Chai Spot - (Near Camden, london)

3 /5 Mohammed Chowdury: Visited Chai Spot in Acton regularly, and it’s genuinely one of the more popular local chai cafés in the area. To my knowledge it’s not a chain, which gives it a more independent feel compared to larger branded chai spots. The space has a modern, stylish, trendy design and the menu is updated seasonally, which keeps things fresh. It’s clearly a favourite with locals and often gets busy, particularly with professionals and students working on laptops. On a few occasions I’ve been asked to make space when seated alone at a larger table, which felt reasonable given how popular it is. There are plug sockets available, which is helpful for working, though they’re positioned quite low and can be a bit awkward to access. More conveniently placed sockets would improve the experience, especially given how many people use the space to work. The ambience is great, with good music choices enough that I’ve Shazamed a few tracks. Staff are friendly and welcoming and there’s a relaxed, community feel. The food menu is decent with reasonable pricing compared to similar cafés, and the place is halal certified. Customer toilets are available, accessible and clean. There’s also outdoor seating, they occasionally have board games like Connect 4, which adds a nice touch, although these aren’t always available. The only reason for the 3-star rating is the current Food Standards Agency (FSA) hygiene rating of 1, which may come as a surprise based on the customer-facing experience. Hopefully this is an area being actively addressed ahead of future inspections, as everything else from atmosphere and staff to food and design is firmly on the plus side to a potential 5 star. Overall, a good local chai spot in Acton with a strong following and great vibe, held back solely by hygiene concerns at the time of review.

2 /5 Karolina Kościelniak: I’m really disappointed to be writing this review, as I’ve had good experiences at this café in the past and genuinely liked the food and drinks before. Unfortunately, my visit today for breakfast was very poor and everything seemed to go wrong. When I walked in, the place felt quite uncomfortable – no music and no real atmosphere. At the counter, I ordered a chai latte with oat milk and an English breakfast. I had a few questions about the breakfast, but the staff member clearly struggled to understand them and appeared unfamiliar with the menu herself, so I eventually just ordered it “as it comes.” Despite being the first customer, my drink was forgotten. Two other customers arrived after me and received their drinks first. After waiting and feeling quite thirsty, I had to go back to the counter to remind the staff about my chai latte. A few minutes later, I was brought a cup of hot oat milk – not a chai latte. As someone who drinks chai lattes regularly, I could clearly tell there was no chai in it at all. At that point, I didn’t complain further because it felt pointless, and I was already very thirsty. The food took around 25 minutes to arrive, even though the café was almost empty. When it finally came, the cutlery was shockingly dirty. I’ve honestly never seen cutlery served in that condition before. I had to clean it myself with napkins, which was very unpleasant and unhygienic. I took a photo of the spoon because it was that bad. The breakfast itself was extremely disappointing. Everything was cold except the beans, which were only slightly warm and clearly microwaved, served in an unappealing, dirty-looking pot. The toast felt old and cold, as if it had been prepared earlier and stored in the fridge with butter already on it. The eggs were cold, and the tomato didn’t look fresh at all. What made the experience worse was that it didn’t feel worth complaining at the time. The staff member seemed untrained, unsure how to handle orders, payments, or issues. I also witnessed another customer having a problem with an overpayment, and the staff didn’t know how to process a refund or resolve it properly. I’m not someone who complains easily, and I usually try to be very understanding. I’m writing this not to attack the staff, but because this place clearly needs better training, supervision, and basic standards of service and hygiene. I know this café can do better. I’ve seen it before but today’s experience was genuinely unacceptable. I really hope the management takes this feedback seriously, because this has the potential to be a great local spot again with the right attention.