2 /5 Anzelika Lincika: I had high expectations for Nucleas Cafe because they advertise themselves as a high-level establishment, but unfortunately the experience didn’t really live up to that.
The biggest issue was cleanliness. The glasses were dirty, with visible water stains and residual water, and one even had dried leftovers from a previous drink or food, which was quite unpleasant. The seats were also dirty, with visible stains and food marks. The tables themselves are very small, and ours had a noticeable stain that wouldn’t come off. Normally I wouldn’t nitpick this, but for a place positioning itself as premium, these things really shouldn’t happen. On the positive side, the plates and cutlery were clean.
The seating arrangement is very tight and uncomfortable. Tables are small and placed very close together, making the space feel cramped. While dogs are allowed (which is fine), many people bring large dogs, which makes the lack of space even more noticeable.
Service was inconsistent. The person serving us came across a bit unfriendly and abrupt at the beginning and also approached us very quickly to take our order before we’d had enough time to look at the menu. When we asked him to come back later, he disappeared for quite a while, which showed a poor sense of timing. Toward the end of our visit, he seemed friendlier, so the experience improved slightly.
Menu flexibility was disappointing. I wanted a dish from the Christmas menu, but you’re required to order the full set and can’t choose a single dish, which felt unnecessarily inflexible.
Food-wise, it was mostly average. I ordered the Smoked Salmon with Scrambled Eggs. The portion of salmon was decent, but it was quite salty, and I usually like salty food. The scrambled eggs were watery, and the toast became soggy from the excess liquid.
We also ordered the Salt Beef Panini and truffle chips. We assumed the truffle chips would be a side, but they were priced the same as a full hot platter main. While that price point could be justified, the portion size was extremely small. Anyone ordering the truffle chips at that price expecting a filling dish will be very surprised. They were also extremely oily. Temperature consistency was off as well — the truffle chips were very hot, while the scrambled eggs weren’t.
The jacket potato and waffles were standard, nothing special.
Despite spending a lot, we still left feeling hungry, which is disappointing. To actually feel full, we would have had to spend even more, which is hard to justify given the average food quality.
At the end, a service charge and a charity donation were added to the bill. I usually don’t mind this, but with already high prices and fairly average service, I chose not to pay the extras.
