the French Cafe, Peckham Rye

[yas]

Hi guys,

A word of warning! I find the staff including the owner (or should I say especially the owner) of the imaginatively name the French Cafe very very rude! I am a mother of two and from the first day I move to the area two years ago, I have been going to this cafe- purely for convience! On the first day, my husband was told not to give juice to my then two year old boy. I have since been told off because my children spilt a little bit of salt. I have been told to move tables many times over. Today was the last drop! I walked in with my little girl in the buggy who was about to go sleep. I also had my little boy and my friend with me. We chose a table. The waitress asked me to remove my little girl from the buggy. I explained her that she was about to go to sleep. Yet the waitress claimed that we were bloking the pathway which was untrue. We then got up and decided to leave! The owner walked after us. I was really upset and told her that I wasn't impressed about the service there! She then turned around and made a very sarcastic remark, "Well madam, I am so sorry that we don't meet your standards!"

[ruffers]

Two years is pretty persistent given how much you appear to hate it.

[yas]

A word of warning! I find the staff in the imaginatively named The French Cafe very rude! From the first day I moved in the area, we have been going to the cafe just for the convience really! On the first day we went my husband was told not to give juice to my then two year son by the owner! I have since been told off by the staff because my children spilt a little bit of salt. Been told to move tables many times over unnecessarily! Today was the last drop! I walked in with my little girl in the buggy and my little boy and a friend on my side. We chose a table. A waitress asked for me to remove my child from the buggy. I explained her that my little girl was about to go to sleep. She then insisted that we had to move to another table (but there was none available indoors and it was cold outside) so as we were blocking her pathway which was untrue. We then got up and decided to leave. The owner came after us. I was very upset and told her that I wasn't impressed by the service. She then turned around and made a sarcastic remark; "Well madam I am sorry we don't provide service up to your standards!" I have never ever exprienced such rude service in my whole life! And I am a frequent visitor of cafes with my two little ones all around London :)

[alice]

stop going to this cafe - leave room for those who enjoy it.

[yas]

so you enjoy the overpriced coffee that taste like shite and the snotty service by the ordinary looking staff then Alice?

[sheilarose]

I love the French Cafe. Staff have always been friendly and helpful to me and my family. I enjoy the Monmouth coffee, too. ETA Not sure what the appearance of the staff has to do with anything. Do you prefer extraordinary-looking staff?

[Administrator]

I had to merge two threads as it had been posted twice - Admin

[ruffers]

yas Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> so you enjoy the overpriced coffee that taste like

> shite and the snotty service by the ordinary

> looking staff then Alice?

Ordinary looking! I ask you!

[Pickle]

Wow.

I'm a regular at the French Cafe, both by myself and with my kids. I've never encountered rudeness from any of the staff, and the owner is lovely. They make a great coffee and the food is excellent. On cold days it's nice to sit outside, my kids always opt to sit outside as the fluffy seat covers and blankets provided over the winter months make it really cosy.

I often wonder how they manage to stay so friendly when faced with a barrage of rude customers though.

I always leave my buggy, if I take it, outside. Back in the days when my kids slept in the buggy, I would order a takeaway coffee and go for a walk. The cafe is small, it's unrealistic to expect to take a buggy in.

If you find it such a terrible experience, don't go. Simple. Leaves more space for those of us who appreciate the gem of a local business that it is.

[NewWave]

yas Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> so you enjoy the overpriced coffee that taste like

> shite and the snotty service by the ordinary

> looking staff then Alice?

You did say you'd been going for two years Yas...coffee can't have been too bad : ).

Were you perhaps one of those annoying customers who sit for hours nursing a cup of coffee and chatting to your friend (who's also nursing a solitary cup of coffee) and hogging a table that may otherwise house a higher spending client?

Perhaps after two years they got really pissed off with you and decided they didn't want or need your custom.

Has that not occurred to you?

[NewWave]

PS;

Being disparaging about the appearance of the staff does you no favours dear.

and WTF is 'ordinary'?

Damn cheek!

[tibby]

I love the French cafe the staff and the owner are lovely people

[Mariamadeit]

I also love the French cafe as do my children. If you don't like it, don't go, but please stop posting this everywhere, this is the third time I have seen your post on various different forums.

I hope that the owner of the French cafe knows how much many of us like and support the cafe.

[edcam]

*First time poster with axe to grind klaxon*. You've been going there for 2 years but the coffee is "shite"?

I've never been to this place but the OP makes me want to go there immediately.

[simonethebeaver]

You really should. The staff are great, and the owner is lovely, getting to know her customers personally. The coffee is really good and the cakes are fantastic, not to mention the rest of the food. I've been there with my children frequently since they were newborns and never had anything but considerate and patient service.

[Pam50]

I love the French Cafe, go there often and wouldn't change a thing!

The staff are lovely and really try to manage the small space available to make sure everyone can get a seat, including those of us who sometimes have buggies.

The other posters sum it up..this is a gem of a place. We locals value its unique service and vote with our custom.

It's not Peckham Rye btw, very much Forest Hill Road.

[mrure26]

I like this cafe and went into it a few months back with my daughter-in-law with little grandson in buggy. We opted for a take away coffee when we saw that cafe was very busy and it really wasn't big enough for a buggy and we would be in the way of others.

[lpool]

I reckon yas actually loves the French Caf?, but is fed up that everyone else does as well so what better than to try and create a bit of space there with a few well chosen words on the EDF.

For the record, only been there once as not too local for me, but friends go there all the time.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Never been, but will make the effort to go and try it out.

[titch juicy]

I don't go there any more due to the ordinariness of the staff's looks. I find the staff at Brick House Bakery have a better class of look. Nothing though can compete with the least ordinary looks of the staff at Le Chandelier. They really aren't ordinary looking at all. Plus they have an actual French name rather than just referring to themselves as French- very important.

[BJL]

I haven't been there for a while but have enjoyed my visits. I'll go there for lunch tomorrow, I think - thanks for reminding me of this nice place, yas.

[DulwichFox]

Where is this. ?? Peckham Rye...

Are we talking about the Old Electrical Shop. ?

DulwichFox

[maxxi]

No DF it's Forest Hill Road - between Ryedale & Dunstans rds - I've been in whilst waiting for my OH in the Dentists and always liked the place. Not much for coffee but had a decent pot of tea there and the cakes are pretty good too. Cosily ramshackle with very pleasant staff. I think you'd like it.

[Mustard]

The owner is French, which is why it is called the French cafe, and because everyone kept referring to it as such, despite having a different name previously.

Also, they are dog friendly.

[Nigello]

mrure26 - more like you, please!