479 Lisburn Road, opposite the police station.

Website: https://output.coffee/

Revamped, with a new name, in summer 2019. This used to be a Bob & Berts till it closed in spring or summer 2019. Around maybe early August 2019 it opened as Output.

The layout hasn’t changed, and the main difference is that there’s new furniture and a new pain scheme (white).

There is WiFi (though browsers fling up warnings of unsafe connection and webtrickery, so I strongly advise using a VPN. There are some electrical sockets.

The music (superior to my 60-something ears) isn’t irritating to me, though it’s a bit too loud.

I had an Americano, which was fine. Like the Bob & Berts, they mostly seem to concentrate on food (which I haven’t tried as yet).

There is a toilet, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Modern coffee shop, opposite the cop shop. 469 Lisburn Road.

It was once part of the Bedeck home furnishings/lifestyle/gifts shop, but is now part of the local “District” chain of cafés. However, there’s still a doorway between shop and café.

Music’s at a reasonably moderate level and doesn’t intrude. Toilet is always clean. This is a good place to work – there are often people typing into their laptops.

Today I had an Earl Grey tea and a croissant. The tea was loose leaf, was the croissant came with butter and jam (they offered to heat the croissant).

It’s been remodelled! In June or July 2019, it was closed down and gutted, and a month or two later it reopened, all new, bright and fresh.

It had been a bit rough round the edges, in sore need of decoration. Typical of total refurbishments, I think it did lose a bit of its character because it now has a bit of an anonymous coffee shop feel. But perhaps it will grow into itself.

Electrical sockets. Before the refurb, there had been *counts fingers* about two. Now, I can’t even count them – double sockets everywhere, with USB sockets embedded (wonderful for me as I often work in cafés). I wonder how the conversation went…

Contractor: Now the electrics, you want any sockets for the customers?

Manager: Yeah, if you could please.

Contractor: So how many, and where? What type – switched, USB, single, double?

Manager: Yes.

Contractor: Yes? Yes what?

Manager: Oh, I’m just the manager, I don’t have time for detail, just get it sorted.

I had an espresso (which wasn’t in an espresso cup, but in a smallish coffee cup, and looked quite presentable, with a handle you can actually put your finger through to hold it without burning your hand). I haven’t yet tried any food, though I took a quick peek at some tourists’ food and it looked good.

The music is some pop music radio station, outputting standard pop. Lighting thoughout is very good: powerful LED ceiling lights, more in the counter display cabinets and in the picture/menu board displays, plus the fllor-to-ceiling windows across the whole of the frontage.

There is WiFi, quite good at 35-40 Mbps. Had some trouble initially connecting via a Windows laptop, no problem with an Android phone.

There is a toilet, but I haven’t tried it yet.