Gail's Artisan Bakery in Richmond upon Thames

I stopped at a bakery today and was surprised that the people preparing meals in the kitchen did not have gloves, they were making rolls and sandwiches with their bare hands, I left

Amazing place good service and lovely coffee

I never go to Gail’s because I don’t like the chain but I needed a coffee late and the good coffee shops in the area were already closed. I didn’t get my coffee though because the personnel was busy cleaning up while I waited for a long time to be served. They did see me but I guess they wanted to go home early. I’m also sorry for the customers who were having their drink with the terrible noise of the vacuum in the background and trash bags floating around.

Looks lovely but tasteless food and over priced. I don't like artificial tasting food but it's almost a bit too healthy . The muffins have no taste to them at all but look amazing just a bit disappointed considering the price

Extremely friendly staff! Let us try a sandwich when they had extra and were super accommodating. Lots of smiles all round!

A staple in Barnes for baked goods with a wide selection! I prefer to visit here for treats rather than drinks, as I usually opt for other options on the high street. The café is always bustling, and like most places, there's a charge to sit and eat, but there's a lovely park just around the corner where you can enjoy your goodies. It's in a great location and always busy, but like many Gail's locations, it can be a bit overpriced. Overall, it's a good spot for baked goods!

Always nice to visit Gail’s in Barnes , staff are lovely and always happy to help , great selection of drinks & food both sweet and savoury displayed very well ! The shop is also always very nice and clean ! Top marks

Shocking customer service by the lady barrista - same disappointing experience twice by the same person and i only visit every few months so i'm not a regular. Honestly Gail's, you should do better in this day and age. It doesn't take much to have friendly staff that make you feel welcome.

Always dirty inside. Never have the items you want. Understand bakery’s prepare in batches but would help if there was some logic to when in/out of stock. Can go on the same time on same days and have entirely different things in and out of stock. If they do have the item you’re looking for, the food is generally pretty good. Drinks middle of the road and pricey.

Well going to Barnes gail quite long time now. I visit around 6:30 am. Since the manager is on leave, second time caffee machine is not working or something else to not to do service. I hope I am wrong.

Gail’s is iconic in London in its own way and the location and atmosphere of this particular Gail’s in Barnes is just so beautiful. But what made my experience so special and makes me want to write this review is this kind , patient and very courteous girl called NORA . She is a gem to have as an employee. People make the place . Thank you Nora for the way you treat your customers and how you make sure they feel welcomed, attended and heard. I won’t go about the whole incident but how you dealt with it simply speaks of your great values and ethos. We need more people spreading kindness than agitation and anger . Wishing you all the best and hope to see the smiling you soon again .

I would like to say a big thanks to Nora for her out of the way service today. We ordered something that was new and she really explained the ingredients well and was kind enough to suggest us what might suit our needs and taste . What a gem of a person!

Catastrophic service level. Hospitality is about caring for guests. Gail’s fails terribly at getting the fundamentals right: good service, clean and tidy environment, good vibes. The staff are so disengaged and scattered. Tables are dirty often, the floor too. Such a shame since the location is golden and their bread and pastries are perfect.

Loved their pastries and their iced latte, really good quality. The helpful young bakery manager also recommended their organic raspberry and rose jam and helped me choose the bread. Everything was delicious.

Lovely to visit Barnes with my family, we visit Gail's had some really nice food and sweets, was a very nice welcoming from the team and the coffee was amazing. Great experience will come back.

Gail's in Barnes, food service and atmosphere exceeded all of my expectations! From the moment I stepped inside, I was greeted with warm smiles and a cozy atmosphere. The food was absolutely delicious, with a variety of options to choose from. Not only was the service top-notch, but the ambiance of the place was also perfect for a relaxing meal. I highly recommend Gail's to anyone looking for a fantastic breakfast experience. I can't wait to go back!

Daylight robbery, how are people affording to eat/drink here? The food and drink is good but £4 for as much salmon as you’d get on a piece of sushi? £8 for ONE slice of toast with a little avocado? Outrageous. The girl serving us was SO rude and made the experience quite miserable. Won’t be going to Gail’s ever again.

Friendly staff and great atmosphere. unfortunately this is the second time I have received croissants that were not flaky and fresh. Gails normally has superb baked good but my Saturday morning treat was very disappointing.

Possibly the slowest serving coffee shop/bakery in Barnes. Food can be tasty but always pricey. Getting a coffee often takes at least 10 minutes if not longer.

Food is nice so it's a shame that the service is absolutely appalling. The tables were dirty, the server was incredibly rude. Wouldn't go again.

Loved it, the pastries and coffee and the smell is simply amazing

I did everything myself bar putting hot water into a broken teapot, including wiping the table and fetching something that had been forgotten. Unfriendly staff too busy chatting, dirty tables and floor, expensive stale cake at 4pm. As awful as always, silly of me to think it might have changed.

Is it normal for staff to be on their phones while a customer is literally trying to tap their card and pay? This is ridiculous and it looks so unprofessional.

I recently had the most wonderful experience at this Gail’s in Barnes! Not only is the food exceptional, but the server went above and beyond to make my visit unforgettable, so a massive shout out to Noah! His generosity and attentiveness made me feel valued as a customer. I highly recommend Gail’s to anyone looking for great food and outstanding service.

It’s a pretty shocking experience all round. Staff literally on phones while serving at tills. The coffee is now extremely poor. Wow has this chain gone downhill. Kept coming for the loyalty but now that’s not even worth it.

Sulky rude staff, dirty toilets. Don't bother there are plenty of nice independently owned coffees shops and cafes in Barnes that need support.

The best sausage roll I’ve ever had in my life. Mini salmon sandwich and cheese stick were also delicious. Very good value for money. Would benefit from a cozier and cleaner eating area.

Come here often and although it’s always busy, the staff always take the time to smile and chat to me and ask how I’m doing. The coffee is always amazing in particular when the barista called Noah is in. Always makes a great coffee and sets me up for a lovely day.

Staff looked bored and not interest.

I love this shop, sitting having tea and looking out onto Barnes Green. The staff are very friendly and there’s a great atmosphere.

Awful place. Asked for extra hot skinny flat white. Got a tepid skinny latte. First World problem but annoying. Worse was the truly awful overnight oats with raspberry jam and almond butter. One of the very worst messes I have ever eaten. Truly totally tasteless mushy and bland. What should be a delightful healthy taste was ruined by the muppets at Gail's experiment kitchen. Who said aloud butter works with oats. Other choices were just as poor...and tasteless. I have gone before but this experience was truly miserable. If you want a healthy taste breakfast go to Pret. This place is awful.

I paid £3.60 for small chocolate served in paper cup. Poor service, I could hardly hear that is ready :/ Taste of chocolate was like drinking bit of cocoa powder disloved in water

Amazing coffee, delicious pastries and a lovely staff!

All style and no substance and over priced. Won't be back...

Walked in to get a coffee and sausage roll. Was ignored and they even served the lady behind me. Walked out. You lost a sale.

In short: Food was cold, walls were chipped and marked, staff rude, tables left uncleaned, stained tea cup, chipped tea pot spout, filthy toilet and windows. For an upmarket "artisan" coffee branch, spending over £18 on my order for one, this isn't the experience I should accept ....

Gail's in general is great but the staff at this branch is just dreadful, a blonde lady in particular- there is no need for them to be so consistently rude. Today takes the biscuit when an off duty member of staff (young male spiky blonde hair) pushed in front of three of us queueing to ask for free food for him and his girlfriend which the staff were happy to comply with before then forgetting to make my drinks - a shame as the team used to be rather lovely

Oh I love that place. Near the pond. Such a lovely location. Don't like the fact no cash payments

Terrible service. Staff always arguing between themselves. Food was cold. Customer service was shocking. And over priced. They should change it for a starbucks.

Service without a smile in Barnes … will stick to Chiswick Gail’s in future! Not hard for the bespectacled girl at the till to say please and or thank you… never mind show some initiative or enthusiasm… so rude… the barista obviously went to the same charm school… come on folks… enjoy the job or make room for someone who will!

Poor service, asked if they had vegan pastries pointing at their counter full of pastries and treats. Server says no. Customer behind says. The thing bites are vegan. Server is non-plussed and says I don't think they're gluten free. I'm like I asked if you had vegan. You said no. #FML

Young lady made the coffee Luke warm. Asked to reheat and said she can’t. (All coffee barristers can) so I asked for another but hot. Whether she did or not it was still Luke warm? Miserable expression, bad customer service- she obviously didn’t want to be there. Not enough tables outside, inside seating needed wiping down. Don’t bother, plenty other coffee places within the area.

I can’t actually believe how appalling the service is here! Just ordered 2 hot chocs a salad and a scone with butter. No plate, no cutlery, and only one hot choc! Asked the barista why only one hot choc and the reply, I’m only doing what’s on the screen! Great customer service guys. The shop is dirty, tables not cleaned really regret stopping here.

They sell last nights sourdough and baguette, totally destory my believes on Gail’s brand!

One star is missing as we are big fan of Gail's, that we know person in the till can give the napking instead of touching it and saying its here. Remember the customer service needs a bit o smile and care.

Visiting with a 2 year old but no soap for hand washing. When I asked, I was told they're understaffed, but looked like there were a few folks not doing much. We also had to clear a table for ourselves because somehow staff were unavailable...?

Terrible coffee, could make it better at home. Staff quite often miserable, baked good make it tolerable for a quick visit.

I had parmesan chicken Sandwich. Apart from the fact the Sandwich and chicken inside was small, it was also very dry and tasteless. Can barely taste the parmesan cheese or chicken for that matter. Not worth the money. Service was haphazard.

Was served by a barista by the name of isla. She was absolutely lovely and her coffee delicious

Great branch of Gail's well located in beautiful Barnes Village. I don't have to say much about always beautiful bakery and food at Gail's. Staff were attentive and seating is decent for a cafe. Frankly, sour dough bread with avocado on top was really expensive at 8 pounds. It was small size toast and just 2-3 spoons of Avocado. Otherwise it is a great place for breakfast or quick bite and coffee if you are in the area.

Have they stopped using butter in Gail’s croissants? Dry…definitely will refrain from getting croissants here

Had a wonderful Muffin, Americano and Flat White this morning. Thank you very much to the Barista called Isla :)

Great service and Friendly staff. Cheers guy's

Avoid at all costs..especially if you look ethnic. Never have I ever felt SO uncomfortable in a coffee shop in all my life. The customer service (if I can call it that) was atrocious. The girl making the coffee fills the mug right to the brim without an underplate or tray provided. Staff are so rude and there is no set queue to order, very confusing system(as if noone works there). The cappuccino was awful and tasted like dirty water and the pastries looked cremated. Will never ever visit this specific Gails again. Extremely disappointed, ruined my brunch.

Decent location, good service. Toilet is difficult to get to due to tables blocking the outside

Chrissy is such a helpful and cheery person when I come into your Barnes coffee shop. She remembers her customers and makes you feel so welcome. I always hope that either she or Laura are there to serve me on the days I come in. They are a huge reason to chose Gails because, as you must know, Barnes has many coffee shops! They draw me in by their friendliness. They need to be rewarded. Thank you!

I love this place, the food and the people that work and come here! The only thing is one of the employees is soo clumsy and unhelpful. I hope she'll improve, as the interaction with the staff is an important part of the experience. Good luck to her, fingers crossed! Anyway, thank you for the great atmosphere and your hard work!

They have a POLICY OF NO PEOPLE with Allergies !!! I went some time ago with Tommy girlfriend who has a severe nut allergy. Their cakes are tasty and I asked if they had any nut free cakes. They smirked and laughed and said to go somewhere else as “everything in our store contains all allergens including nuts and gluten”. I asked if even their cans of coke had nuts. They said yes !!! How can a company be so hateful towards a minority group ? Another time my sister went and asked for a flute free hot chocolate. They made it for her and she had an instant reaction to the gluten in it. When she asked why they said that they thicken their hot chocolate as standard with wheat flour. If you like overpriced corporate but fairly tasty snacks and you are a superhuman with no allergies then you should be ok in here. If not STAY WELL CLEAR ! For your own safety. It’s profit above caring for customers here !

I'm an international student, and i think christina is genuienly the most kind hearted person i've met in london in 3 years. All love to her and the entire team x

Very nice place to meet up with friends

Went to Barnes to view a few properties and had time to kill between viewings. Tried Gail’s for the first time but and was disappointed . Staff were self important and seemed under the impression they were the Savoy Grill. Unremarkable food, basic limited menu options and miserly portions. Poor presentation and service, which was massively overpriced. Hygiene a big issue, crumbs and stains everywhere and staff member did not wipe the table when she cleared the previous customers crockery. Not a premium offering by any stretch. Will use a local independent if I do end up living in Barnes and doubtful I will risk patronising Gails again. Cannot recommend.

Best selection of bread in town, and going strong

I love the seeded sourdough and rosemary and potato bread. Bonsoy as the soy milk is always a welcome sight. The staff are always friendly and helpful, despite having to deal with a significant amount of rude and entitled customers. I visit several times a week, and I have often overheard many unpleasant exchanges between customers who don't have basic communication skills, who don't want to understand how the ordering and collection process works, or don't listen to instructions. I also find that many customers have a very short temper and go from seething silently to wailing in a matter of moments So, thanks Gail's staff, for being polite, patient and professional when dealing with the local riff raff.

Staff is letting it down. Big shame about this Gail’s, beautiful location but the staffing situation is terrible. All very rude, no structure (had to give up waiting for my coffee once as unlikely the order even went through and no one really responsible (maybe ask for name of person ordering at busy times!?), staff unapologetic, often unclean and the vibe overall is unfriendly. Going to the new one in Sheen now.

We stopped for lunch at GAIL's Barnes one sunny Sunday afternoon in November. It was a bustling place, with plenty of choice and plenty of freshly made produce being made on-site. We sat in and enjoyed a fantastic Pastrami Bagel, as well as a Grain Salad and Mushroom Quiche too. It was on the pricey side by the quality was superb, so warranted the price tag. We didn’t get a chance to try their sweet items, but they looked fantastic too!

Färskt och nybakat gott bröd. Goda kakor och bakelser och be utbud av tee och kaffe

Have ordered coffee many times and it takes far too long for one to be made. Great location, disappointing service.

Do not recommend. Came for Sunday brunch, no friendly greeting, only after browsing the menu and ordering was advised that they were not doing cooked food with no apology or reasonable explanation. Ordered from the cabinet instead and asked for it to be heated (which it wasnt), asked for some condiments to go with it and that seemed to be a huge inconvenience for the staff member. So had a terrible hot chocolate with a cold dry sausage roll with a side of attitude.

Great for a weekend treat, week day treats too!

Disappointing first visit on account of the appalling noise level which included music (far too loud), coffee machines, staff shouting and general customer talking. Also, a touch of salad would not go amiss on the boring quiche on its own on a plate! I hope you can sort out the noise level in your new opening in East Sheen as I would like to pay another visit.

Gail's is a very good place to have a tea or coffee and a snack with friends.

I visited Gail's and was served by a young gentleman named Abdullah. He was very helpful and gave me great suggestion as I having a hard time deciding my order. He was very positive and professional. This is the customer service standard all F&B outlets should try and provide. Thank you for making my Saturday worthwhile!

Very disappointing and comical experience getting breakfast today, staff were rude, dismissive and very unwelcoming. In the end we canceled our order and went next door for breakfast. Looking at all the previous negative reviews we’re not alone.

Hard to understand why can’t my scone be served warm, apparently its house policy… poor customer service and obvious double standards, I’ve had my scones warmed at Gail’s before.

Ótimo lugar pra tomar um bom café!!

A decent Gail's in a great location near the common. Usual Gail's quality food and coffee which is good. Unfortunately it's chaotic shambles inside. Staff unnecessarily run off their feet with terrible positioning of the counter and tills. No actual line or sense of order.

Gail is started to let me down. Great service and great people working there. However hygiene is not the expected. Maybe is not Gail's fault. However it has been a while. Still flies coming back to this store. Not one or two hundreds of them. Gail need to action this ASAP.

First visit to Barnes and Gail’s. Unless I am eating breakfast I tend to rate cafes based on one item. Their scones. And I am happy to report that this morning I had my best scone probably ever but certainly in years. And I eat a lot of scones in a wide variety of places. There was also a wide variety of other meals to choose from. I think most would be satisfied. Of course to get a five star the premises have to match and I thought the layout of the place was excellent. Wide opening doors provided plenty of fresh air on a boiling day in London. Service fully acceptable and reasonably friendly. Certainly if you want a fruit scone ( and more) I highly recommend here.

Are you Tesco? Are you Tesco? Are you Tesco in disguise? Are you Tesco in disguise… END

A very popular local cafe and bakery in Barnes in a lovely spot by Barnes Green. Visited here two mornings over the weekend. On both days there was a constant flow of people and wait time was around 5minutes for a coffee. We managed to get a table both days,with the option to sit outside or inside. Coffee and croissants were extremely good, although they had run out of pain au chocolate on Saturday morning. Overall a good option for coffee and tasty baked breads.

Whilst I can appreciate how difficult it currently is to find staff and that this may have an impact on services, my experience at Gail’s failed short of Gail’s usual excellent standards. Sadly the place was not well looked after, it was dirty and the floors were disgusting. The people sat next to us also commented on the disappointing experience, the staff who didn’t seem to care and the general poor hygiene. The place had run out of napkins and they were given screwed up blue roll. It’s a pity as the coffees were alright, this is why this is a two and not a one.

Refused to take cash and very rude about it, then ended up throwing away my order as a result

Felt a bit rushed by the staff even though it wasn’t busy, but a really great Gail’s! Lots of doggos too

Don’t get me wrong, the food is decent… however the staff is not. I have gone in on multiple occasions and experienced the same thing, rude or unfriendly staff. The first time I went in the woman who served us was rather rude but I figured maybe she was having a bad day so I was very friendly toward her. I went in another day and the same woman was rude and unfriendly. Then I decided to go in one more time and this time it was a male who served us and he was rude and unfriendly as well! I highly recommend anyone to go to the small bakery just next door who serve basically the same things like quiche,pastries, and other meals as well. The other bakery has excellent food and their staff is beyond friendly and super sweet!

4 of us went there this morning and whilst tables are extremely limited inside, 3 large tables were taken up by solo customers on their laptops with paperwork spread across their tables. The queue went all round the outside of the shop and all 3 of these solo customers had an empty cup on each table. We queued, ordered and paid for our coffees and food, when we left, 2 of those customers were still working on their laptops. Whilst being served, we did mention this to the staff member who said it was always like that 😩. We had to sit outside. We will definitely not be going back.

The whole concept of Gails is spot on but the staff at Barnes is what makes it exceptional. Barnes is a village and the staff at Gails offer a personal and professional service that fits right in. Great coffee served with a personal and friendly greeting is a great way to start the day!

Well done to Hartik and team at Gails for amazing service and friendly attitude during these challenging few months - excellent coffees served by Hartik and his team in a professional and socially distant manner

This little cafe near Barnes Pond is always busy and on several visits was unable to get a seat but a take away coffee and one of their great sausage rolls and a seat in the park was a lovely way to spend a morning break

Very expensive for what you get albeit very high quality. Staff friendly but look very over stretched when it’s busy!

Hi Went to Gail’s for breakfast and have been many times before. It’s a bit cosy and you may have to wait for a seat and it can be quite busy at times, but all in all not a bad bakery.

Well overpriced bakery & cafe - is everything made from gold leaf ? Or is it just the poncey “artisan” marketing that appeals to the “ladies that lunch” clientele?

Super soups, brilliant bakes and a nice vibe. The salads are tasty too... and good coffee. What more could you want from a bakery/coffee shop?

...popped in for a drink and a snack ~ the cheese straws are SO good and the chai latte was delicious, served by a charming young waiter! We will return.

Food not as advertised and terrible Service was poor Very expensive and not at all good value for money

Coffee and cinnamon bun at Gail's has become a regular appointment and part of our weekend routine. The ambiance is friendly and its village location makes it a bit of a retreat. Never forget to pick up your loaf!

Always great friendly staff, who deal with the sometimes incredibly busy periods well. The entrance area and queuing is at times a complete nightmare, but buckle down and be super English about things and you’ll survive.

I like spending time here. They served a great coffee, lovely scones and pastry. And if you want to buy a wonderful bread home you can do it too. Very nice staff! Thank you.

Being a coffee freak, I felt like fining a hidden treasure - finally a place where people know HOW TO MAKE and serve COFFEE! Perfect temperature, perfect intensity! And cherry chocolate scones are the ones to die for :)

He estado aquí 3 veces y esa es mi última

Un local en Barnes, y este lugar no es como solía ser. Vine aquí todo el tiempo por el ambiente agradable y el servicio impecable, pero el personal está tan sobrecargado y ansioso hoy en día que no hay tiempo para eso, aparentemente. Haz lo mejor que puedas y el servicio es bueno, pero con tantas caras nuevas y desapariciones de personal antiguo, no tiene la misma sensación de bienvenida que antes. Parece que las mismas pocas personas son apresuradas cada día, y mi corazón está con ellos.