Cafe 91

Lucyloo

Uncompromising attention to detail and service? 3rd November 2008

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We've walked past Cafe 91 many a time, and today my husband and I thought we'd treat the children to a drink and cake. So in we went. I wanted to walk out at once - the atmosphere,beyond the vintage charm of the entrance is cold and bare, with harsh lighting. The unsmiling waitress unsmilingly took our order. We had two huge coke glasses of milk brought for a 1 and a 4 year old, two allegedly luxurious hot chocolates - the cold layer of froth on top completely ruined the drink for us - and two end-of-day croissants and a fruit scone, whose mother must have been a brick. With the fruit scone came a achet of marmite and another of marmalade; when my husband asked for jam, he was told that was all there was! At one point my son needed the loo - it was dirty! There was hair all over the dingy, stained wash basin, grime around the hinges of the loo seat, a filthy vacuum cleaner in the corner, and "something" that I hope was mud on the floor. We glance into the kitchen. Basil Falty would have ben hppy with it - I wasn't. If I'd seen it before we ordered, we'd have walked out - greasy dirty spills down the cupboard doors, dirty rags on the floor, mess and chaos everywhere - I've worked in the kitchen of various places from unpretentious pubs to seriously upmarket private clubs, and never seen such a unwholesome, dirty kitchen. We were lucky enough to be seated near the owners, and when one looked over and said it looked as if the children had enjoyed themselves I commented that we had not - and told him why. His "uncompromising" response was to stare at me and then wander off - such poor customer service was what confirmed for me that it was more than an of day and something institutional. My response in his place, as manager or owner, would have been an immediate profuse apology, and an offer to waive the bill. I had been taken in by the MJB Hotels Group branding - but not anymore. The phrase "fur coat and no knickers" springs to mind!