General Merchants — Restaurant in Belfast

Highly recommended by a friend, my husband I called in for lunch after some shopping - had to wait for a table but staff were friendly and helpful and the ambiance good, so we were ok with that. On looking at the menu which I felt was limited unless you wanted breakfast or bready things, I thought I wasn't going to see anything which attracted me. However we both settled for what I think was called the Little Ox salad (alas not memorable enough to remember the name) Consisting of quinoa, chicken on a bed of spinach and topped with an over generous helping of flavoured sour cream which unfortunately overpowered the very small bowl of food. I was dismayed to see one of two friends sitting next to me being served with one small sausage roll on a plate/board with nothing else but a mini dish of salsa - nil for presentation and quantity! Her friend obviously noticing the lack of food offered to share hers with her. Anyway, we left the restaurant still hungry and feeling that at around. £8.50 a head for a main course which was more like a starter, value for money was poor. To top it all we were billed for items we didn't buy but in fairness this was easily sorted. So disappointing for a place with such great potential. I have given 1 star for friendliness and 1 for ambient surroundings. Crossed off our list of lunchtime retreats I am...

Need to teach their servers manners.

I asked this blonde girl with tattoos for an extra side of toast (she said the soup came with bread and if i wanted an extra slice to which I said NO because I had asked for a SIDE of toast.) When the food came I waited about 10 minutes for my side. Then a man came over and asked if we were finished, I said no since I had asked for a separate side of toast, the guy walked away before I was able to correct him since he said an extra slice then this blonde girl started talking about me while I was less than 5 ft away. She groaned loudly and said that she asked me if I wanted an extra slice and i said no (which I didn't because I asked for toast) my friend had a nice coffee and the food was amazing but the server ruined my day.

To be fair, I'm awful at ordering for myself but I felt so awful after I heard her talk to me that when they brought me my raw bread I just didn't bother finishing and we left the restaurant.

Overall 3/10 would NOT recommend. Probably have better staff at...

Just an all round poor experience. We were seated about 3.50pm and the server came for our order about 5 minutes later. When asked about ordering some sausage rolls she said we couldn’t have any because “the kitchen closes in a couple of minutes”. I take it she meant 4.00pm which was more than a couple of minutes away. She didn’t check with the kitchen to see what was possible. Food was still being brought from the kitchen to tables at 4.15. I don’t think a couple of sausage rolls, ordered before the kitchen’s closing time, was too much to ask.

We ordered a couple of hot chocolates and they arrived 15 minutes later. The waitress started to reach the drinks to us over the head of our granddaughter who was in a high chair beside us. I immediately stopped her and took the drinks off her safely away from any danger. When I did this she said “just be careful with those”. Well no s**t, you think!

Turned out it didn’t matter anyway - the drinks were just about warm, nowhere near hot.

Will not...