March 2025 by Gayle Mitchell
All the family enjoyed it. My husband had a bagel. One son had the kids breakfast and the other loved the pancake stack with bacon. As a vegetarian ordering pasta ordering pasta can be hit or miss but the halloumi pasta was amazing. Great flavour. Service was very friendly and while it took a little while, we weren't in a rush and it so worth waiting for. ?
August 2024 by Lisa Campbell
Recommended by a friend went for a birthday meal food was of a high standard staff were friendly the place was spotless 20_20 I would give them
July 2024 by Maria McGrath
We first visited the gathering rooms about two weeks ago with some friends from Co Laois
We all had a meal which was beautiful and beautifully presented , the staff are so welcoming and helpful in every way , the service was quick and the cost was amazing , we went there yesterday and again today as the whole experience is just amazing , we absolutely love the place and no doubt we will return very soon .
Definitely recommend to anyone who wants beautiful atmosphere and amazing food and fantastic value for money .
Well done all .thank you
July 2024 by ToxicHolyGrenade THG
+ The food is very good from eating the traybakes for instance.
+ Very welcoming to customers, which is essential for businesses to have.
- While the good customer service is present, the treatment of employees is turbulent at best. There are decent people working in it (like Amy is), don't get me wrong, but as I used to work, the leading person with the ginger hair whom I forgot the name to (though at the same time, I am not naming any names in this case) is someone I no longer am on good terms with in all honesty. While it is true catering is not a normal business field, I am doing my given tasks in a strategic and efficient manner, yet I am still getting pushed in terms of washing up.
- The previous flaw is bad enough, but the leading staff's so called magnum opus when it comes to washing up dishes and all that, is throwing in every dirty utensil into the water basin, affecting my efficiency and working speed. When I attempted to argue against it for obvious reasons, they leading staff pushed me around. I am certain The Gathering rooms is not the only one, but for the general case, this is the frankly, the STUPIDEST strategy I have EVER heard of. If there are special types of sinks that has a separate basin solely for keeping dirty things moist and easier to remove, then the strategy may work at this point, but it doesn't, even though it may sound good on the surface. But when scratching beneath that surface, or in other words, being executed and tested, it does not work for the better.
- Another reason on part of why I quit from the business permanently, is both the size of the building and kitchen. Location-wise, The Gathering Rooms in Armagh is within an area where the Victorian-age houses are, with a cathedral being placed on the opposite side of the location.
These places are not a good spot to build a business in, not just a café. In the process, the rooms are far too small and limited, and given it applies to the kitchen too, not only would there be limited resources and tools in there, it increases the likelihood of causing an accident. I get that building a café takes a lot of money and resources, but fitting it into buildings like what I had described, is not just a big waste, but it is also a terrible idea to do so in the first place given their size.
- Shortage of staff is also part of why I left. The less the employees are, the more stressful it can be on both management and employees alike.
Overall, while The Gathering Rooms may have accomplished good things, and has some good qualities, but given the state of the business I have aforementioned in terms of the bad qualities, it began to take a toll on me.
To fix the business, it has to first A), move to a different, much larger building where the kitchen can have much more resources and size, B) abandon this perverse strategy of theirs and get a much better sink(s) with an additional basin specifically for moisturizing dirty tools and dishes, and C), reform the business to make it more welcoming for both staff and employees alike.
Subjective Rating: Love & Hate
Explanation - This is NOT a mediocre business. This job had so much going for it, it was heading towards "Good/Great" or even the "Fantastic" status, but then had serious, SERIOUS flaws, that just dragged it all back down. It is possible that this can upset someone like myself, more than any other, and might make you lose sleep thinking about it.
March 2024 by MK Andersen
It was such a cute spot to sit in after a walking tour of Armagh! A quiet street, the food was plentiful for the price, and everyone was extremely attentive! The perfect cozy spot on the weekend! Plus breakfast seems to run well into the afternoon!! A plus!
February 2024 by Frances McKenna
Enjoyable experience, food was yumms,nice atmosphere and brilliant service will come
February 2024 by Adam Dawson
A very nice cafe tucked away behind St Patrick?s (Church of Ireland) cathedral. Quiet atmosphere with no annoying music. Friendly service and good food. Highly recommended.
August 2023 by Peter Gammon
A little gem of a place away from the hustle and bustle. Really enjoyable visit. ?
August 2022 by kateland
I visited here when the establishment was 3 Vicars and it was fabulous back then. It must have changed hands since then which is a shame as the menu was fantastic back then. It has been taken over and from what I could tell the place now receives a grant as it supports young people with autism. What a fantastic idea. It helps people with autism and the grant will support its existence, something so many eateries need help with to survive. It is the same relaxed, clean and lovely venue in a beautiful setting, but the food on offer was not good. I ate some things that no mouth should have to be subjected to. The chicken tasted like it had been used to scrub a floor both in texture and flavour. The steak salad has potential, but was drowning in sauce and had a ridiculous amount of broccoli stems, but no florets. Special mention has to go to the prawn salad. We subsequently found out they were not actually prawns, but ?reconstituted seafood?. It was the most vile thing I have ever tasted. Please consider completely removing this one from the menu. The staff were great and it does pain me to leave a negative review. I would say by all means go here for coffee/tea, cakes and breakfast and one will not be disappointed. Maybe we just chose the 3 bad dishes on the menu.
August 2022 by Gearld Barton
Coffee not so good was ok
July 2022 by Carolyn Cairns
Lovely place for a relaxed lunch. Was able to sit outside and enjoy the mild weather. Very polite and efficient service and tasty food. Love the ethos of this place too, helping young people gain skills. Keep up the good work
July 2022 by RuadhanMcInteggart
A pleasant location surrounded by old majestic buildings of ancient Armagh. Gentle pathway through the door then a room to your side a tiled walkway to the heart of the cafe greeted by helpful and friendly staff. A suitable cafe for anyone on the autism spectrum including myself. Only thing would be the rest room the door jams abit. Overall an enjoyable experience and a must go.
March 2022 by Glenda Mcmullen
This is a hidden gem. A beautifully run wee cafe. Clean and tidy. Lovely staff & excellent food.
January 2022 by Sheila Kerrigan Hughes
I was here for the first time on Tuesday and I was so impressed. The pancake stacks were amazing and the lovely lady serving us couldn't of been nicer. She was so friendly and patient with my wee boy who is a extremely picky eater. I would reccomend both for the food an service as they were both 5 stars
November 2021 by Marie Dolan
So lovely today meeting up with old friends and had the most beautiful cappuccino. Staff so lovely.
