The Gardens Cafe

[90towelling]

Have just experienced The most Terrible service at The Gardens Cafe just off Peckham Rye Park, I'm not one to normally complain but I am so incensed I just had to come on the forum to share my thoughts. The lady who was serving in there today was so rude, she's clearly had no customer service training and the man who works in there is clearly out of his depth and incompetent.

All we wanted was a cup of tea and a coffee, it's hardly rocket Science, it took about 25mins to arrive and when I asked whether our drinks were coming because we'd been waiting a while, the lady told me they'd only been put through the till five minutes ago (despite the fact we'd been waiting twenty mins) and that i'd have to wait because there was a queue and if I didn't like it I could go!!!!! I have a dog and a young baby, so getting out of the house to meet someone for a drink and a bite to eat isn't as easy as it once was and I couldn't believe her attitude. When i approached her to ask if there were any high chairs, she didn't look me in the eye and just said 'I can't see any, they're probably all taken' - that's really helpful, thanks....

As for the bloke - well he's obviously a few sandwiches short of a picnic and simply isn't capable of carrying out the job.

Shocking service, shame as nice location, great for kids/families and dog friendly, and food and drinks good when you get them.....it's just really let down by terrible employees at the front of house - these people seriously need to be replaced before I go back there again. Come on Dulwich, you can do better than this - who runs the place??

[Jellybeanz]

Hear hear, average food, overpriced drinks, mediocre staff and sloooow service. Fab location means they will never run out of customers but I would rather head to the Peckham Rye park caf? or Homemade, FAR better all round :)

[Gidget]

There is already a long thread about this place.........with much the same opinion as you have.

[DulwichFox]

Has become typical for this area...

Bunch of chancers trying to get rich quick looking down their noses at their customers begrudgingly.

They do not want to spend years building up a trade and resent the people they have to serve.

Just don't go there..

Fox.

[dbboy]

Did this place change ownership some months ago as also had a poor experience on first and hence as a result only usage?

[KidKruger]

Foxy that's a rather sweeping a comment !!

Some make a better fist of it than others, granted, they are small businesses so by definition will sometimes involve first-timers or inexperience. With cafes, this can affect the service or food quality.

But, as you say, go elsewhere. Plus also perhaps polite written feedback so they have the chance to fix and evolve.

[midivydale]

Yup, just dont go.

[Ballerina208]

Firstly I must state that I have never posted on any forum before and neither do I leave poor feedback.

We have been to The Gardens several times in the past and although the service has never been particularly fast, the food has been good and the staff friendly. We went yesterday, arrived shortly after 9.30am, two other people were there. We were waiting for several friends to arrive as we were celebrating a birthday. The woman who greeted us (later found out she was the manager) was difficult. I explained that there would be 10 of us plus 4 small children. She told us we would not be able to sit together because that would be too disruptive and that we should have booked a table. I questioned why we should need to book as the cafe was empty. She was adamant about not putting tables together to accommodate us but we could sit in the Deli or go somewhere else (her words). We sat in the deli which was both cold unwelcoming. We waited for over an hour for decidedly average food and the espresso was undrinkable, the attitude of the staff was colder than the room which was very cold, we asked to pay our meals separately they would not allow that, they charged more than the price on the menu which we refused to pay and we refused to pay the service charge which the manager informed us was compulsory. We explained carefully and patiently that the service was appalling and that she personally was extremely rude and that when we had been before there had never been a problem, she said that "that was why she was hired, to sort out problems like us!" We said we would not return and her response was "please don't".

Is it under new management? Unbelievable that in this time of austerity that a party that was to spend up to ?150 before 11am should be treated so poorly. I can only imagine that they want this business to fail for reasons I can only wonder about. If you are looking for Basil Fawlty in female form with no sense of humour, then this is the cafe for you!

[Moos]

Why have you posted this twice?

[NewWave]

I first visited this cafe about four months ago and it has since become my favourite brunch location in the area, I've noticed it has been closed for the past few weeks, does anyone know whats going on?

I must add that I've only had great service and food there.