Located on Hyde Park cafe, this is a large and rather cool cafe previously known as Clock Cafe. There are a few tables on the pavement if you want to breath in the exhaust from the number 1 as it sits waiting for the traffic lights to change, otherwise you can sit inside and enjoy the retro decor of 70's wall paper and collections of clocks and mirrors on the walls. I went with Emma who has been there a few times. She had been served at the table in the past. On this occasion we took the menus and showed ourselves to the table. Once we had decided on our meal we had to go back to the till to find a member of staff to order.
There seemed to be a bit of a tense atmosphere and staff were muttering dashing in and out of the back rooms so I wonder if they had had a bit of an emergency that they were frantically trying to sort. Regardless, the lady at the counter put on a brave smile and politely took the orders.
Emma's salad had plenty of bacon and two huge pieces of pesto bread on the side.
The bill was just under £10 each.
Looking at the menu there was a good range of breakfasts (served until 4pm) and some interesting looking salads and sandwiches including a fair few veggie options.
The lack of service was a bit disappointing but Em reassured me that this was not the norm. Otherwise we had a great meal. A cool little cafe, quiet at the moment due to the absence of the students- take advantage while you can.
*Huge portions
*Funky surroundings
*Fair prices
16A Headingley Lane
Hyde Park
LS6 2AS Leeds
0113 294 5464
Facebook Page
11 comments:
I used to go to this place often when I was a student. They do a nice steak and chips!
I quite like it at LS6 - but stopped going because of the consistently bad, unfriendly service.
I've only been once years ago. The food was good but the service poor so I've never been since
.
You should do a review of "La cafetiere" which is nearby. Great blog, by the way.
I live literally two minute's walk away and I would starve before I went back - in spite of the decent food and cute decor. I gave it so many chances but never once was the service anything approaching competent. Once I waited 45 minutes for my food, stood at the bar for another five waiting to ask what the problem was while the waitresses chatted and blatantly ignored me, and then found out that the order hadn't actually been given to the kitchen. No apology, no smile, nothing. When the food finally did come, after another 30 minutes, it looked like it had been thrown on the plate from a great height.
Every time I was ever there, something went stupidly wrong- food making it to the table before drinks, having to find my own cutlery and sauces, waiting almost 30 minutes in front of dirty plates for a check and then being snapped at for walking up to the register without a check. Absolutely ridiculous.
I'm afraid I'd have to agree with the poor service comments. I really wanted to like this place but the service was consistently poor (even during quite quiet periods)- you have to seek out someone to take an order and often things that are on the menu aren't available. It's a shame because it could be a great venue.
Used to love this place (and the nearby Cafétiere) when I was an annoying student. The dutch fries are immense, and you can while away a sunday afternoon with the paper, some boardgames, and a fruit beer or two.
I have always found the staff to be very surly and impatient. A free scowl with my coffee? No thanks.
Mmm food looks delicious. I've heard a few people rave about LS6 - I rarely visit that part of the city, but think a visit might be on this bank holiday.
This cafe has got to be one of the WORST places to visit in Leeds. I live less than a 5 minute walk from it & have tried on several occasions to give this place a go. The staff are terrible, rude, disorganised, unfriendly, have no common sense, unable to take down correct orders etc etc. the food is terrible & the place is grubby & unhygienic. The loos are dreadful & the baby changing area is filthy. The last time I went with friends we ordered jacket potatoes & a veggie breakfast with tea asking if the potatoes where oven baked the waitress said yes- 20 mins later still no drinks, 50 minutes later a meat breakfast arrives with a half cooked microwaved potato. We complained to a disgruntled waitress who ignored us at first. absolutely dreadful in every sense of the word. I guess the owners don't really care about regular local trade as the amount of students passing through don't really care or know any different. One to avoid at all costs!
I've been going here for years too, initially to use the free wifi for getting essays written in student days, more recently its a good location for work meets as its fairly central for City Centre / Headingley dwellers. Agree with the comments about the service, though it hasn't always been this way, service used to be excellent but over the last year to 18months its got worse and worse, the only dicernable change being less and less staff working in both the restaurant and kitchen. The staff always seem friendly but appear to be "making the best" of a difficult situation - blame should be aimed squarely at management, cutting costs at the expense of customer service is sadly a common, but always unwelcome sight.
I have to agree, I'd been a couple of times for coffee and really liked it. I then went back with a group of friends for breakfast and the service was appalling (my friemds breakfast arrived 20 minutes after the rest of the food and was cold, and the staff were unapologetic and kept fobbing us off), I was really embarrassed to have taken friends there. We complained to the manager and were told this wasn't bad service it was 'a laid back atmosphere'! Needless to say I won't be returning!
Post a Comment