Cafe Bar at John Lewis in Dartford

Perfectly functional venue selling reasonable snacks (not the cheapest) but traffic seem efficient and organised. Clean and serviceable.

Whilst the food was nice. The leaves needed a dressing. The contents of the platter were delicious but staff chat was far too intrusive.

Absolutely awful. Ordered coffees and coffee and walnut cake. Certainly not cheap. Cake was stale and dry with half the icing missing in the middle. Returned to counter and asked for a refund which was given without question. Little tip JL cover your cakes up so that they stay fresh. Whole place miserable . Food not fresh, will not return. Cake was still on sale 45 mins later so obviously they intend to sell it until it's gone

Just been in for a coffee and cake ,no visible staff .When someone eventually appeared they spent their time refilling things rather than serve us. The worst service ever ,they really cannot be bothered. They certainly will not be getting anymore of my cash

Went in for a drink and a light bite. Staff looked very uninterested. Menu looked decent and reasonably priced. Sat there for around 10 minutes or so and completely ignored, not even acknowledged, so left... very disappointing. Won’t go again if they paid me

I was very surprised that there were no vegan options of any hot food. Only 2 of cold and 1 dessert!!!! I really thought that John Lewis would do much better than that in 2020..... All food very expensive anyway!

Visited thinking food would be lovely very disappointed. Some bits were warm some cold . Wouldn’t come again as too over priced

We lunched there today. We naturally thought this place was a John Lewis establishment or we would never have dined there. I was surprised when I presented my John Lewis card to pay to realise it was a concession. The food looked fresh and attractively presented but unfortunately it ended there. The ricotta slice and the tartlet had barely been reheated and was very tepid, which is potentially dangerous. The salads that had been requested were wrong and had to be changed. There were no knives on the table and we had to ask for some. I left nearly all of my beetroot and tomato salads because they were absolutely tasteless. With 2 small coffees out bill came to £23.40. Far too much for such a bland and disappointing lunchtime experience.

This is a new cafe opened where the carpets/mats used to be on the Ground floor of John Lewis, lovely decor & comfy seating of all types from sofas to traditional table & chairs. The menu is quite restricted so okay for snacks & drinks. Staff were very pleasant, they bring hot drinks over to you so there’s no waiting at the counter, unfortunately by the time our coffees were bought over they were only luke warm, not sure if it was the fault of the barista or staff. Will probably return despite this.

Comfortable seating and pleasant staff . Just great, we go every week We do find the scones a bit dry sometimes though

5 of us went for lunch in Waitrose food hall (by the wine). We all had platters. They run out of the bread we all ordered so they just put walnut and raisin bread on without asking. Because we complained we did not get the bread we ordered our meals were taken away by member of staff without even asking if there was another bread we would like saying they would take them off the bill. We wanted bread with our platters. We had to ask what we could have instead of being asked what we wanted. Shame as I always look forward to a platter and a glass of wine

Somewhere nice to be able to get a cuppa tea and a bite to eat. Staffs were friendly and reasonably priced.

Not cheap. But quality assured and a nice airy room with a splendid view of the car park and gravel pit. Which, on a sunny day, isn't as bad as it sounds. Cappuccino very good, sandwiches fresh, tasty cakes and everything kept clean and tidy, A frequent stop when visiting Bluewater for a fuel up and relax. Only drawback can be service can take a while, not the staffs fault, just the way its set up but that's common to all JL cafes.

Went to Joes cafe to start with outside of John Lewis but belonging to John Lewis I believe and cancelled order when I realised drinks were served in paper cups even when not taking away. Staff were not very friendly and made a point of crossing out my order. Over dramatic. Decided to try the cafe upstairs in John Lewis and was disappointed. It was like a work canteen with no character. The coffee was poor and very weak. People were stressed at the tills as the service they said was slow. One woman was quite rude to me as I had dared to join the queue and I inadvertently went in front of her. When I realised I asked her if she was before me and hand on hips and a resting b face she said I definitely was. I apologised and moved over to the other serving station. Here there were no glasses for cold drinks and no teapots for tea. It was very hectic and not a nice relaxing experience. I won’t be trying it again.

I visited the cafe to have a sit down and to feed my 5 month old baby. I ordered a scone with cream and jam and brought a coffee. The cafe was very busy but despite this a member of staff assisted me with carrying my food and drink over to a table (once we managed to find one). The food was lovely as was the cafe. Reasonable price, very helpful staff. Only marked down a star due to tables not having been cleared, although this was a lunchtime Visit and the staff were clearly all very busy due to the influx of customers.

Driving up from Worthing you need a refreshment but you get to Bluewater and I always like to park in the John Lewis car park on the top floor it is never to crowded and you can park close to the door near the cafe. The cake selection is excellent something for everyone and good choice of drinks you can even have champagne 🍾! Even better if you have a free coffee and cake John Lewis voucher. Great start to the shopping day.

I thought I would have a lovely choice of cakes & snacks unfortunately some idiot decided to display the gluten free cakes next to the other cakes, all uncovered thus leading to a greater chance of cross contamination completely unacceptable for people like me who suffer from Coeliac’s I had a choice of a wrapped brownie - which I don’t like or a bag of crisps

The kids area has moved, so you block the soup queue while you work out what you are allowed this time. Had to ask for a cheese sandwich, as too busy to restock. Limited choice of three grown up sandwiches, so paid £5.95 for a tasteless BLT. Not even the free tea and cake is making this value for money now.

Stopped off for a light bite during a shopping visit to Bluewater. There was a large selection of alternatived and food quality was excellent

Hard working staff cleaning tables and Staff on counters. Good selection of cakes and very nice too.

Very disappointing breakfast. Dry eggs, overcooked bacon and cold bubble and squeak. I love John Lewis and was looking forward to a nice relaxing breakfast before a morning of shopping. I can honestly say that was the worst breakfast I've ever had. I won't be back

Filthy tables (even when wiped), dirty floors, poor maintenance with lights out, poor service and over priced low quality food (smoked salmon sandwich - £6.50). Total waste of money. Don’t bother going.

After a trip at Bluewater for the day we also took a visit flying a few coffee and eating places.

Dirty cutlery and plates, someone needs to check dishwasher. Customers moving uncleared used plates etc themselves just to get to use table. One very slow clearer who waits for a mountain of dishes to be cleared before she appears and then only clears a few. Sat next to someone else’s used crockery for 45 mins

Two tasteless sandwiches we complained and to be fair was refunded but still charged for children’s meals and our coffee we were told sandwiches are bought in not what we expect from John Lewis ,head office please sort it

Relaxed place to meet friends never feel rushed the cake selection is very comprehensive & the Fruit Tea is really lovely

Formica tabletops and wooden chairs in need of painting. Not quite what you expect in a John Lewis cafe!

Excellent, hard working staff who provide lovely Small or Large Platters of fresh food.

When we meet our friends in Surrey we always stop at Bluewater which is halfway and a nice time stop. The cafe bar has a nice selection and plenty of seats. Can be quite pricey but the food is great.

Esta zona bistro está ubicado dentro del mercado de alimentos y tendrá la oportunidad de probar algunos de los alimentos vendidos en el sitio web. El pan de jengibre y fecha divina. Se sentirán tentados a comprar algunos, como! El menú es variado y tentador y se puede comer aquí a un precio muy razonable. Se sirve vino a la temperatura correcta y el personal es muy servicial y cortés. Totalmente recomendado.

Came here with my boyfriend to use two free tea and cake vouchers we had- points card related.

We love coffee. We had some very nice coffee here. My espresso was so far the best coffee I had ever had before. Quick and friendly service.

Cuando haya terminado de compras u, prueba este. . . La comida fresca, fuentes son muy razonables, el vino es delicioso frío o bebidas no alcohólicas o bebidas calientes. . .

We are regular customers and keep going there mainly because food is of good quality especially roasted meal section. Slight reserves sometimes to do with long ques and the attitude of the staff that is not always welcoming, but dont really mind and will keep going.

Llevé a mi madre allí hoy para un té y pasteles. Mientras espera (el servicio era muy lento) que busqué, y vi que el 50% de las mesas estaban aún por aprobarse. Las personas estaban sentados a mesas sucias. La planta era increíblemente sucia con...

Dropped in with a friend fir cake and coffee, friendly service, good coffee and fresh cake, what more can you ask for, As waitresses card holder, my friend was given his coffe for free . A lovely afternoon treat.

fantastic staff nice glass of red wine, very nice food, the platters are very good. great place to sit and relax after shopping

Our most recent visit was more disappointing than previous modest experiences.OK ….. we should have known better and not chosen to order a bacon sandwich around 11.20am when the staff are focussing on clearing the morning offerings and making way for the lunch menu. However, such sandwiches were on offer and should be of a standard that does not undermine the standards expected of the John Lewis brand.Good cafes, when associated with good retail outlets including garden centres, can enhance the overall customer experience. In our experience of this particular café, it is fortunate to be located within a highly successful retail sales operation that is located in a central city location.

Decided to get a roast dinner whilst visiting Bluewater to save cooking later. A very tasty roast beef dinner, just would have been good to have another roast option too? Will do back.

Called into the cafe for a quick coffee 9.15am, left without anything,Only 3 people in the queue, and upto 15 mins wait, only one member of staff on. Crazy her inability to focus and process the order swiftly made me walk away. Poor start and the loss of a Christmas shopper

John Lewis has got this wrong 1st the floor I see 2 people fall in 15 mins I was there so get out your risk assessment.2nd £3 for a 50p Mac Donald's coffee in a paper cup where are your mug or China 3rd no cakes or normal things to eat 4th the two bearded men behind the bar thing with 50lb of cheap apples need to be teached manners What's your name and he shouts out your drinks are ready is this a joke 5th no trays to carry your drinks , so is this for single people only ?6th you have this wrong big time

This has now been replaced but I have visited the cafe bar several times and each time was a disappointment. Small range of cakes, long queues for food and not the most pleasant of staff.Only reason to go was the free coffee and cake but now its Joes, I will go inside!

We popped in here before starting our Christmas shopping at about 9:50am and it was just starting to get busy.We had a danish pastry and a croissant with jam which were okay. It would have been nice if the croissant had been warm. Our Americano's came in huge cups but were not very nice, quite bitter. I think next time we will try somewhere else as this was nothing special.

Friendly staff and good wine, the smell of food all around was enticing and did have us wandering around after finishing our drinks

Great choice of sweets, loved the crepes and the location is great for a relaxing sit down. Good for shopping and ending day with nice treat

Customer service training is definitely required here. Staff should be taught to make eye contact and acknowledge waiting customers. Ignoring them shouldn't be an option.

Stopped here to have a break mid-morning whilst at Bluewater recently. Nice big cafe and plenty of room to steer a buggy between the tables. Decaff tea was good as was the coffee. Baby was able to be fed quietly in a corner and we were all happy. A good visit.

Having eaten many times in the lower ground floor coffee bar, I thought that the cafe bar outside would be just as good. I was wrong - selection of drinks and cakes not as extensive, it is expensive and worst of all they didn't accept the waitrose card for a free drink (unlike the downstairs). admittedly it is being rebuilt as I write this, but it needs to improve.

So this is a good place to sit and relax. A modern and clean atmosphere, nice enough and fairly quiet. The food did look nice and staff seemed very friendly, there was also no queue so service was quick. We only came for drinks but we left without ordering due to a sheer lack of variety and the high prices. Not for kids in terms of the choices and I didn't like anything there.They have a food hygiene rating of 5 and the location is convenient being very close to the entrance and you can walk though as you are shopping.Obviously I will not return or recommend to anyone, you are better off going to other coffee shops like Starbucks or there are also nearby cookie and cake stalls.

The John Lewis Café bar is situated in the Lower Mall just outside John Lewis. There are some soft seats around large low tables; padded benches and chairs around small round tables and normal tables and chairs. Whilst most eateries on a Sunday lunchtime were bursting at the seams, JL’s café bar did have spare seating. Tables were all being cleaned and cleared as soon as they were vacated.My coffee was strong in taste, but slight wishy-washy in texture. The sandwiches were very fresh, made with thick bread, and tasted very good. Soup was good and was served with a chunk of crusty bread. Food cost was slightly more expensive than elsewhere, but drink prices seem fairly consistent with other establishments.

Open plan beneath the staircase it is not a very inviting place. The coffee is bland to say the least and the food, especially when you come during the latter part of the day is quite stale. Eat here when you must or if you just want to have a sit down, but there are many more places in Bluewater that give a better ambience

I remember and not that long ago when you could have a nice glass of wine and an antipasti lunch mid shop at John Lewis Bluewater on 10 x 10" plates with your selection of meats etc you would also get three large chunks of bread, such and walnut and date or whatever you preferredd on offer. Now on very small plates with your choice of meats etc all you get is half a small bagett cut into two which amounts to two half inch deep 2 x 2" pieces of bagette what a spoiler what a shame JL's gone down the road of smaller portions and larger costs. Bye the way JL your portion of butter and sauce is more than can be used on the food expect i will see that reduced now.

The staff can be a little understaff here. But the cakes make up for it. They all taste very fresh. And the size of the slices you get are huge! We also enjoy the chocolate muffins here too.Its always a stop area for us when we visit bluewater

After a long trip to Bluewater Shopping Mall a coffee was needed before we started to we headed directly to John Lewis, the café bar was perfect, great coffee and a cheese scone which was delicious. A busy café with lots of seating and very pleasant staff.

We used the cafe inside the shop. Afraid it wasn't very good. My hot chocolate tasted of water. Couldn't drink it so I left it. Wasn't up for a confrontation. Won't be going to the cafe again

Very good, food and service excellent. As you would expect at John Lewis. Would recommend it for lunchtime and breakfast. I believe that they also serve food in the evening too.

Good value nice food friendly efficient staff worth a visitStaff get on with the work and it's a good experience

We thought 1.00 pm a good time to eat at John Lewis Place to eat.A fair choice of food with salad, no salad left. why not?Fat too expensive and too many tables, overcrowded in fact.Finding a vacant table that was not full of used plates and cutlery was almost impossible.There was an assistant clearing tales at a snail's pace, but she could not keep up with the amount of used crockery.This place needs a good manager to give the customer what they deserve, value for money and good service.

Good service friendly staff good choice of food very light and airy. This is a good place to take an informal break from shopping

I arrived from France at Ebbsfleet International Station, was picked up by my son and we visited BlueWater the intention to have an early bite to eat at John Lewis.We arrived at the cafe bar at 4.30pm, plenty of tables available albeit most had not been cleared.Went to the hot food section, which was empty, and asked for Lasagne and Chips. Was informed 'it comes with salad' There were chips available so I asked for the chips as well as the salad. Was asked ' where do you want the chips' I answered on the plate!! Was told 'there's no room on the plate 'cos of the salad'. You couldn't make this up........ I asked for them on an additional plate or in a bowl. Doh!!! The food was then passed to me.She asked if we wanted drinks and we ordered 2 pots of tea. The drinks lady had disappeared so we asked the lady who had served the food could she provide the drinks, she said it wasn't her job but, when I said our food is going cold she made the tea. After a further delay while she huffed and puffed about taking our money, not her job either, we eventually paid and sat down to a lukewarm meal on a table we had to clear ourselves.What a dreadful experience of 'service' in John Lewis. They used to be good, not now and not cheap either.Will not be back there again, goodness only knows what it's like when it's busy!!!!

Pretty rubbish. This place used to be alright, you were served at your table and the service was mediocre but the coffee was nice. Now you just go up to the bar to order and get your drinks there and then. We didn't eat, just had a coffee and a juice. It's laid out like an old school canteen and has no atmosphere whatsoever. John Lewis could do so much better.

I like John Lewis, and I love the way they treat their customers.You can really see that it is a true "partnership".However, the Café Bar, well, it should not be part of John Lewis,as in no way does it seem to represent the parent company.The staff are very friendly, and the food is good, BUT,and it is a major "BUT".Does the manager (managers) ever walk through the eating area ?If they did they would see, that almost all day long, and on every day of the week, that the tables are not cleared. There are cups, plates, left over food, all just laying there. Surely this is not the John Lewis that I know ?When you first walk in, you will look around and see all what I am talking about.If you don't, then good, as this shows that things have improved. I hope so.

Not a place to visit, if you have a sense of smell. The smell of the food, as you approach is awful. Just to wait for the lift outside makes my stomach churn. Can't tell you what the foods like. I can't stand the smell

Visited with a friend for afternoon tea Friday 15th August 2014. Tea good, service good. Mostly nice aroma's of tea, coffee. cakes totally overridden by the smell of cabbage cooking? which permeated the whole café area. I later discovered that the smell was coming from the upstairs Place to Eat, John Lewis and probably travelled through the air conditioning. Made for a fairly unpleasant experience, John Lewis should look to Bluewater management or their own management to deal with issue as the pleasant aroma of tea, coffee, baking was spoilt.

We stopped for a quick lunch. The cafe (outside the store) had recently changed from table service to serve yourself which for us was not a problem. However the menu has gone completely down market and the delicious cakes, drinks and sandwiches have disappeared, only to be replaced with a sparse choice of boring food. We had two large 'sub' style rolls as these were the only sandwiches available. Fillings were ok if uninspired but the bread was stale. In addition we had a coffee each. The cost was over £13. I would suggest one of the many other cafés or coffee shops for lunch, I certainly will not go back to this cafe bar.

Stopped for a break after shopping in JL. The cafeteria was heaving with customers. The staff were pushed to the limit and still managed to remain polite. The food was good but slightly pricey. Better places at Bluewater to stop for resuscitation (avoid Caffe Concerto).

The attitude of the staff here is what lets this café down! My husband and I visited on a Saturday morning and asked for 2 decaffeinated skinny cappuccinos. My husband watched the coffee being made and noticed that the 'barista' did not use the separate decaf sachets. When questioning this, he was told that it was decaf and then joked with another colleague …." it doesn't matter, you can't taste the difference anyway!" …… We pushed for the coffee to be remade and this time the separate sachets of coffee were used! But not before some rolling of eyes and a bit of tutting between each other! Unfortunately this is not the first time this has happened, but the fourth time and it seems that in trying to fulfil many orders quickly, the instruction to make a decaf coffee gets forgotten or ignored and if we don't spot the mistake the consequences for me can be dire. As it's not always the same barista and not the first time this has happened, it would appear that better training needs to be offered to the staff working in The Café bar as well as better education as to the difference between regular and decaffeinated coffee. On a more positive note however, if you do get the right coffee it is actually really nice and their scones and rolls are excellent!

For self service, this is pretty good. There are four (?) service counters, each offering a different selection, so if you are in a group, you might have to queue at more than one counter.We had coffee and cakes before starting our shopping. Good strong coffee, and as good cakes as you would get from any patisserie.A huge area with lots of seating, but can be busy and noisy.

Of the local shop restaurants John Lewis at Bluewater is the best so far. Good Christmas food plus plenty of other choices. Large comfortable and clean seating area.Definitely worth it :-)

long queue, had to wait a while, staff seemed to be falling over one another. The food was delicious and coffee was good - well worth the long wait

Parking tricky would benefit from some marshalling during ChristmasNice food at tapas John Lewis as ever very good service plenty of staff to help

Stopped here for a quick and light lunch and a coffee, voting for a table rather than getting a takeaway sandwich and coffee from "Pret a Manger". You order at the bar and take your food to the table -I had a coffee and a large sandwich/roll. The coffee was good and the sandwich tasty, and the tables and chairs clean and kept tidy, but it is a bit like eating in a goldfish bowl - you're outside at the junction of two promenades of the Mall, with stairs running up from the edge of the café, and people looking down on you from the upstairs. Staff were friendly but didn't do much to make me feel welcome and I was definitely left to my own devices to find cutlery and napkins - it would have been so easy to say "the cutlery ... is over there" but nobody bothered.I'd go again, but it wouldn't be first choice.

Ordered soup of the day , with roll and butter-got the soup but with a piece of breadThe tables were dirty and so were some of the chairs and all the cutlery We came here because someone recommended it but weren't happy

We fancied a little snack & drink. But we found the selection quite poor. Also expected better standard of helpfulness from the staff. We gave up & went elsewhere

Didnt really like this restaurant, it was ok, very expensive and the food was ok. The cakes etc are very good, but wouldnt bother with a full meal,

Lovely area to sit and relax in between shopping marathons! will use this again, staff very friendly and helpful

Nice lttle indoor bistro in the basment at Bluewater. Anything you choose is delicious. Well worth the small price.

We visited the Cafe Bar at John Lewis on Sunday wishing to purchase a meal rather than a snack and I was very pleased by the choices offered, delicious looking pasta and roast pork and turkey for main meal options. We opted for the pork which was plentiful and we were offered a choice of vegetables with the meal eg roast potatoes, broccoli, parsnips and carrots and accompianants too, crackling, stuffing and cranberry and apple sauces . I felt the price at £8.95 per meal was good value as the food was plentiful and plentiful and the cafe offered a meal and dessert option for a further two pounds more. Nice selection of different cold drinks, had an apricot and apple juice. Also saw homemade quiche on offer and various rolls and baguettes too. A nice touch was the lady who I presume was the manageress overseeing the cafe, she was very pleasant and friendly to ourselves, wishing us a nice meal and she was helpful to customers too.Would most certainly dine there again. Recommended.

The staff really care about there customers because they are share holders.It's always clean and tidy hear.Good value and good food, something for everyone.I like John Lewis becaus they always put the customer first.

***I love the quality of John Lewis and do my weekly shop in Waitrose***We used to love stopping off here for lunch when it was the waiter/waitress service, but not anymore! The menu was much nicer and it was lovely to be able to sit down and have someone take your order and bring it to you. Now you have to struggle with all your shopping bags to the counter and choose from a much poorer menu, then struggle with your food and shopping to your table! Nighmare!! We will not be using it again as the service (or lack of) it is now overpriced and no better than the numerous other coffee shops. My panini was really not very nice on this particular occassion, and they didn't even have the exact fiiling advertised on the board! It should have been chicken and mushroom, and they told me it had cheese in it so I assumed it was going to be chicken, cheese and mushroom. They did not say your "chicken panini" will have NO chicken in it! You really did used to have an edge - please bring back the old cafe bar. We have not been back since before Christmas and won't be unless you change it back.

Queues can be long if waiting for crepes. Try and arrange to eat before main shoppers feel hungry or avoid the crepe queue. Food is ideal if you want substanial snack. Good value , close to toilet facilities. Friendly helpful staff

Quite empty but hardly any food and what there is is displayed poorly.Service is the worst I have experienced at JL. No effort and I had to ask for simple things such as a glass for my coke.Won't be coming back.

My husband and my daughter visited here yesterday for lunch. The young man that was waiting was very prompt but we weren't ready to order. Once we did the drinks came pretty quickly but no one attemtped to wipe the table. My husband ordered apple juice and got a small childs carton which we sent back and asked for a proper apple juice. The young lady that then took over was not very friendly and didn't seem to be enjoying her job. Our food duly arrived and I started to eat it but it was bland and not very tasty, I had a salad garnish with my sandwich and I had almost eaten it when I noted that a dead fly was sitting under my rocket leaves. We complained and the food was taken away and I was asked if I wanted another of the same I declined. A supervisor then came over and told us I woouldn't be charged for it and that she was very sorry. My daughter also had salad garnish but when she saw what was with mine she decided not to eat any more of her meal either. She said her sandwich was also bland and unenjoyable. On the whole a very disappointing lunch and we won't be going there again.

Very average food and very over priced, staff on the tills could do with customer service training in how to be polite to customers

Restaurant dirty, only 1/3 full and most of the other tables piled uP with dirty plates. Lots of staff doing nothing and long queues at each of the bars and to make it worse ended up paying 8 quid for a cup of tea and a dry prawn salad. Husband had cavery that was cold. Mistakenly visited the loos to find them dirty with no paper and no soap. There are so many other nicer places to eat in Bluewater this school dinner hall feel of one is best to be avoided.

Great food, plenty of choice. Although thing that let it down was the long queues at the different food stations. I queued 25 minutes (if my little bit wasn't so hungry I would have gone elsewhere)

A quick easy way of eating while shopping. Located in the basement of John Lewis in the Foodhall and you choose 3 items from cheeses, meats, fish or veg selections and then 2 sauces, a bread from a selection and either butter or oil and balsamic. It is freshly prepared and always very tasty and healthy!

Being John Lewis I expected good and got more than I expected.

John Lewis Cafe BarBank holiday shambles.We went to the John Lewis Cafe Bar on this bank holiday Monday for a cup of coffee and we were expecting to receive the good John Lewis service that we all hear about; what a shambles it was...* Coffee took 20 minutes to come.* Coffee was cold.* Tea cake was like a coaster because it had been toasted in a panini press, rock hard.* They put our refreshments onto the table next to us bill and I suspect that couple never noticed and paid for ours.* I pointed this out to the staff when I noticed what had happened, we paid for ours; so I suspect John Lewis got paid twice.* Lots of customers abandoning tables and saying forget it.The way it is supposed to work is that you find a table, the staff take your order, they bring the refreshments to your table, leave you with the bill, you pay when you are ready to go.The problem is that doing it this way it is more labour intensive than just ordering and paying at the counter then taking your purchase and finding a table.The staff were doing doing the best that they could but in the end it's down to the management to ensure the correct staffing levels. If John Lewis are intent on running this system then inadequate staffing is going to lead to customer dissatisfaction.John Lewis, "Never knowingly undersold"? You were this time! I really don't think we will bother to give you a second try with so many other places to get a drink in The Bluewater Shopping Centre.

A very busy wet Sunday is probably not the best time to try and get a coffee here. The coffee itself was nice, so was the cake, but the staff were too few for the numbers and I had to clear away crockery etc to make room for our tray. Other people were doing so too. Nice staff, just not enough of them. Also, mainly tables for 4, when more for 2 would be beneficial.

My wife is a big fan of John Lewis and she often eats there when visiting London. On Friday 23rd of September we were at the BlueWater shopping Centre and my wife suggested we have a coffee at the John Lewis Cafe Bar just outside the store. We ordered coffee and were tempted by the teacakes. This was a big, big mistake. They were dry, stale or old we were not sure. I should have complained but did not. They were shockingly bad and has for me damaged JL for a long time.I certainly will not return here.

Very busy and expensive for what is provided to eat.