4 /5 Ben Gillard: I had a pretty mixed experience at Franze & Evans.
I came in on a quiet Wednesday morning for a full breakfast and a coffee, plus a juice, and stayed for around two hours doing some work. During that time it was very quiet. As it got closer to lunchtime it picked up a bit, which I completely understand, but there were still empty tables and no queue.
Out of respect for taking up a table, I went up to order a second coffee and a snack while waiting for my next appointment. Instead of taking the order, I was told that they needed the tables for lunch and was asked to go to the cafe across the road. That was honestly pretty surprising, especially given I was actively trying to order more and spend more money.
Earlier, I’d also seen what appeared to be the manager or owner speak quite abruptly to another table about ordering drinks when they asked for water, which set a slightly tense tone. I completely respect that it’s a business and people shouldn’t sit around without ordering, that’s fair. But in this case, I had ordered well and was trying to order again.
The food itself was genuinely great and the coffee was good too. I can see this being a solid spot for a quick breakfast or lunch, but it’s definitely not somewhere I’d recommend if you’re hoping to relax or spend a bit of time there. Clearer communication or a simple time limit policy would have made this feel much less awkward.
Lovely food, but the experience felt unnecessarily uncomfortable, especially on a weekday.
