The Harbour Cafe

Simple, honest food, excellent value for money, they do great range of food. Worth a visit.

I visited here earlier to grab a coffee. It's a compact cafe, well run, lots of seating and busy, but service was quick. Got a coffee to go-piping hot and tasty!!

The best little cafe I've ever been in. Typical set-up - small cafe, 4-seater tables, seats almost 50, takeaway available.

Serves the usual things you'd expect in most cafes - Frys (as in, sausages, bacon, egg, potato bread, soda bread, for visitors from further afield who may not be familiar with the term), stew, burgers, chippie food, etc., as well as a wide range of sandwiches, toasties, and paninis.

You're never quite sure what the menu will be in different cafes, but this is where the Harbour really goes the extra mile. It has something for almost everyone: baked potatoes with a variety of fillings, chicken goujons, Pukka pies, lasagne, chicken curry... It really makes an effort to ensure that you have a wide choice when you go for lunch, especially when you have four or five friends all going for something to eat, with none quite having decided exactly what they want til they get there.

Not only that, but every day they have daily specials, the best of which is always a meal and a can of coke/sprite, etc. for £3.95!

On my first visit I was, as you probably are, a bit sceptical, but I was not disappointed. The daily special the first time I was there was chicken curry with chips or rice, and a can, for £3.95. I got the chicken curry served over the chips, and it was clear they wanted you to be well fed! The curry was of a perfect consistency and was nicely spiced, and there was no shortage of chunks of tender chicken breast. I think the chips were home-made but, if they weren't, they were the nicest frozen chips I'd ever had. It was an excellent feed with quality ingredients at a bargain price, and I couldn't wait to go back.

The next time, I had a Pukka pie, which are becoming very popular among pie-lovers (no time for puns or innuendo!), and are now being sold in supermarket chains. They come in minced beef, chicken, etc., so I had one with chips and peas, with a can, for, you've guessed it £3.95.

The next time I was there (no, I do not live beside this place!), the special was lasagne, chips and salad, and a dollop of coleslaw. The lasagne was everything you'd want - tomatoey, meaty, cheesy... the coleslaw was fresh and creamy, and the chips were their usual best. It just oozed home cooking. Care to hazard a guess at the price? £26. I'M KIDDING, it was of course, £3.95, can included.

So, ok, five stars for a cafe? The Harbour Cafe deserves it. As cafes go, this one takes the biscuit, especially at a time when so many substandard cafes are opening in Belfast - you know the type, somewhere opens up and throws in any kid who can operate a frying pan and an oven, cooks whatever crap they want, and expects people to buy it and thank them for it.

So you won't get your double-whipped, non-soya, half-fat, nutmeg-flavoured, mocciacacano coffee here, but who needs it?

You'll get good home cooking, plenty of it, great variety, bargain prices, and friendly service (if I haven't mentioned it) that only sees you waiting 5-10 minutes even at peak times (they're a busy little bunch in there). It's unfortunate that this place isn't in the city-centre, and is a bit out of the way, but that doesn't stop it being busy every lunchtime with people making a point of stopping off at this spot for their lunch.

Hard to whack.