beef was so tender. I will be back

Booked a table online for 7:30pm on Saturday the 4th of May. Got a confirmation email the day before. Arrived there and it was closed.

This photo shows one of two plates of 'short rib, w/ mac and cheese'.......

Lovely location and atmosphere, the food was lovely and would certainly be back again for a meal sometime. Upon paying we were told the chef had been recently changed, I've seen some not so great reviews but my personal experience dining with a family of six l, it was spot on.

Dined with friends recently at The Windrose. Gorgeous food, clean throughout. Haven't been in a long time but will definitely be back. Staff were courteous, professional and couldn't do enough even though it was a busy day. Management should be proud of their staff as they added to the experience.

Worst meal I've ever had.. service and staff... awful.. won't be back

We've been going to the Windrose on and off since moving to Carrickfergus 20 years ago. Some great experiences some not so great, last night was not so great. Gone is the fresh new menu that appeared last Autumn to be replaced with a crumpled A4 sheet. Our server nearly laughed when we asked were there any specials on. The service was ok from the usual young inexperienced staff. The starter was wings in a hot sauce with celery sticks and dip we got wings with virtually no sauce and one small celery stick. Not asked if the starter was ok. Mains were ribs which were dry, luke warm, and the sauce was bland. One plus point was the triple cooked chips. Not asked if the mains were ok. If you look back at photos posted by diners of the ribs last year there is no comparison. To make matters worse I was charged £1.95 for about 2 tablespoons of cold bbq sauce which I asked for on the side. I think if we are eating out in Carrick we'll give The Windrose a miss until things improve.

Beautiful view, lovely chicken,staff friendly and helpful

Great place to eat, always enjoy going. Service sometimes can be slow, if they’re busy. They have implemented a deposit scheme when booking online, which I am ok with. However the last two times I’ve been I have to actually ask for the money taking off my final bill as they don’t do it automatically.

Great tasty hearty food. We were there with my mum and her friend in their eighties - the menu suited all palates and arrived really well presented and in good time. The staff were brilliant - so friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We felt well looked after……and lovely views over the marina.

Staff were lovely however food was very poor. Lasagne was like powdered mince with plastic pasta. Did mention and this was somewhat rectified with free dessert however will not be back.

Couldn't believe how good the £10 lunch was. Amazing value for money. The food was delicious and the staff were just lovely. Above and beyond.

Menu has changed and we were very disappointed with the lack of options. Staff were lovely and friendly but didn't make up for the lack of favourite choices. Left without eating

Went to the windrose for a meal with the girls. Menu wasn't great. We had to wait to order as kitchen was busy when meal arrived it was poor chicken dry chips burnt we were so hungry with the wait we eat didn't want to wait for anything else. Definitely worth be back. Also cocktails very poor need to inprove.

Was really looking forward to lunch here. Booked a table the day before. Arrived on time. Told there was a short wait. Got drinks. 45 minutes later we abandoned this booking as people were being served ahead of us who had arrived after us and not a single staff member had spoken with us to advise us on the delay. The worst service possible. I blame the owner for not training the staff. And not planning for a busy weekend.

My favourite place to eat in Carrickfergus.

We like to support local business and prefer to eat in Carrick rather than make the journey into Belfast. We have eaten in the Windrose many times and enjoy its position at the harbour and its friendly, attentive staff. Something however has changed. We struggle to order from the revised menu and on our last visit the chicken curry dish was the worst ever in terms both of taste and presentation. It looked something more like a poorly prepared stew. Sadly won't be back unless there is a change either to the menu or the chef.

Heard good things about the restaurant but sadly disappointed. I found a stone in my food and my partners burger was lukewarm, and the peppersauce arrived late and cold. Restaurant overall was very quiet and staff were…ok We were given my meal free of charge and offered a free dessert. However 2 other tables had complaints while we were there. One was waiting a long time for desserts and had to leave. The other was given the wrong starters. The one thing I would say is (who I believe) was the manager on duty want above and beyond to apologise and offer as much as she could to rectify the situation. Sadly won’t be back.

A fantastic spot situated at Carrick Marina. We had a sumptuous repast of sizzling chicken with rice and sweet potato fries plus pulled pork and black pudding bonbons. This was followed by pavlova and coconut and jam sponge with custard plus a pot of tea. Overall an exquisite epicurean delight and we cannot wait for a return visit. Warm friendly staff and our server Natalia was just delightful. Many thanks indeed. The Hadacol Brothers 😋😋😋😋😋

Had the most beautiful rib eye steak there everywhere I go I always ask for really well done I don't like pink in my steak and this is the Frist time I got what I asked for staff are lovely very friendly one of my favourite restaurants all the meals I've had have always been lovely and the deserts are amazing especially the sticky toffee pudding

Maybe it was because of the imminent arrival of Xmas but this food was less than mediocre. It’s a shame because the setting, overlooking Belfast Lough is great. It only needs to improve the menu and include some fish.

Never have I felt so unwelcome in a restaurant as here

The food wasn't as good as it could have been but any shortcomings were more than made up for by the helpfulness, enthusiasm and keenness of the staff make eating well worthwhile. Many thanks to you all.

Had a beautiful lunch today with my wife. I had chicken sizzler and my wife had vegetable curry both were beautiful presented and tasted great.the restaurant sits beside Carrickfergus marina so you can have a great view while you enjoy your meal one last thing the staff are brilliant

Agree with another review that there was a lot of young and inexperienced staff, although I felt they worked hard and were putting in great effort during a busy time. Food was great and priced fairly for the quality. Well presented and freshly made. Only downside was one drinks order that must’ve got misplaced although it wasn’t on bill so easily sorted. Will be back

Safe were ok until restaurant became busy, then they seemed overwhelmed. Starters were ok. Main course was awful. I ordered prawn linguine. How you burn linguine is beyond me. Kids meals were definitely not worth the money. A round of white toast for garlic bread?! Lovely location. Expected better.

Thanku to the windrose for a lovely boxingday especially to the manager for the great service

Won't be back! Terrible food and service! Place needs new management! Good spot but that's about it!

This place needs new management! The whole experience was diabolical. The overpriced food and service is abysmal. Overcooked unpalatable burger, cold frozen fries, slimy salad, coleslaw tasted vile, glasses were filthy, waited an hour for food. Staff extremely inattentive. Members of staff walked past the table on multiple occasions with empty glasses on the table. There is no leadership at all in this place. We will never be back. There are already so many bad reviews, wish I had looked before booking. I’m not surprised the place is empty most of the time. The excuse given was that it was just after Christmas and they had been very busy. That’s no excuse for terrible food and service! It’s honestly the worst meal we have had and we will never be back. The only positive remark I can make about this place is its location on the quay side.

Went here for Boxing Day and had their set menu. We were a mix of adults and children ranging from baby to teenagers. Where do I even start? Service was shocking, too many young inexperienced waiters running around like headless chicken. First drinks order taken down wrong, I received a white wine instead of the coke I ordered. Quickly rectified but kinda set the tone for the rest of the afternoon. Soup for starters was supposed to come with bread. 4 soups were ordered, no bread in sight. We asked for the bread and were given two small slices for 4 people. The soup also hadn’t seen any salt or pepper during the cooking process. On to the 2nd drinks order which was partly spilled over the baby and her dad in our group. Both were soaked in gin and the rest of the mixer and ice cubes landed on the floor. Was the floor mopped? Nah, the ice was just left there to melt. Then came the mains. Steak was surprisingly cooked to perfection but the salmon was advertised online as having an apple and watercress salad but it came with very soft carrots and overdone sprouts? We were then given the menus to select our desserts. It took about 25 minutes (and many unsuccessful attempts to get the attention of a server who literally looked straight at us but chose to ignore us) until we could order the desserts. Brownie advertised as having a honeycomb crumble. No crumble in sight. The boozy berry trifle with spiced chantilly cream was just a bog standard trifle. Nothing boozy about it plus it was a packet custard mix and regular whipped cream. No spiced chantilly as advertised. Maybe the chefs that get a salary between 40-50k each could work on actually cooking what’s on the menu and use some salt and pepper. Unfortunately it’s not the quality it used to be which is a shame cause it’s a really nice spot to be at but if the food is letting you down that much there’s not much incentive to come back.

Worst food I have had in a long time. all food ordered come out wrong and sweets were terrible had to send them back

Had such a lovely lunch to celebrate two family birthdays. Staff were amazing and made every effort to accommodate us and make the day extra special. Huge thanks

Beautiful lunch. Lovely fish and chips. I will be back soon. Lovely place with great views

I was here for my birthday. Staff are VERY attentive.

Waited over 40 mins for our dinner and had to ask where it was, it was then served up cold and the service was abysmal, they put you at a table and don't come near you that you had to go up and ask for anything you wanted such as more drinks while we were waiting and also waited over 10 mins for them to bring a menu. Experience as a whole was terrible!!!!

I’ve been yesterday for lunch with a few friends. First time at the Windrose. The food was outstanding however the staff was even better. Girl in glasses who I think is a supervisor/manager sat us at a table was extremely helpful and she made our day 😁. Will definitely recommend and come back very soon.

Great food with great customer service. Everything nice and fresh, quality view and great service by two really nice and polite girls. Will visit again

Had a great lunch, cooked well large portion value for money great service. Could not fault it at all.

My food looked lovely until I tasted it, a little separate dish held veg which was cold, but not just cold it was like ice cubes, they took away to microwave it. No chef would make that error. I will not repeat that again ice cold food is not acceptable.

Beautifully lit restaurant, delicious food. Sadly at 10pm we were offered last orders at the bar and told the restaurant would close in 20-30 mins. We were 3 ladies on our Christmas night out with taxi booked for 12.30. Put out at 10.30 after paying our bill . Sad, disappointed, to say the least. Young lady who told us that she was closing, had no warmth or care for clients . SHAME

Nice spot. Food is good and friendly, helpful staff

We had a super meal last night. 16th November. I know they have been without a chef for a while but all back and motoring again. Rack of ribs was very tasty. Staff were very accommodating. Fully recommend

Great food and spectacular views. The staff were on point and made the experience very pleasurable.

Sister took me out for Birthday lunch and really enjoyed it, food was lovely will defiantly be back! 🍔🍟🥤

Staff were lovely and pleasant, very helpful. I will definitely come back again. Thank you for the lovely experience.

Came here for a family Sunday lunch. Wasn't busy when we turned up but we were there just after 12pm. The food was good and a good portion too! Think we all had the roast beef in the end. Service was prompt and staff were friendly. Overall I couldn't fault it. Nice Guinness too.

Couldn't fault the service and food we just had at the Windrose. I am intolerant to Dairy & Gluten and they looked after me very well and were very knowledgeable about the menu and would I could have. Sirloin steak was cooked nicely.

There food waS not nice nothing on menu for vegetarians they had a one item on not even ask could they do anything to help me out

We visited for the 2nd time at the end of August. The food was spectacular; fabulous menu. Tasted scallops for the first time - Wow! And that’s coming from a non fish eater. Service was 5*, restaurant is beautiful; LOVE the industrial vibe decor. Fantastic atmosphere too. Highly recommend and can’t wait to go back.

Lovely food . Went of this restaurant a few months ago but must have got a new chef . The food is amazing. Gary don't let this guy go. Ate here 4 days in a row it is that good. Catch of the day is fantastic 👌 keep it up

Fantastic place!! Lovely staff!! TASTY FOOD!!

Food was delicious, service was good , would highly recommend the seafood chowder

Lovely place for a meal, great service,very friendly and attentive staff. Would recommend!!

Shocked & surprised, have been eating in the Windrose in and out over the last 30 years I even had my wedding reception in the upstairs restaurant. Some years the food has been terrible and other years it’s been excellent, well 2023 is an excellent year. Service and food are very good, hopefully, it lasts until 2024.

I booked a 60th birthday meal two months ago for the 20th of August 2023 and paid the deposit. Because of the size of our group (18 persons) we were told we could only be accommodated at a long table facing the marina view window, this we happily accepted. On arrival for our booking, my wife who had gone to great trouble arranging things entered the restaurant first to place some balloons and cake on our table only to be met by the manageress (the same person who took our booking) telling us that one half of our table was still occupied by a family whose dining plans had run over. At this point we were offered various seats and tables all set apart from each other. This was obviously unacceptable as we had more family members arriving and this was not what we had booked. After much confusion we ended up being sat at two different tables which again was not ideal and was not what we had booked and was in fact a breach of our booking agreement with the restaurant. Several times the manageress was asked why the party already sat at our table had not been informed that they would be required to vacate the table by a certain time and several times we were met with nonsensical unprofessional excuses. At this point we would have left and gone elsewhere but for the size of our group and the difficulty of us being accommodated at another restaurant at such short notice and we reluctantly sat at two separate tables. I would say that the choice of the Windrose was down to me the birthday boy as I have eaten there many times and have always enjoyed the food. The service that followed was completely shambolic as it would seem that we were served by a group of undertrained teenagers who just could not get the drinks orders right. Having just come out of hospital the week before, I just wanted a quiet enjoyable meal with my family and was not prepared to stand my ground with regards to the slow, shambolic service that followed nor the unprofessional excuse ridden, disingenuous mutterings of the manageress. On checking our bill I noticed that several drinks of a type of wine that no one at our table was drinking had been added to the bill. When brought to the manageress’s attention she was unhappy, and reluctantly removed the drinks from the bill. To add insult to injury she also had the cheek to add a service charge for the dire service that we had received. If it wasn’t for the chefs, this restaurant wouldn’t survive as no one would go there for the dire, unprofessional service they provide. The 18 members of my family who were in attendance will most certainly think twice before using the Windrose again and I would urge anyone reading this review to do likewise as there are an array of other restaurants close by who value their customers and will treat them with the professionalism that they are entitled to.

Rose wine was not chilled.. Ceasar salad was not worth the price, if not paying extra for the chicken breast with it. Food + service just OK

Great food and great service. Well worth a visit.

Will never be back 2 of my friends had pains in stomach vomiting all night one meal was cold had to go back I waited 10 mins had to ask for my meal as i saw girl bringing meals out for another table, then gave 2 small complimentary bottles wine it didn't cut it shocking, I hope my colleagues report to food agency.

Haven’t been here for a very long time, but as good a lunch as I remember. Service was a little slow towards the end but good otherwise. Will be back next time we need something to eat in Carrickfergus

After a Slight mistake putting my order through the staff were fantastic & the food matched. Thanks James H

Stopped here for a bite of lunch. Sat outside with a lovely view of the harbour. We had nachos, calamari and chips. Lovely food and friendly staff.

Over all great, music a bit too loud and not my liking.

Lovely place, lovely staff , great food highly recommended, great terrace overlooking the marina peaceful and a joy to have a drink there after your meal.

Great service even though we hadn't booked the lady in charge got us a seat very quickly. She was all over the place making sure everyone was enjoying their meal and they were happy with the service. She deserves a clap on the back.

Went with a group of friends and was amazed by the food. It was the lunch menu and not a complaint by anyone. I had the open prawn sandwich it was truly l of the best I ever had. Will definitely be back.

Restaurant is in a good location with easy parking and a great view of the harbor. Unfortunately it all goes down hill after that. Food was average, presented and plated well, but very bland. Service was absolutely terrible. The available tables they did have were not cleaned and covered in food/crumbs. We had to get up and find someone to get drinks and get our check at the end of the meal.

Was surprised how lovely the decor was. Food was great and staff lovely.

Located in Carrickfergus at a stunning marine - is this restaurant. We have been there twice this year and on both occasion the experience was much the same. Food was lovely and had decent portion sizes. Plenty of veggie options - psstt try the Cauliflower Wings for starters. I also had the Seafood Chowder, it was lovely but missing a hit of something - cannot put my finger on it. Service is ok, the are lovely and friendly but I think why I have scored this down is due to missing orders. We ordered a round of drinks and they approached us 20mins later to advise the order went missing and they needed to take it again. It then took an additional 10 mins for the drinks to come. This happened the previous time which was months ago. Overall it is a lovely place, overlooking the marine and would be somewhere I would recommend. Pros: - excellent location with many car spaces - family friendly venue - lovely decor - friendly staff Cons: - wait times could be managed - missing orders and needing to retake Additional notes: - wheelchair access seems limited as need to access steps coming into the venue. Perhaps the wheelchair accessiblilty is from the rear.

Love this restaurant. Never had a bad meal. Food is excellent. Lovely setting overlooking the marina. Staff are very friendly.

This is an amazing place if you want food or just a drink. There is a lovely atmosphere and the staff are always welcoming.

I have been to windrose around 3 times over the last 2/3 months. I can't fault the food at all- it is fantastic, especially the seafood. The windrose could be such an excellent restaurant especially due to its location and outside seating which is great. However, the staff really affect the rating I have to give. The second time I went, I was alone. There were 3 tables taken outside and as I was told the restaurant was dog friendly outside I stayed there. No one came near me for nearly 15 minutes before I had to go and ask for a menu inside. I carried my dog to the door and luckily a waitress was walking out at the same time who was able to give it to me. I waited about 15-20 mins before I decided that I would have to go inside to order. As I walked in, one of the staff came towards me saying that I wasn't allowed dogs inside. I explained I had been waiting a while and that no one had come outside to serve anyone. I was then told that there was no table service which really I don't understand. I explained that no one had told this to me and i wasnt sure how i could then order as i didn't want to leave my dog outside alone. I decided to pack up my stuff just as a waitress came to take my order. Again the food was great but the staff dont seem to know how to interact with guests. I returned again last week to see that you can now scan a QR code to order food. This is fine however I asked if someone could clean our table outside as it was quite dirty. One of the staff came to clean it but honestly she couldn't even get a hello out and literally ignored us. This made us feel very unwelcome. When my husband went to order food. There were two different table numbers on our table and when he ordered he was told that there wasn't that table number. He tried to show the waitress (the same one from the first incident) the table number to be told it had now changed to the other side for summer.... I'm not sure how we were supposed to know that. I'm sorry that this is so long and mostly negative but I just wish the staff could attempt to be somewhat more friendly as they are very off putting and make me not want to return...even though the food is so good.

Despite being extremely busy, the staff at Windrose were excellent and provided great service throughout the meal. The venue is also great to enjoy in the sun, with a relaxed yet inviting atmosphere. But the highlight of the experience was a combination of the food and service. The dishes were amazing, with a range of options that suited all tastes. The ingredients were fresh and carefully prepared, highlighting the chef's attention to detail when it comes to the quality of dishes. The portions were great too, with ample servings that left everyone feeling full and satisfied. Overall, I would highly recommend Windrose restaurant for anyone looking for a great venue with excellent food and helpful staff who went above and beyond at every stage during our visit. Special thanks to he Manager Vicky and the bar staff who were manic ye never ceased tp deliver service with a smile. The experience is sure to be worth the visit.

Was here years ago and the food used to be great. It's still nice food but menu is a bit limited. nice atmosphere with good views of the harbour.

Lovely lunch in the windrose. Good service. Nice location. Plenty of parking. Good music and TV screens. Food was lovely. Got the turkey and ham and steak sandwich.

Food was all amazing especially the duck 😋

Great food, great views, great service, great TVs for sport and great price for all. My 2 year old had a kid roast, and the meat was fantastic. Only issue I had was the soft drink was small so had to order 3 throughout the meal.

Sits right on the marina so great views of the boats and across Belfast Lough. On a sunny day sitting outside is the best place for a pint for miles.

Had lunch here on Monday, great food and service. Would definitely recommend!! Excellent gluten free options as well.

Spectacularly terrible I’d suggest you go to Ownies across the road. Waited far too long for cold chicken cold onion rings and a vegan option that resembled a WW1 ration. Service soo slow and remember to check your bill for extra items when paying !

Perfect spot on a good day. Still something missing to make it a great place to eat and drink.

Love love love, nice chilled atmosphere beautiful view, modern decor and the food is great 👍

This was a great place to catch up with an old friend on Easter Monday. Our waitress responded to a couple of requests for substitutions wth a cheerful "of course", and the staff were always on hand when we needed them. We had a booth by the windows overlooking the marina. After a substantial lunch we took the opportunity to walk along the path by the seashore.

Toilets where bad. Smell was disgusting

Had a great wee afternoon lunch and a few drinks very friendly. Best to book a table as they get very busy .

Top notch food n drink. Friendly staff, hidden gem.

Went here on a Wednesday night with a friend for food and a few drinks for a long over due catch up over a nice meal and few drinks. The service was very slow and soon after we were served our main we were made to feel very unwelcome by noisy cleaning and clattering around us as they wanted to close early as it wasn't busy making for a very uncomfortable dining experience. For context We were seated at 7.15 we probably got our steaks around 8pm and by 8.30 they were asking us to leave. They didn't tell us this before seating us. It's a really lovely venue with lots of potential to be a real cracker wee spot so really shouldn't be empty on a Wednesday night just after payday, very disappointing experience, I won't be back

Always great food, plenty of it, and good value

This restaurant was great! Great food and the staff was very friendly and attentive at an affordable price. This is one of favorite restaurants we have visited!

Not as good as our last 3 visits (before lockdowns)

Not been in alot of years but will definitely go back, service with a smile and the food was really good

Service was very good staff were lovely, food nice.

Need to update opening times now as January has some changes Thanks again for great service over December

We had Dinner at the windrose tonight and the food was beautiful ..staff was lovely and very friendly ..

Had a reservation but said that the system was down and couldn't sit us

Did not accept my reservation, due to the problem with restaurant system. According to the reception girl, she ricognized my reservertion but could not provide a table to me and my family becouse she forgot to close the system. It was not acceptable. I do not recommend this place based on my terrible experience.

Family outing, staff were courteous and polite. Food was excellent and plentyful. Well worth the money.

Good dinner n service Good help us. I well know boss.