Town Square — Restaurant in Belfast

We used to visit Town Square to have a pint (or half pint) and grab a bite. We looooved the bacon skinny fries. However, yesterday's (and not only that time) visit was disappointing. We were told to either order on the bar or through the app. We choose the app as we wanted the skinny fries. Took us 10 minutes to order, as I couldn't find the bacon skinny fries on the menu and then couldn't find how to order a half pint. I settled with a pint and then noticed that I can add on bbq bacon skinny fries. But when I headed to the checkout page bacon skinny fries were now called beef chilly skinny fries. Anyhow, we thought we could try them. They were terrible!!! Cold, dipped in sauce and not even close to the tastiness of the bacon fries. I ordered then parmesan fries, which were ok. But 10 minutes later the waitress brought another bowl of the parmesan fries, probably confused with the orders. I understand that all hospitality businesses are trying to cut back on costs but ordering through an app while in the bar is just terrible. If I wanted a takeout drink I could as well order it from the comfort of my own home. Having spend 10 minutes to place an order when this would take about 2 minute to a waitress is just terrible and not showing support to local workforce. And when at checkout asking me to tip. Tip what exactly? The service that haven't been offered yet? A few of months back, when they started working with ordering through the phone, we sat outside, ordered though the app and it took 30 minutes for the drinks to arrive! And this was after my husband headed inside the bar to ask where are our drinks. Clearly staff is confused with the app and all of these issues (like yesterdays bringing food twice) would not happen if there was a waitress taking orders. After the disappointing 2 visits, we won't...

Not allowed sit outside because I hadn’t physical ID to match covid cert??? We were refused entry because I didn’t have physical ID only a photo of it, I’m not going to carry my passport around with me. Showed COVID certs and weren’t even allowed to sit outside? How can we be refused to sit outdoors regardless of covid certs? (Even tho we had them and they were scanned) Very condescending member of staff who clearly just didn’t want our custom. We’re staying in the hotel attached, we were just going to go pop down to try the cocktails, will happily go elsewhere.

UPDATEDX2 I’ve seen the reply here, government guidelines are no businesses fault, I understand and appreciate that. Don’t reply that your staff were just following guidelines when the couple in front of us weren’t asked for what we were! Your staff did not want our custom for what ever reason, we’re good respectful people with money to spend, if in these times your establishment don’t need that well then good on them. Try not to hide behind covid or governments guidelines as reason of refusal, we gave everything required, our custom just wasn’t wanted it as simple as that.

The couple in front was from Dublin!! Just like us. And I did provide a form of identification, I showed a photo of my passport. So you can look at the image attached on your iPad to verify identification but not look at the image I provided to verify mine?...

TSq used to be my favourite spot - I lived round the corner, adored going there for their coffees & carrot cake, their chill and relaxed atmosphere and great breakfast or dinner food... I was a regular from late 2018 to 2021, and it used to be my first choice for drinks or coffee hangouts. However now as the years have gone the food quality and offer has declined, the fries taste and feel like frozen ones you'd find anywhere else, the cocktails (used to have the best espresso martini in town imo!) are very hit or miss (each cocktail tasting different even when ordering the same multiple times), and the music is often so loud (even outside!) it is difficult to maintain a conversation and hear each other if you're not here to yell.

The staff has always been lovely, I've never had a bad experience on that front, and the ordering on QR code is very convenient* (*if you have data/a phone plan that includes internet... for tourists or else, if you're expecting everyone to order through phones, the least could be to provide WiFi in a clear way) but the overall atmosphere means I no longer want to stay past 1 drink. I keep going back, hoping to have a better experience, but my last 4-5 visits have been...