• About
    • About Us
    • Assessment Process
    • Contact Us
    • Quotes & Testimonials
    • Award Winners »
      • Awards Presented
      • Awards Received
    • Info for Owners »
      • Info for Owners
      • Industry Register/Login
  • Awards
  • Eat
  • Drink
  • Stay
  • Buy
  • Learn
  • Producers
  • 10 of the Best
    • Eat
    • Drink
    • Stay
    • Buy
    • Learn
    • Producers
  • Articles
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • By Georgina Campbell
  • Special Offers
  • Competitions
  • Shop
    • Recipe Cards
    • Buy Guidebooks
    • Buy Cookbooks
    • GPS POIs for Garmin
    • « Ireland Apps
      • iPhone App
      • Blackberry App
      • Samsung App
      • Nokia App
      • Ireland for Food Lovers App
    • « Cooking Apps
      • iCook - Recipes & Cooking with Neven
      • APPetiser - Recipes & Cooking with Derry Clarke
      • For the Love of Food – Kevin Dundon
  • More+
    • Gardens
    • Golf
    • Self Catering
    • What's On
    • Tourist Attractions
    • Wedding Venues
Ireland Guide
Ireland Guide

- ireland -

Graphics Version | 
Ireland’s Leading Independent Food & Hospitality Guide
  • LOGIN/SIGNUP
    • My Ireland Guide
    • Industry
Home > Eat > General Merchants

Eat

Comments(0) Add Comment

General Merchants

Café / Restaurant

Dislike Like
1 votes (100%)
Print page Send to a friend
Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality.

General Merchants

Following on the success of its cousin on Upper Newtownards Road, General Merchants 361 is the travel-to neighbourhood café in south Belfast - after ten years immersed in the cosmopolitan café culture of Melbourne, Australia, chef and co-owner Tim Fetherston has raised the bar for café cuisine and coffee for rivals near and far.
Seat 55+ Open: Mon-Tue 8am-6pm, Wed-Sat 8am-11pm, Sun 9am-6pm. A la carte. Licensed. Major cards. abbreviations
Georgina Campbell

Following the launch of the original General Merchants Café in east Belfast a year earlier (see entry), General Merchants opened on the Ormeau Road in 2016.


Just over a mile from the city centre, it's on a corner location and easy to spot with its name embossed on the awning. It has a free parking bay outside and the wheel chair friendly access ramp takes you inside where the painted brick walls and black ceiling say industrial yet the wall-mounted lamps create a cosy atmosphere and there's attention to detail in the parquet flooring and central strip of mosaic tiles. With seating for up seventy, there are tables for two and four people as well as two bigger communal  tables in the middle of the room to share with other customers.


Staff are attentive and well informed on what's on offer. Breakfast options are served all day. Recommended for a first visit is the popular Nomad Breakfast, a feast of toasted and buttered sourdough, sweet harissa, smashed avocado, fresh pomegranate, Feta, house made dukkah and poached eggs. Head chef and co-owner Tim Fetherston spent ten years in the Australian city enjoying other food cultures around the world that he has now brought home to Belfast.


Also recommended for breakfast is the Mexican Migas – toasted masa tortillas, Givan’s ham, sweetcorn, scallions, pickled jalapeño, smashed tortilla chips, tossed in a Cheddar cheese scram and topped with pico de Gallo verde


Lunch options from 11am include Bao Chicka Bao Wao – steamed Bao buns, double fried chicken, Korean mayo, house pickles, baby Gem, pickled ginger, coriander and scallions, served with shoestring fries.

 


Impressive too is the Kid's Daytime Menu. It has five options priced £2.50 to £3.50 including ham and cheese toastie, waffle and maple syrup as well as plain or spicy sauce rolls.


On the drinks front mention must be made of the cortado coffee (an amount of espresso with an equal amount of warm milk). Few cafes in Belfast serve or know of the existence of this smaller preferable alternative to the ubiquitous bucket-size cup of cappuccino


The evening menu is served from 5pm to 9.30pm, Wednesday to Saturday. For starters you might try the Gambas Pil Pil, a sublime combination of  Portavogie prawns, garlic, chili, butter and parsley; go for the additional add on chorizo for an exceptional starter.



Typical mains include the Maestranza Burger (£9.50); made with three ounces of beef from Hannan's of Moira and served with a side of fries, it is garnished with  maple mustard, campfire sauce and melted cheese. The highlight ingredient in the bun however is the pickled cucumber.


Fish Tacos (£7.50) consists of two toasted shell tacos, guacamole and beer batter cod and it works well with its accompaniment of Mexican salsa verde, red cabbage slaw, guacamole, seeds and cress.


An attractive vegetarian option is Connie's Veggie Burger (£9.50) served with fries. It consists of a quinoa, tofu and carrot pattie with smashed avocado, baby gem lettuce and tomato and chipotle mayo.


For dessert there are two main options. These may be a chocolate tart combining a homemade honeycomb and digestive base, dark chocolate ganache with raspberry sorbet and morello cherry gel, and perhaps a crème brûlée that is done exactly as it should be except one is arguably big enough for two. (If you disagree, order another!)


As well as delicious food made from local ingredients, there's a drinks menu featuring sixteen craft beers including some from the Hilden Brewing Company in Lisburn and the Farmageddon Brewery in Comber. No self respecting cafe would be without a gin menu these days so, of course, General Merchants has five on the menu, including the locally produced Jawbox and Shortcross.


The thirteen red and white wines available are mainly Spanish or Portuguese, at around £5.00 a glass, the others are New World.


All in all it's tasty, interesting, well presented food with an emphasis on quality and local provenance, and generally the service is good. Booking is to be recommended in the evening, especially at the weekend. Also, be aware that while background music and the chatter of happy diners can create atmosphere, the General Merchants can, on a busy Saturday night, be noisy, especially down the back where its ceiling is lower than at the front.


The menu at General Merchants is different and delicious and for the owners to call it a cafe is arguably to undersell it.

 

Less
Read More
Last Updated: 21-12-2019
Author: Georgina Campbell
Click here if you are the owner or marketing manager
array(13) {
  ["numpages"]=>
  float(2)
  ["firstpage"]=>
  int(1)
  ["lastpage"]=>
  float(2)
  ["pages"]=>
  array(2) {
    [1]=>
    int(0)
    [2]=>
    int(6)
  }
  ["current"]=>
  int(1)
  ["maxpages"]=>
  NULL
  ["prev"]=>
  NULL
  ["next"]=>
  int(6)
  ["remain"]=>
  float(5)
  ["to"]=>
  int(6)
  ["numrows"]=>
  int(11)
  ["from"]=>
  int(1)
  ["limit"]=>
  int(6)
}

Might also like

Eat

James St.

Belfast, Co. Antrim

Restaurant
For Cooking & Service Well Above Average Previous Georgina Campbell Guides Award Winner The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

Niall McKenna's James St. has developed from two of the best loved Belfast restaurants the fine dining destination restaurant James Street South and its less formal sister, The Bar and Grill at James St. Owned since 2003 by one of Northern Ireland's most highl ...

Read more
Eat

Coppi

Belfast, Co. Antrim

Restaurant
Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality.

Named after the legendary Italian cyclist Angelo Fausto Coppi (1919 – 1960) and tucked into Belfast’s trendiest restaurant quarter, right beside the MAC (Metropolitan Arts Centre), Coppi may have plenty of competition but there’s always room for quality ...

Read more
Eat & Learn

Waterman Bistro

Belfast, Co. Antrim

Restaurant
3 euro Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality. The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

As part of leading chef Niall McKenna’s grand plan to create a major hospitality hub in the city’s Cathedral Quarter, he closed the excellent Hadskis on Commercial Court in 2022 and moved the whole team here to open a new restaurant at this old Bushmills bond ...

Read more
Drink & Eat

No. 14 at the Georgian House

Comber, Co. Down

Restaurant
For Cooking & Service Well Above Average Denotes genuine Irish food culture, ie special Irish food products/companies/producers, and highlights the best places to shop for regional and artisan foods; the selection excludes obvious 'non-Irish' elements regardless of quality, eg ethnic restaurants and specialists in coffee, wine and other drinks, unless relevant to local production or history. Eat & Stay establishments are chosen for their commitment to showcasing local produce and Irish hospitality. Outstanding Location, building or atmosphere Previous Georgina Campbell Guides Award Winner The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

A lovely listed building on the main square of this charming little town, No. 14 at the Georgian House dates back to 1722 and provides an atmospheric setting for the first solo enterprise by the highly regarded chef Jim Mulholland and his wife Joanne. Already well known ...

Read more
Buy & Drink & Eat

The Poacher's Pocket

Comber, Co. Down

Pub / Restaurant / Speciality Store
Pub with good food and atmosphere The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

Ronan and Jennie Sweeney (Balloo House, The Parson’s Nose) did it again here, sprinkling their magic over this stylish reinvention of the former Lisbarnett House in Lisbane village. After purchasing the run down pub in 2012 they invested over £1 million in t ...

Read more
Drink & Eat & Stay

The Old Inn

Crawfordsburn, Co. Down

Hotel / Pub / Restaurant
A selection of establishments outside the standard categories that should enhance the discerning travellers experience of Ireland Highly Recommended as a Special Place to Stay Outstanding Location, building or atmosphere Previous Georgina Campbell Guides Award Winner The "Best of the Best" - Only the very best establishments across various categories have been chosen for this accolade

The pretty village setting of this famous and hospitable 16th century inn - the oldest in continuous use in all Ireland - belies its convenient location close to Belfast and the City Airport, and also the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum and the Royal Belfast Golf Club ...

Read more

Contact details

+44 28 9029 2007
PLEASE MENTION IRELANDGUIDE.COM WHEN ENQUIRING

Address

General Merchants
361 Ormeau Road , Belfast Co Antrim , BT7 3GL
Show me where this establishment is on the map.
About Belfast Trip Planning Tools
  • Add to my Favourites +
  • View my Favourites
  • Local Recommendations
  • Hospitality
  • By Distance
    • All
      • Eat
        • Drink
          • Stay
            • Buy
              • Learn
                • Producer
                • By Category
                  • Comments

                  There are currently no comments

                  Leave a comment

                  You must be logged in to leave a comment
                  Not a member? Register for your free membership now!
                  Or leave a comment by logging in with:
                  Sign up with Twitter
                  Georgina Campbell's ireland-guide.com
                  Tweets by IrelandGuide
                  © Copyright Georgina Campbell Guides 2025
                  • Disclaimer
                  • T & C
                  • Privacy Policy
                  • Site Map
                  • Links
                  • Advertise
                  • Ireland Hotels |
                  • Northern Ireland Hotels |
                  • B&B Ireland |
                  • Accommodation Ireland |
                  • Dublin Airport Hotels |
                  • Dublin Hotels |
                  • Dublin Restaurants |
                  • Belfast Hotels |
                  • Belfast Restaurants |
                  • Cork Hotels |
                  • Cork Restaurants |
                  • Galway Hotels |
                  • Galway Restaurants |
                  • Killarney Hotels |
                  • Killarney Restaurants |
                  • Kilkenny Hotels |
                  • Kilkenny Restaurants |
                  • Limerick Hotels |
                  • Limerick Restaurants |
                  • Sligo Hotels |
                  • Waterford Hotels |
                  • Westport Hotels
                  • My Ireland Guide - Log in
                  • My Favourites
                  • My Itineraries
                  • My Comments
                  • Special Offers
                  • Hire Cars
                  • Ferry Tickets
                  • Competition
                  This website uses cookies to help provide you with a better online experience. By continuing to browse this site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Cookie Policy