1 /5 Owain Williams: Really disappointed with my visit today. My student daughter had invited us out for something to eat, but we were told there would be a 20-minute wait to order food. After waiting and ordering drinks, we were then informed it would actually be a further 30-minute wait. Had we been told that we would have to wait 50 minutes just to place a food order from the outset, we would have gone elsewhere. This is extremely poor communication and unacceptable service.
To make matters worse, the pot of tea I ordered was one of the worst I have ever been served. Despite being loose-leaf, it looked and tasted as though the leaves were simply the sweepings from the floor.
The overall cleanliness of the café was also very poor. The windows were filthy, several tables were left uncleared with food debris still on them, and the whole space felt neglected. If the kitchens are anything like the rest of the place, I am frankly relieved they were too busy to serve us any food.
The staff showed no real interest in the situation; the attitude was one of indifference. They may well be overworked, but the impression given was simply that they did not care.
What makes this more disappointing is that the building itself is charming and has a great deal of potential, but none of that can be realised without a complete change in staff and approach to customer service. As it stands, I would not return.
--- update following owners response:
What was strange and upsetting from our perspective was being told we would need to wait 20 minutes to place a food order, only to be told after those 20 minutes — in a rather dismissive manner — that it would actually be a further 30 minutes, with no assurance that we would then be able to order at all. Had we been given accurate information from the outset, we would have gone elsewhere. That failure sits squarely with management and communication, not bad luck.
Regarding the tea: I ordered English Breakfast. What was served was unpleasant and contained visible matter that was not tea. You state this was sunflower petals. That was not disclosed at the time, and adding non-tea ingredients to what is described as English Breakfast is, at best, misleading and, at worst, a potential allergy risk. It certainly was not drinkable.
I did not suggest that “the solution is to fire the whole staff.” I said that I would not return without a complete change in staffing and approach to customer service. The attitude we encountered directly — regardless of the reason for it — was one of indifference. If staff are overworked or unsupported, that is again a management issue.
I do not wish to take this discussion offline. My review reflects our experience on the day, and unfortunately it was a genuinely poor one.
