Waitrose Cafe - Leeds

Food is obviously more expensive than it used to be and comes without garnishes now so you have to buy things to go with say the burger. They didn’t have the first choice 3 bean chilli. Service was very slow and it wasn’t very busy- 30 mins for 2 burgers. Disappointing- we used to love it before the pandemic.

Visited waitrose cafe with the wife for a quick bite, half full as joined queue of 2. 10 mins later with grumbling in front on how long it was taking I was next but one. Another 6/8 mins and we ain't moved!! Text my good lady in restaurant to say we best give it a miss. I just can't understand how hard it is to serve a few people a tea and bun etc... No staff seemed to be rushing, nobody was making people welcome or informed and I received no feedback from instore after been told I would(e mailed). I had a deli for 15 yrs and its shocking to see how things are run. Worst experience in any cafe on not even getting served only gave 1 as had to.

Lisa and Helen are back in the cafe making the perfect drinks. Their lattes, flat whites and cappuccinos are the best I’ve ever had. Amazing service from them both as well.

We’ve used this Waitrose cafe quite regularly and food is always good quality, freshly cooked and lovely. There’s a choice of papers to read and the cafe is always clean and tidy. What sometimes lets it down is the staff on duty. Sometimes really friendly and efficient, sometimes not so friendly and you feel like you’ve entered some sort of time warp while you wait in the queue! It’s not down to staff numbers as there’s usually two serving, but some seem to faff around a bit doing “stuff” and never quite get things done. Just down to the staff themselves who sometimes get confused and distracted and not the complexity of the order. I do credit Waitrose with employing more mature people (I’m one myself), but they really need to ensure they’re up to the job as the younger staff run rings ‘round them in terms of the balance between friendliness and efficiency.

I recently had a full English breakfast at this restaurant. While the food quality is better than most supermarkets, the prices are nearly 50% higher compared to Sainsbury's. The toast was too hard and the bacon sandwiches were also not up to par. Serving the food in a bowl instead of a plate seemed odd and resulted in a poorly presented meal. The bacon had an unusual taste, possibly due to being smoked, but there should be other options available. The service was inconsistent and some staff members lacked charm. Without the previous perk of a free coffee for cardholders, the overall cost is quite expensive. For a better breakfast experience at a lower price, I would recommend dining at a proper restaurant like Cote with superior quality food, coffee, orange juice, full table service, and a more pleasant atmosphere.