Cafe Zest in Birmingham

Este es posiblemente el peor café que he tenido el placer de visitar, detrás de la zona de labranza / barristers estaba muy sucio. El servicio fue horrible después de una espera de 40 minutos, el servidor vino a la mesa y le preguntó qué habíamos pedido, ya que se había olvidado. Vergüenza increíble en la gestión de un buen nombre británico en el pan! ! ! !

Went on a Bank Holiday. Waitress behind the counter was lovely and welcoming. Cafe itself very flat and completely dead in terms of atmosphere. Like a selection of tables and chairs had just been grouped in a corner of the floor. Hardly anyone in apart from a few staff members. Pot of tea was very pleasant but some TLC is needed here desperately...

I've visited this place a few times for lunch as it's near to where I work. Each time I've gone in there's barely been any customers and yet the service is still slow from start to finish. When you arrive there are no staff around, yet there is a sign asking that you wait to be seated. Once eventually seated you can be waiting a good 15mins before your order is taken. You can then expect a long delay before the food arrives, without so much as an apology for the wait. The staff seem disinterested and bored. Most have the customer service skills of a wasp. I have given this a place a chance on a few occasions hoping it would improve but it seems the staff/management at cafe Zest just aren't interested and have given up (which is pretty much the vibe when you walk in). I won't be giving this place anymore chances.

I rarely give only 2 stars , but sadly this place deserves it. It is situated in the House Of Fraser, and as we were shopping there we thought we’d pop in for lunch. The food had very little choice, especially the salad area. The salads looked sad and unappetising. The whole place was just not welcoming in enough to make you want to eat there. I also want to mention that one of the staff, when I was asking about food ( he was cleaning tables ) looked so scruffy and his uniform was very grubby. He stank ( sorry, but this is true) of the most awful B.O. This made me question the hygiene of the whole place to be honest , if they were happy for him to be out in the main eating area, and we decided not to eat there. They need to up the ante to make the cafe deserve the reputation of the HOF.

Visité aquí en la víspera de Navidad, cuando la mayoría de Birmingham fue embestida, pero este lugar tenía una mesa para dos personas ocupadas cuando llegamos para un desayuno tardío. Habiendo visitado recientemente y tener motivos para quejarse de la tienda Zest en la tienda de Wolverhampton, deberíamos haberlo sabido mejor. La mesera solitaria nos dijo que básicamente escogiéramos cualquier mesa, entregamos los menús maltratados y magullados y nos informó que, desafortunadamente, los huevos estaban apagados. Basil Fawlty no tenía Waldorfs, este lugar no tiene huevos, ¡en Nochebuena! . Eso significaba que dos de las opciones limitadas; Inglés completo con una selección de huevos y los huevos benedictinos; fueron un no ir Pedimos un par de sándwiches de tocino y tomate, que tengo que declarar que posiblemente sean los sarnies de tocino más sencillos y sencillos que jamás haya visto. Vinieron con una pequeña olla de mermelada rellenada con salsa acuosa sin sabor y marrón. El té de la Esposa llegó sin leche, probablemente porque la camarera estaba bajo un fuerte estrés después de la llegada de otras cuatro personas que querían un refrigerio. Pensar que este lugar solía ser Rackhams, posiblemente la tienda más conocida del centro de la ciudad. Gracias a H of F, ahora es una sombra de lo que solía ser y, esperemos, que el Sr. Ashley tenga la agenda para hacer algo al respecto. Podría comenzar por reemplazar a los proveedores de servicios de restauración que administran estos cafés. Lo siento si eso suena fuerte, pero jugó 2 perdidos 2. Goles por 0, goles contra varios.

The good news was that there was something for everyone in our group starting with food for the children and soup or jacket potato for the adults. Had to chase down someone to wipe down our table after we cleared it. The chicken BBQ panini was not very good. The vegetable soup was very good. A mixed review.

We popped into House of Fraser at 11am on Saturday 1st December. I couldnt believe how dead it was in here, it was literally like walking onto the set of Are You Being Served? We went to their Cafe Zest for a coffee (see attached photo for how busy it was...) When we came to order, we were told that what we wanted wasn't available until after 12pm (it doesn't say anything about that on the menu). Given that all we wanted was a hot sandwich, and given their state of affairs, I would have thought it possible to have plugged the sandwich machine in, but rules are rules. I do hope that those staff here, that don't give good customer service, are the first to go.

I arrived here at 10.30am, I know this because I checked my watch to see if I was within time for something off the breakfast menu. Although there was a notice asking people to wait to be seated the waitress just handed me a menu & told me to find a table. The waitress seemed to be the only member of staff & I looked around to see at least 3 other people waiting to be served. So I wasn't surprised that I sat there for 10 minutes before she came to my table. I asked for decaffeinated coffee - they did not have any. I left.

Visited the cafe on Thursday lunch time with a relative.1pm and there was only a handful of people in the cafe which should have rung alarm bells. No one available to seat us and had to go and find someone. We were given 2 scruffy menus and told to sit where we wanted. We moved around from a couple of tables till we found a clean one. Menu limited but not a problem. We chose the soup and toasted sandwiches. Toasted sandwiches were nice but soup looked like dishwater and did not taste much better. We had not even finished eating and a waitress asked us if we had finished when she could clearly see we were still eating. I can't believe the cafe has ended up like this. The service and the food was terrible. This used to be Rackhams and was the best store in birmingham. Certainly will not visit again.

this restaurant is an excellent choice for any occasion or time, very good service and lovely friendly staff and good chice of food and drinks, and also lovely relaxed atmosphere

Shopping in Birmingham, three of us broke off to visit Cafe Zest for lunch. Waiter service at take away prices. a select menu of really good quality lunchtime snacks e.g. beautiful chicken salad and (please do not laugh) perfect, gooey cheese on toast. Quality food for not a great cost. Great attentive staff. thank. you all. Cafe Zest design is very much 70s (or may be 80s) worth a look for the history lesson!

We went there for a lunch break during our shopping day. The waiter asked at the beginning if we were in any hurry, because it was just him and the chef at the café, I think...as we weren't in a hurry we enjoyed some lovely caesar salads served by the chef himself with extra parmesan cheese. The service was really nice and didn't take any longer as necessary. It was a relaxing break because it wasn't so busy at the café. I would go there again.

Can only review for coffee as I have not tried the food. The coffee is quite excellent and has a sort of 'Italian roast quality to it. I do ask for an extra shot in my latte however. I am surprised to be able to say that I think the coffee at ZEST is as good as anything else I have tried in the centre of Birmingham!

Only needed a coffee or similar prices dear and place needs updating , considering not many people in at 12.30 service was slow, had we known would have used the Restaurant on 6th floor

I have lunch here a few times a year when on shopping trips to Birmingham. I've always enjoyed the food and the service, both above average, and am comfortable enough here to lunch alone. Monday was no exception, my healthy smoked salmon salad was scrummy, as was the raspberry nectar tea over ice. My sister really enjoyed her mushroom soup, cheesy tuna melt toasted sandwich and juice, and the staff on duty were friendly, courteous and efficient as always. Two really good lunches with table service for just over £20 in a city centre is really good value in my opinion. I'll be back in a couple of months.

Metimos en tomar un descanso de las compras. Estado antes y el servicio fue impresionante, pero parece que nunca hemos tenido peores. Personal haría bien en recordar que están trabajando en una industria de servicios.

Realmente necesitaba un café y comida ligera después de una mañana ajetreada y algunas compras de navidad.

Generalmente grosero y arrogante servicio al cliente de que el chaval que 'nos saludó".

Es una pena que el servicio es tan grosero como la comida no está mal, y provenía de la gestión, el comentario de como me fui a pedir mi comida, que era totalmente os dejéis embaucar! ! ! Casa de Fraser ha ido cuesta abajo, y puedo ver por qué con personal con cero habilidades sociales! !

A las 2 de la tarde un sábado esperas que estar ocupado. Como consecuencia también espera razonablemente personal, pero no. El lugar está sucio, lento, muy caro y para ser sincero, poco atractiva. La próxima vez Mcdonald's.

Este café está situado en la casa de Fraser tienda y si estás buscando un descanso para tomar café o comida mientras allí parece una opción razonable, pero en mi experiencia hay muchos restaurantes y cafeterías en otro sitio mejor en el centro de la...

Friend and I had enjoyed coffee and Victoria Sponge. Both coffee and cake were delicious. The slice of cake was far too large for one. We had two plates and cut cake in half so good value by comparison to other similar cafes. Visit was around four in the afternoon with a choice of seating and it was pleasantly calm and peaceful at the time of our visit. Expect it would be very busy at lunch time. Toilets, clean and spacious are on the same floor and diagonally across from café.

Went for lunch, had frittata, was £8.50. Was like eating plastic, very bland and expensive, I will definitely not be returning!

Great place to rest your feet and enjoy a tasty lunch whilst shopping! My daughter and I had a lovely light lunch here, beautifully served and prepared. Staff were friendly and welcoming. It is waitress served, lovely to be waited on, rather than queuing up canteen style as in so many dept. store cafes. Reasonably priced too and a little quieter than the city centre cafes.

when we arrived about 2 pm every table was dirty. We had to clear a table for ourselves. I asked the waitress who were tiding up if she could wipe our table so we could have our coffee. I was waiting with my tray of coffees in my hand! She told me "in a minute I will" and she kept me waiting while she wiped other unoccupied tables before she finally cleaned ours. I felt like giving the coffees back and leave but didn't want to create a scene however that was grim experience and an appalling service....

6 staff 12 tables occupied only 2 to serve,very slow to take order, when it finally come scones 3 little things unable to cut so stale.

I rarely write a review about anywhere on the Internet but my blind Son and I went to Cafe Zest at House of Fraser (formerly Rackhams) in Birmingham. The service we received was absolutely excellent. The members of staff were morethan helpful and treated my Son with a incredible dignity: much more so than a juice bar we visited earlier in the Grand Central new shopping central. My Son is a self-conscious teenager having lost his sight only about 2 years ago. Thank you to everybody at Cafe Zest and House of Fraser Birmingham for making us feel so welcome and for the brilliant service. We shall be returning time-and-time again.

Visited this cafe in August when meeting up with old friend. Service then ok, ordered fish finger sandwich that came with fish fingers on a large slice of bloomer bread and came with fries and a bit of salad which was priced at £7.99, not really very good value for money, but enjoyed it. Decided to repeat the visit with my husband on Sunday 27th September for lunch, oh what a mistake.. First of all no one serving, waited ages in the end husband went into kitchen area and shouted for service. Waitress came over, without menus, and I ordered fish finger sandwich with fries, she said oh it's changed now, fish fingers come on a HALF burger bun AND FRIES ARE EXTRA ! So thought oh well just get on with it, couldn't be bothered to go elsewhere.. Big mistake.. The TWO fish fingers did indeed arrive on a small HALF burger bun (the top was nowhere to be seen, don't know who is eating all those missing tops ) with a single lettuce leaf under them and firies were USA style in a small wire basket, an absolute disgrace for £2.75 per portion ! The total bill for us both including 2 fish finger meals, 2 portions of fries and 2 latte coffees totalled £26.50.. Needless to say there will be NO more visits here ! My husband still hasn't got over it.. Still feels totally ripped off !

We went to this restaurant today to get lunch as we had previously been there and were reasonably satisfied.unfortunately today we felt most unwelcome.the place was virtually empty but we were directed by a male member of staff to a tiny table up a corner.We asked if we could be seated differently but he said it might get busy later so that was not possible.So we left and went to the Burlington where we had a good welcome and a lovely lunch.

The service when we visited was so sluggish it made the Waitrose cafe in Newport (Shropshire) look good.We went in for a hot drink. There were almost as many staff on duty as customers, and yet it took about a quarter of an hour for our three drinks to arrive.The surroundings are as sanitised as you'd expect in a department store cafe. It's not a place you'd visit for the ambience. What's worse, when we asked about the toilets we were directed to another floor of the store, several minutes' walk away.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Nightclub music through House of Fraser in Birmingham!As for Cafe Zest, don't touch the breakfasts! You'll be sorry!

The title says it all really. Why eat here when there are so many places in Birmingham? My wife and I only ate out once that week so I'm fairly sure the title is correct.Otherwise. Well restaurant is ok to look at. Service isn't really very good and the meal we had was the special of the day.Well it was special...

Very long wait for fairly basic breakfast though we were one of only two tables seated. Fairly disinterested staff, manager/ supervisor seemed insincerely flirty, incorrect coffee orders, missing items from ordered meals etc.

went to zest for breakfast on a week day, we were shown to our seat by a friendly young lady, (the funny thing was that on our way to our seats an old lady stopped my wife and said don't eat here the food is dreadful) I just smiled as I had eaten here about 3 years earlier and it was always fine, so my wife asked for poached eggs on toast and I opted for the full breakfast, mmmm, so when the food came my wife had got toast with mushrooms on with a poached egg on top, mine was small and only just warm with a cold sausage, we were both really hungry after walking around all morning so I just scraped the mushrooms of my wifes toast onto to my plate and ate what I could, o well the old lady was right after all, so wont be going back there again...

visited around saturday lunchtime - certainly not busy and have to say the service was excellent. we both ordered a fishfinger open sandwich with chunky chips which appeared in approx 10 mins and was absolutely delicious - couldnt fault the food or service. very reasonably priced and nice and quiet. wasnt bothered by lack of atmosphere or decor - too busy eating and chatting to notice either!

Visited with my 12 year old daughter. We needed lunch and as we were passing by we called in to the store to see what was on offer.We received a lovely welcome and were promptly seated. Our drinks order was taken quickly and our food order taken when drinks arrived. We chose crispy chicken sandwiches which arrived quickly and piping hot. They were served on a slate platter with chips in a basket and dressed salad garnish. My daughter particularly enjoyed it here but she was sat facing out into the cafe whereas I had my back to everything and was facing the windows ( need a clean) some jars of pickled veg and a radiator . Cant fault the service or the food but perhaps the seating could be better - just sit diners side on, then everyone can have an outlook .

Visited yesterday for the first time as we happened to be in the shop.Not well signed on the second floor but we decided to give it a go as the menu looked suitable.It was one o clock and there were several people eating though by no means full.We were attended to straight away and both ordered different risottos and drinks;these came quickly and the food within 20 mins;both were tasty and reasonably priced portions;have paid far more in a chain Itaian.The service was friendly and we liked the decor so will go again when we are next in the area

This is the restaurant on the 2nd floor of Rackhams, House of Fraser. Thought we would try it again to see if it had improved since previous visit. Ordered their "special" - sweet potato fish cakes with crispy leeks - in the hope that it would come reasonably quickly. After all, if it is a special they must be expecting to serve it fairly often. We ordered nothing else. There were very few people eating there (we probably should have taken the hint), yet somehow they still took 40 minutes to produce our two orders of fish cake. When they came they tasted ok, although the leeks were minimal. I commented to the waiter that "Zest" seemed a singularly inappropriate name for the cafe. He managed to smile. On the way out I noticed a sign saying "this is a table service restaurant" or some such. This is obviously code for "this is a very slow place to eat". A few minutes later we strayed up to the top floor of Rackhams where there is a self-service canteen. Even fewer people were eating there, but it could be quicker. We wondered if the fish cakes had come from there? Can't House of Fraser do better than this?

Had lunch here, what a mistake. Service was really slow, when my meal arrived I was asked if I wanted any sauces, I asked for mayo. Half an hour later Id finished my meal and still no mayo. Top tip go somewhere else!!!

When I asked if it was possible to have a gluten free sandwich I was told no problem. I was amazed upon checking my bill (after I had left Café Zest -big mistake!) , to find that I had been charged an additional 80p for what turned out to be one small slice of very poor quality gluten free bread. I am aware that gluten free bread is more expensive but I should have been informed prior to ordering. Not impressed.

What can go wrong in a coffee shop?Firstly serving coffee that is tasteless brown milky liquid (supposedly a cappacino), that is after the froth about two inches of coffee.About 3 sips worth for £2,55. I mean come on, the main reason for going to a coffee shop is have a decent coffee. If you cant get that right, then for starters you are hardly going to win over your customers.Secondly waiting about 25 mins after the coffee arrives for a sandwich and fries.We had to eat this with no drink left of course, it was like rationing.When one is on the verge of leaving, its not a good sign. The sandwich was good, well filled, but the bread seemed a bit hard.Some people gave up waiting. The staff I have to say were hard working, but given what they have to work with, did they ask if I enjoyed it no....it seems not enough. Oh well another one to avoid next time I am in Leeds.