I'm at odds with myself over what I should write, as Bloomsbury Cafe has been a favourite coffee shop for a while. I think it used to be called Metropolitan Cafe, but has perhaps changed hands or changed branding. These days, I still get a nice illy coffee (in a proper illy cup) that's generally well made and only £2. The cake is enticing, too, and I think they do sandwiches and baguettes etc.
What stops me from giving it a higher rating is the service, which has changed over the last couple of months and isn't as friendly as it used to be. Even today, when our bill came to £4 and our card was turned down because we were under the £5 minimum charge (which I actually didn't know about, and for which there is no disclaimer sign), we were invited to buy something else to make it up. I said to the surly guy, 'But then I'd be buying something else,' to which he replied, 'Yeah, that's the whole point.'
My partner trotted off to get cash from a nearby cash machine while I played at being as much human collateral as I could muster without bursting at the seams at the lack of customer service. We should never have been put in a position to have to do that, and if there's a minimum charge because of banking charges (which I thought Bloomsbury should be able to absorb), then it should be clearly stated; or put the price of the coffee up and avoid the whole uncomfortable scenario completely. We would happily pay £2.30 instead of £2 for a nice cup of coffee (which, in case you'd forgotten by now, it is). read more