Country Grains in Oxford

Just an iconic place. Location idyllic.

restaurant gave me the wrong order

I’ve always been a loyal customer of Cafe Nero, more speculation at the High Street store, where I’m consistently welcomed with warm and friendly service. I’ve also occasionally visited the Gloucester Green branch and have generally been satisfied with the service there as well. I’m based in Oxford and commute to Bicester for work via train. This morning I made a detour to Gloucester Green specifically for your Luxury White Chocolate Mocha, which I love. Upon ordering, I mentioned to the male staff member that other stores usually fill the drink to the top. I wasn’t complaining—just pointing out the difference in service. He responded politely, but the female staff member nearby scoffed and laughed, then went on to explain why they “can’t” do that. I clarified again that I wasn’t arguing, just sharing feedback. Unfortunately, my order was then made incorrectly—I received a Luxury Hot Chocolate instead. I returned to the store and joined the queue. The male staff member was kind and apologetic, admitting he misheard and offered to remake the drink, which I appreciated. However, the female staff member—now at the front—looked at me with visible irritation. When I explained the mistake, instead of acknowledging it or apologising, she accused me of placing the wrong order. Her attitude was rude, defensive, and unnecessarily combative. This experience left a very negative impression on me. I typically don’t leave reviews, especially as I’ve consistently received great service from your brand. But this interaction completely shifted my perception. Customer service should always reflect courtesy and professionalism—sadly, her behaviour did not. This is customer service, and what I experienced this morning was the opposite of what should be achieved. Instead of starting my day on a positive note, I left feeling disrespected. I didn’t anticipate that popping in for a coffee to kickstart my morning would become such a negative encounter.

We enjoyed our meal in Oxford. In this iconic emplacement for the inspector morse. We lunch a fish and chips, a bagel of baked salmon, the sausage and of course three pints

The location of this place is stunning beside the river (IF you can get a table close to the edge). I found that staff were not that polite, when you asked for something they seemed unwilling to help and huffed and puffed as though they were too busy but then in the next breath, stood around for 15 mins talking amongst themselves.