John Lewis Brasserie in Cambridge

visited this cafe recently for a late lunch. ordered an eggs filled roll. the bread tasted stale. it was dry and chewy. it was replaced by staff. as it was later than usual lunch time and egg rolls sold out it was replaced with a tuna filled one. the filling was fine but this bread was also dry and chewy. it was revealed, by a staff member that the rolls are frozen, then defrosted in a microwave . i was shocked! the very basic requirement of a cafe is surely fresh bread

Nice food, and coffee. Downside was the service, seeing as this was JL I’d have expected smiles and friendliness. JL in general is not what it once was. Such a shame. Only giving 4 instead of 3 due to the food- really tasty.

This is John Lewis, so where was the customer service, no eye contact, no engagement with the customer, no sense of urgency even though the queue was building up. We just wanted 2 coffee's. There was no sign of supervisory staff or management. Insufficient or inefficient staff. Poor. No wonder JL is making a loss, if this is any indication.

Food is bad and cold. I spoke to the manager and he was rude😔Really disappointed with this place and I have made the decision not to go there again. I strongly advise against eating or drinking there anymore

Came here for a morning drink and cake. Previously very busy but now very few people seated this was at about 1030. The scones were only just coming out. Don’t come early other cakes were not ready. The tea was good, the fruit scone was hot from the oven, it looked a bit over cooked on the outside but inside was undercooked and dough was still not cooked. Assume must have rushed to get them out so turned up the cooking temperature to rush them out. I can now see why now people are using the new franchised coffee bar on the 1st floor.

9.30 am and anticipating a coffee and croissant for breakfast but none ready. Pain au chocolat? Not ready either. A scone perhaps? Not for an hour. Better to go to one of the independent cafés.

I visited yesterday with my daughter & granddaughter seeking a hot drink & a light snack at 3pm. The staff seemed totally disinterested & were surly almost to the point of rudeness. There was a limited amount of snacks. The girl serving literally threw a tea bag in the pot & banged it down on the tray. My coffee was weak & barely warm. The surroundings were lovely & the seating comfortable, but the customer service was not of a level we'd expect from John Lewis. We wouldn't use again.

My wife and I popped up to the Espresso Bar after shopping for a coffee and a fried egg sandwich. We could not believe that it would be served in a brioche, which was sweet! Why not in sliced bread, which surely is more usual and certainly more suitable with a savoury egg. We left most of the brioche. Waste of money, apart from the coffee, which was excellent.

We stopped here for lunch. I ordered soup and my son had a toasted sandwich. We both had cake and a drink. It was not very busy and seemed to be well staffed. Our food took quite a while to arrive. My soup was only just warm, so I returned it. I While I was waiting I ate the bread. There was another long delay bringing the soup back, by which time I didn't want it. The cake was ordinary and a bit dry. I usually have a good experience here so was disappointed. A refund for the soup didn't compensate I'm afraid

We often pop into John Lewis Cambridge at thier "Place to Eat" restaurant for something delicious to eat , its so good its now become a destination point whenever we're in Cambridge. The lovely lady who helps people on arrival is an absolute delight, so helpful, funny, engaging, a true credit to John Lewis(sorry we didnt take your name). She even helped us with WIFI. It was pretty warm today and in typical John Lewis style this special person was offering people in the que iced water , what a nice touch, something you wouldn't get anywhere else. Thank you so much, Chris & Russ.

Visited for cake and coffee both of which were very acceptable however on visiting the nearby toilets 2 out of the 5 ladies cubicles were blocked. I expected better ofJohn Lewis.

With regret, will be limiting my visits from now on. Have made allowances for staff training, but fed up with having to return drinks - more often than not they are either too milky or luke warm. To top it off, more recently the long queues due to one of the coffee machine being in for repair is a step too far - how long should it take to get this fixed? Milton Keynes' branch is far superior, with consistently high quality food and drinks (with much more variety), and the staff turnover is much lower. I have never, in the 15 years of visiting that store had to return a drink - says quite a lot...

I have been in on weekends a couple of times in the last few months and staff have always been lovely and helpful!

Second visit and probably last. Bluewater branch is successful. Staff need training and managing. Asked for dry cappuccino, i.e. little milk as I don't like lattes. Had to carefully explain to assistant, barrista claimed they knew what I wanted. First one went back, almost all milk. Second one... I gave up. The cannoli is good, but there's more to life

Favourite place to stop off for coffee/cake when shopping in Cambridge. Good selection of tasty food and drink options on offer, and staff very polite, helpful and friendly (as expected by John Lewis). In particular, would like to mention Sarah, who always meets and greets with a friendly smile and who is well-informed of food options available.

Popped in for a quick coffee with my Daughter before venturing to the shops; we were greeted by a very cheerful lady named Sarah who advised the freshly baked scones were not yet available; I explained there was no disappointment for me as I have Coeliac Disease ..... she advised there were GF scones (not my favourite) or suggested I try the newly arrived GF Blueberry Muffin (apparently arrived a week ago). Several staff available behind the counter to ensure speedy service (some being trained). Purchased a flat white and a tea - both of which were the perfect temperature; the GF muffin was absolutely delicious; actually contained jam as well as the fruit which really helps with the moistness and was not too sweet. All tables displayed a sign which indicated they had been cleaned / sanitised;

Service was very quick and prompt and the staff were absolutely lovely! Will be coming again when I get the chance!

A friend and I met in the cafe. There were 3 staff on duty all chatting together. I couldn’t find my debit card so asked if i could pay cash, “I’d rather you didn’t was the curt reply “ my friend paid with her card and pointed to a very clear notice that said cash or card accepted! We both had a cake. My friend had millionaires shortbread and I had a chocolate caramel pecan slice. The quality was appalling. The Millionaire’s shortbread had grainy unpleasant caramel and the shortbread was so hard that when she tried to cut it a large chunk landed on the floor! My slice was not nice and didn’t fit the description. There was no caramel only some unpleasant orange on top. The biscuit base was just fine crumbs and the whole thing was quite unpleasant. The staff were standing around chatting the whole time we were there and were joined by the kitchen staff, there were 6 of them together at one time. It’s a very nice cafe but lacks the professional standard expected . The food needs to be of a much better quality. We shall not be returning,

We visited Cambridge for shopping on Sunday 20/3/2022 and decided we would have tea, coffee and cakes at John Lewis before visiting the shops. Staff more interested in standing around talking than serving. When it came to our turn to be served, three of them stood there idly chatting among themselves and ignored us so we left without having anything. This is not the first time we have felt like this here so we won't be coming back at all.

Excellent assistance from Sarah and the Team. We wanted up to ten of us to be able to sit together in the Brasserie on our weekly visits. They happily accommodated us and were helpful and friendly. Just what one would expect from John Lewis.

Called in for tea, coffee and cakes early in the afternoon. Very poor and sparse selection and what there was left looked most unappetising. Slow service too. Just had a Cappuccino and a tea and didn't bother with the cakes.

Decided to have coffee in John Lewis coffee shop this morning. Checked in by a lady who was friendly but not wearing a mask or visor and had an exemption lanyard but I don't understand why a visor is not worn in these cases as...

Every time we come to Cambridge, we always visit to John Lewis Cafe. Very friendly staff, great food & drinks, amazing!!

Visited today with the hope that they were open and they were for a cup of coffee and cake. Very efficient in obtaining customers details for Covid precautions. Table well spaced out and a limited menu was fine by us. Well done JL

Went with friends and okay but arrived at sepoerate times and there was good 10 minute wait to get served and my other half asked for an Americano and got the wrong order but fixed okay but again it took more time

Stopped off with a friend for our free coffee and cake. Busy Sunday morning. Service on the slow side but not too bad. Good coffee and delicious chocolate and rose cake. I did notice the wet trays. Certainly not attractive.

So... after a much publicised makeover, I was looking forward to trying the Place to Eat for breakfast.Walked in, found a table and thought how do I order - the previous brasserie was table service.Quick trip to the tills ascertained that you order at the till and take your drinks back to the table on a very small black, wet, barely clean tray.So, breakfast is cooked to order - expect a very very long delay before a kitchen hand delivers your breakfast.Standard fare - as usual with John Lewis, baked beans were lukewarm, potatoes were cold, sausage ok, bacon either undercooked or overcooked depending on which rasher it is, but the diamond on the plate was the mushroom with pesto on it. It was absolutely gorgeous. So for two breakfasts and over £22 we felt short changed as local garden centres produce better fare at a similar cost. So, John Lewis if you’re going to cook breakfast do it well or not at all and make sure your staff check that all is well because we don’t all to queue at a till to complain about cold food and plates. You also need more staff as well as to learn the meaning of hospitality.

Often stop here for a coffee and tea and a pastry. The downside is the business model does not really work well. You can stand in queue for quite a long while. The staff are usually very friendly but the people doing the drinks are...

I visited here for the second time in a month. On the first occasion the service for coffee was slow and when questioned there was a problem with the machines. Today at 11.25, ten minuteS of queuing, no problem with machines as in fact the...

Whenever we visit Cambridge, we come to this bar for afternoon tea on Saturday after we have been shopping. There are always lengthy queues, which the management must notice, but seem to do nothing to resolve. They need to employ more staff on Saturdays and...

Great place with plenty of quality and very clean . Excellent coffee and generous portions of cake . Downside is there is always a queue and staff behind counter appear disorganised .They are doing there best but on each occasion it always seems the same...

It wasn’t very busy at the café so we had coffee & scones. Prices were reasonable & the staff pleasant.

Visited at several times of the day and has been ok ? On this occasion visited at lunch time , long queues , slow service , poor system of serving and paying. Lunchtime is the busy period ,seems no system in place , no one...

Guter Kaffee, gute Scones, nettes Selbstbediengungslokal, das auch viele Einheimische besuchen. Toller Rundumblick.

Queríamos comer aquí, ya que he sido bueno en el pasado pero está cerrado en la actualidad, solo estaba abierta la zona de pasteles y café.

Found this almost by accident as intended to go to the Cafe. Was busy, so we ended up here! Brilliant.

Stopped here this morning, for a coffee and pastry. The little cafe area is situated next to the Brasserie on the top floor of John Lewis. You get a nice coffee tea and pastry. Plenty of seating around and worth a visit if you do not want a full breakfast or lunch. Staff are always friendly and helpful.

So the coffee machine is still broken! Hence leaving a long queue for the machine that was working. Coffee was nice but was it worth the wait? As always it needs someone to clear up at the tables and there was food on the floor.

Con la opción de elegir entre un bistro (escondido detrás de las ventanas escarchadas) o el bar de espresso más acogedor, nos dirigimos al bar de espresso. Nos reunimos con un miembro del personal que advirtió que una falla en una de sus máquinas significaba que si queríamos café, teníamos que unirnos a las masas de la izquierda, sin embargo, si solo queríamos bebidas frías o té, podíamos ir a la derecha.

提供各式各樣的咖啡和輕食，選擇多，沒有讓人失望。咖啡和輕食水準都不錯，價格合理。此店地點好在市中心。

We have visited the Bistro about 8-10 times a year for a few years. Slowly but surely we are more disappointed with the offerings. Recent visits to use the My John Lewis free Hot drink & Cake vouchers have been memorable for the wrong reasons. Staff seem inexperienced, but are generally polite. The cutlery supply has, after many changes, returned to the main counter and is often not replenished. Hot drinks are okay but often spilt. There is a good selection of cakes and scones, BUT since having been diagnosed with coeliac disease, I have found there is only one choice of a fresh gluten free item. This is a fruit scone, which is pretty grim. There are some awful looking wrapped gluten free oat bars, which I would not wish to eat. So the 'offer' is not really beneficial to me or those who have the same problem. Other dietary needs are shown on some labels such as items containing nuts or there is a folder to look through which shows ingredients. Not really convenient when in a queue!

The food and drinks are ok, the menu is comprehensive enough and there is plenty of seating. The cafe is well situated on the upper floor of the store. The only issue is that the prices are a bit expensive for what you are actually getting. The food is always prepared fresh.

Por la forma en que mi compañero describió este lugar, esperaba un poco más de refinamiento. No me gustan los lugares para comer, así que me sorprendió gratamente que, aunque el ambiente fuera más que el de un restaurante en general, no era snobby sino relajado. El servicio fue muy amable y el servicio rápido, aunque estuvimos allí un viernes a mediodía.

Very low quality food. Staff impolite. When we asked to speak with the manager he was very rude to us

We use this restaurant regularly when shopping in Cambridge. It’s so light & airy and never feels rushed. Super service & food as always:-)

A menudo hacemos una visita aquí cuando venimos a Cambridge y hemos tenido algunas comidas y servicios bastante pobres. Parece que ha cambiado un poco y encontramos el servicio rápido y amigable, y el menú también se ha modificado. El pescado y las papas fritas eran muy buenos, con papas más pequeñas en lugar de los enormes trozos de papas servidos antes. La salchicha de Cumberland fue un poco decepcionante ya que la piel era tan dura. . . . ¡Incluso el cuchillo luchó por cortarlo! Pero el puré, los guisantes y la salsa de cebolla estaban muy bien. El sol brillaba, pero como teníamos una mesa junto a la ventana, la persiana no estaba puesta, pero eso casi no cortaba el sol, así que estábamos tan calientes. . . . . Obviamente no habia aire acondicionado!

Have been here on numerous occasions but always busy . Good coffee and cakes can be had here although the gateaux ‘s seem to be no longer or were we simply on the wrong day at the wrong time . Clean and pleasant enough but with surprisingly plenty of staff system behind counter is surprisingly slow .Never the less excellent venue to take time out .

I wouldn’t even give it one star..

Top floor of John Lewis is where you will find the restaurant. It has plenty of seating and tables it even has comfy sofas.

A little disappointed with the Brasserie, not really for the food but for the lack of friendliness of the staff both here and in the Bistro. The food, cake, drinks were very good but a smile, making eye-contact and a general greeting are all part of customer service. I certainly would not return here as I prefer engagement from people that I interact with. Shame really because as I said the food is good

This was the first time that we had used the brasserie , had been to the cafeteria many times . They have a good menu and we all had a really tasty meal . The service was excellent with very polite and friendly staff . Shall definitely visit again .

此餐廳位於劍橋市中心，售賣不少輕食和飲品，質素也有此百貨公司一貫的水準，如果行街行得累，可以在這裡買點食物補充能量！

Very slow service despite telling them we were on a lunch hour. Two separate excuses given- “just cooking the pie” then a few minutes later “just heating the mash”. Food was very basic small portions. Water glass was dirty.

Nos encanta ir a utilizada aquí para el almuerzo de sus peces preciosos y patatas, pero después de visitar ayer 16 de julio de 2018, hemos cambiado nuestra mente! Realmente ha ido cuesta abajo, que no es lo que esperábamos de John Lewis. El servicio era lento y la chica que nos servía no era tan buena como los chicos que también estaban sirviendo. Oímos decir como uno chico dio el menú lo la sopa del día era y qué elementos no estaban disponibles. Por desgracia, la chica no, además ella totalmente dieron nuestra orden equivocado. Pedimos 2 bebidas y 2 pescado y patatas fritas, cuando las bebidas vino dijo las fichas viene lo que nos pareció un poco extraño y resultó que ella sólo patatas fritas ordenados! Además, las patatas fritas son horrible ahora, solían ser las rústicas papas fritas recién cortadas crujientes por fuera y suaves por dentro - ya no son ahora barato que las patatas fritas congeladas suave sólo comimos porque estábamos hambrientos! Sin embargo, el pescado estaba bueno, pero en general, probablemente no vuelva a pagar sus precios muy por debajo de nuestras expectativas para un almuerzo. El servicio era muy lento.

Actually was served quickly and didn’t have to queue for an hour to get a coffee and cake. Tsbkes cleared promptly.

This is really not some where to go when you are in a hurry. The service is always slow and not very efficient at the best of times. Food is ok but nothing special. Often long queues, when you get to the end of the queue you really can see why the staff have one speed dead slow...Often not enough staff on this does not help, probably all on their coffee breaks !!

Visitamos esta tarde para el café. El servicio era pésimo. El café no estaba muy concurrido. Dos personas delante de nosotros en el mostrador. Tardó veinte minutos en servirte, personal ignorando el cliente encubierto con el hasta en vez de servir a los clientes esperando. El personal era maleducado y cuando nosotros nos quejamos ignorados. Esto ha ocurrido antes de un número de veces, pero hoy fue el peor. Parece un problema de gestión. Nunca volveré. He escuchado la misma queja ahora desde un gran número de personas.

Terrible, esperamos 30 minutos a café caliente y una tarta de luke.

En Cambridge para visitar a genio de Apple. Fuimos a Brasserie en John Lewis para comer y fue una decepción. El servicio era lento y la comida cuando llegamos no mostró señales de un chef. No es su culpa, ya que aparentemente todos los chef han sido despedidos o así la mesa de al lado estaba siendo dicho. Aparentemente han decidido en sede central de recurrir, así que no hay nada intise volver en el futuro. Se dijo que al parecer otros John Lewis había desaparecido servicio de tiendas de autoservicio. Si este es el caso parece como si sólo empeorará.

It hurts to give any John Lewis establishment 1 star, I like the brand and usually they are better than average unfortunately one star here is TOO GENEROUS, zero would be a better reflect the service and food offering

Waited 25 mins in queue, the staff seem to have no idea of customer service and such a slow pace, no apology. The food was poor dry scone no jam and overpriced I will not be returning.

Visited today and waited 30 minutes in the queue. No apology, non existent customer service. Dry food. No what I would expect from John Lewis.

We’ve only used the Espresso bar, but we do use it quite regularly, and find it a pleasant place to enjoy a decent cup of coffee or tea whilst out on a shop. They have a good selection of cakes, which re stocked throughout the day. We do find that with it being popular it gets very busy around peak times, and just after they are having to get stocks back up to the norm. The Baguettes and sandwiches are always enjoyed, the selection is not big but it usually includes some favourite ones. There is usually a Gluten free option available in the sandwich range, which is a good one, we choose it sometimes just because we like the filling, and find that the bread barely differs in taste from normal bread. Like all coffee shops there is a queue, basically because the way coffee is made nowadays dictates a long production process, the is no better or worse than other coffee shops. Observing the Cambridge skyline or reading the display on the history of John Lewis is another variation from reading the supply of daily papers.

Hoped being John Lewis the quality would be excellent. Sadly dismayed by soggy, overpriced sandwich and small, dry sub. Endless queue, tables way too close and needing clearing. The tea was hot and plentiful and staff were smiling but wished we’d gone elsewhere, preferably somewhere offering better value.

Solía ser muy bueno, nos fuimos cuesta abajo cuando John Lewis sustituirá todo el personal de la cocina y presentó un menú reducido. Ahora parece ser mucho mejor y el servicio era muy bueno de camareras Louise y Jenny. Teníamos sopa y ensaladas diferentes que eran dos muy sabroso.

Nada especial, limitado menú de desayuno, huevos revueltos los huevos. El servicio es agradable. No tendría prisa por regresar.

A reasonable menu for a light lunch, in pleasant surroundings overlooking Cambridge, and good service with friendly staff. Rather disappointing that in an English brasserie only one brand of Italian 'beer' was the only beer available. Perhaps the choice will be better post-brexit.

Hubby ordered soup followed by hot chocolate. Soup arrived in good time but with no spoon. No hot chocolate to be seen at all. I had quinoa, feta and beetroot salad. Not enough feta but otherwise OK. They took so long serving us we didn't bother complaining about the chocolate. Finally got the bill and left. They weren't particularly busy and were on a bit of a go slow. Someone complained about their wine being put into a dirty glass. The girls behind the bar changed the glass but poured the wine fron the dirty glass into a new one. Waitrose you need to improve your staff training!

Hoy visitamos John Lewis y brasserie estaba muy decepcionado. El té de sabor horrible ninguno de los pasteles eran etiquetados así celebran la cola por tener que preguntar qué eran. El pastel finalmente elegí era un poco seco y toda la cosa era caro para lo que también nos había no cubiertos hasta que pregunté y cuando estaba llena no eran precisamente muy limpio. Esperaba algo mejor de una empresa con su reputación y no tienen prisa en volver.

No un menú mal, todo está preparado fresco y se sirve caliente. El menú de desayuno tiene opciones suficientes para todo el mundo. Aquí hay abundantes asientos, así que no debería haber un problema simplemente caminar. El servicio puede ser un poco lento, incluso cuando no están ocupados, que dijo que todo es normalmente muy bien.

Tea, coffee and a cake...£12..not well spent! Coffee awful, dreadful taste and cartons of milk..,are you for real, give this place a BIG miss. Never again.

I have to rate this with a 1 star but I don’t want to . Trip advisor won’t accept the post with a zero rating . Service shockingly bad ! Coffee burnt , food luke warm at best, nothing brought together, 4/5 meals arrived and finished before 5th meal arrived . Don’t waste your money! John Lewis you should be ashamed . Not what you would expect at all . Summary .... awful .

We had a lovely lunch last Thursday in the Brasserie. Although there have been changes the staff were as delightful and helpful as always. I asked the chef what he would recommend and took his advice. The brie and cranberry tartlet was delicious as was the salmon in gin starter. I ordered the vegetable curry without realising it contained peas. When it arrived I explained re the peas and was offered something else. Had fish and chips, also delicious as was the seafood raviolo. We left feeling satisfied and happy. Thank you.

Going to the John Lewis restaurant with the views of Cambridge used to be a great experience with a good menu and chef specials.

Butternut squash - piedra fría ensalada de nevera - frío como el hielo! La camarera muy pobres como dijo que directamente de una nevera ya preparados!

We shop in Cambridge a lot, JL brasserie on the whole is very good as you expect for JL.

Having eaten here on many occasions over the last couple of years we were looking forward to a late lunch with lovely food and great staff. What has happened? We were so disappointed. We arrived just before 2pm. and waited over 10 minutes to be seated although there were lots of unoccupied tables. We were given the menu but had to flag someone down to take our order. There were several staff members around who seemed to be avoiding the few customers in the brasserie by being very absorbed in cleaning tables and doing anything else rather than looking after customers.The chickpea dal curry arrived in reasonable time and was only just warm enough but tasted nice. Eventually someone came over to do the 'check back' but she was too late for that as we had finished our meals. We thought she would take our used plates away as we said we had finished but she just walked away without them.By this time there were only two other tables occupied as well as ourselves and we decided we would like coffee, again had to find someone to ask who then said she would send our waitress over, we waited and waited and asked again. We weren't given a menu to choose from so no option for desserts. Had to ask what coffee was available and decided on decaffeinated Americano. The person taking the order asked if we would like our bill at the same time as the coffee, we said yes as we didn't want to wait ages for that after coffee. The bill arrived 10 minutes later but no coffee.Had to chase up the coffee which took ages to be brought to us and it was very weak. Found out later that night that the coffee was not decaffeinated.Unlikely we will ever return.

Give them a chance, many changes have taken place. We were greeted by a staff member & I said I had a headache & wanted to sit somewhere quiet if possible.This was sorted with no fuss. We both ordered the veggie curry & were not disappointed. It was delicious. We shall be visiting again next time we are in Cambridge. Excellent service, great food & friendly,professional staff. John Lewis at it's best.

This review is for the espresso bar. The bar is split into two separate 'stations' for reasons I have never understood. The queues are always very long but I decided to stick it out as I had a voucher for a drink and cake. Had it not been for this and a lovely chat with the lady behind me I would have given up. Staff are incredibly slow in serving, no sense of urgency or joined up thinking and working at snails pace. There is no manager or supervisor evident supporting or directing them. No fresh milk is a huge fail. Given the amount of alternative options in Cambridge this cafe is best avoided until the customer experience is improved dramatically.

I was the one who first entered this restaurant in TA. At that time the chef decided the menu. However, JL HO imposed their menu and since then it has steadily declined.Used to be packed with a queue, now can walk in any time and half empty.They did not even have basic fish and chips available. I received two pieces of Beef Cheek and three small silverskin onions. I asked for another vegetable and all they had was some mushy peas meant for the non existent fish and chips. We have been dining at Loch Fyne but the walk round was too much for me this time.We shall try to avoid in future.

Booked a table for10 persons, received a phone call an hour before we were to attend the caller stated that they had a reduced menu so if you would like to make it another day? We had booked for my Mothers 85th birthday, she has this "thing" about John Lewis. On arrival we were given the menus and informed of what was not available, ok, so not a brilliant choice, so we ordered water and a coffee and a waiter said someone would come to take our order, 10 minutes later a young lady arrived with a pen and paper and starting taking our orders, it started to appear that what we had been told by one person on arrival, that was not available was and other choices were not. So the 10 minutes of choosing was a complete waste of time. Eventually after making changes we finally got to order, however, we were still waiting for the coffee. I then noticed how poor the table had been cleaned, so requested a table clean, pretty pathetic effort in cleaning a table, a little spray and a rub with a dirty cloth. Anyway, the food arrived, FISH, this was a very poor excuse for fish in batter, on opening it up my wife scraped the fish out, there was hardly anything in it. The fish is obviously packet and was frankly tasteless, the peas were cold. Eventually, after requesting the coffee horah it turned up. So we decided to have pudding, "oh sorry no eclairs," said the young lady. I passed and had a coffee, which actually was good. My wife had the chocolate browny thingie, with a fruit compote SO TART you needed to put a ton of sugar on it to stop your mouth from going into a spasm. So my father did ask for a discount, however, he was snubbed. John Lewis, you need a to take a good look at this place, we shop here for all our products, however, you need to stop this awful service and dish up a plate of food you can be proud of. Go down to the Brew house in Kings Street and order their Haddock and chips, the place is smelly and is just a pub, however, they serve some brilliant food. I vowed that until you put proper food on the table i will not set foot in here. I dont blame the waiters and waitresses, they have taken their instructions from the management, who need to take a hard look in the mirror. Train your staff properly, like they are out in the main shop. I am not going to be undersold.................

My daughter and I arrived at 12.20 to an indifferent welcome and were told there was just one table for two available, we were taken to the far back wall and shown to a table which was so close to its neighbors it was quite difficult to access the seat, T he menu was thrust before us and we were told that two items were not available. After 20 mins nobody had come to take our order for food or drinks. More time passed and eventually our order was taken. Another 5 mins and the waitress returned to say the drinks we had ordered were unavailable .To cut a long story short the meal arrived 50 minutes after our arrival. It wasn’t outstanding but edible. On the bright side my daughter and I had a longer than usual chat and we made good friends with the people sitting either side of us. Although it wasn’t voiced the duck confit to my left looked dry and unappetising and the fish and chips to my right over cooked. We left very unimpressed. I would have expected better from John Lewis.

Went to the Brasserie for lunch on Tuesday. Waited 10 minutes to be seated (although we were the only people waiting, and there were vacant tables). Waited 15 minutes to place an order - the staff have perfected the art of avoiding eye contact - and had no offer of drinks while we were waiting. The main course arrived relatively quickly, but was of poor quality - tough pasta, rather tasteless beetroot quinoa. The Brasserie is noisy and lacking character. Very disappointing!

It takes an age to be served. Staff are very slow to serve. Customers were clearing tables to they could use them. Coffee and cake are nice though.

I am so disappointed with the terrible service we had. Every time we ordered something was told they had run out. Waited ages for a table even though it was not busy. Food that was served seemed as though it had been re-heated and was rock hard. Waitress told us they had delivery, staff problems and to try again in a few weeks and that Saturdays is a busy day so you should expect it to be like this. Will avoid in future.

We have lunched here over very many years and always enjoyed the Fish & chips.We have recommended them to many friends who have agreed that they are really very good.The rest of the menu is usually not that special and the service can be distinctly erratic.However we have regularly indulged ourselves as in spite of other irritations our food has been great.So imagine how devastated we were last week to discover this is no longer the case !!It was obvious that the fish had been pre- cooked and kept hot for a very long time.The batter was dark brown and really hard.The fish was so over cooked that it was dried out and impossible to separate from the batter & it was also red hot as apposed to our chips which were only look warm.Further more the tartare sauce was thinned down and a very meagre portion.So all in all a very poor lunch.We told our waiter at the time and he said he would pass on our comments to the chef.I trust some one who can sort this out reads this because it is obviously a popular dish and masses of customers will go elsewhere if this standard is allowed to continue.

Service very bad, staff need much better training and no sense of customer care. Cups chipped and very little choice of cakes and what there was not up to the standard expected from John Lewis. I will not be going there again.

Pleasant cafe very fresh lemon drizzle cake and pastries. Sandwich slightly on the dry side. Soup came with a bread roll which was a nice touch. Recommended.

The cafe was not busy for a Friday morning.The tea and scone were reasonable.The scones and cakes were not being replaced, as customers bought them , so not a lot to choose from.No personality from the serving staff, Thank you would be a nice touch.

Not been to this restaurant for a while and will not be rushing back.The breakfast was awful and when we complained to the manager told us that they do not have trained Chefs anymore and the food is just reheated to 80 deg before it is served, hence the egg with solid yolk, dry bacon, rubber sausage and somehow Luke warm beans ?!?!?Left without paying as we simply did not eat anything and were advised to complain to head office.

Went to the cafeteria for a coffee while shopping. Team was disinterested and the take-away coffee was horrific - one sip and then in the nearest bin.

When you fork out £ 13 for fish and chips you might expect it to be a pleasant meal.Far from it.Firstly my order was forgotten. The waiter, once I had sat there for over half an hour was very apologetic, however I think the offer of another glass of Coke while I then waited for it to be cooked might have been a nice gesture - but no such offer was made.When the meal arrived, it consisted of a greasy piece of fish, a portion of chunky chips, a portion of peas ( tinned, but chopped up in an attempt to make then look a bit different, but STILL tinned peas )and a small piece of lemon and a small spoonful of tartare sauce.When I called for the bill I was asked if my meal was ok.I said it was " passable "So all in all, not a pleasant mid shopping break.Won't be eating there again !!

I ordered the fish & chips and my wife had the steak and ale pie. The fish was obviously frozen and was so small and not what I would have expected from John Lewis Brasserie especially for what it cost. The mushy peas were tasteless and I left them on the plate. The vegetables on the pie seemed like they had been cooking for ages.

I was very much impressed with this Brasserie. It IS like a top quality restaurant in a department store. The venue was very welcoming and comfortable with plenty of room between the tables. There was a good view of the kitchen and chefs. The service was prompt, professional and very friendly. My wife and I both had a light lunch of chicken salad with walnuts, with a vinaigrette and honey dressing. It was really delicious and very well presented on the plate. I will definitely be using this place on my next visit to Cambridge.

Have been to the coffee shop part of this several times and was disappointed every time. Big queues, slow service, not particularly fresh bread used in the sandwich I had, and the cake was dry and tasteless. Shan't bother again as there are plenty of other good cafes around.

came for lunch for my partners birthday the waiter got my order wrong but decided to keep what he gave me which was delicious .My main complaint though is my GIN AND TONIC which I ordered and came with the tonic already in it full to the top ,now any lady likes to pour her own tonic in !!! When asked why and where was my tonic bottle ? The waiter said they pour it from their large bottles of tonic ??????? WHAT !!! They still charge you for your own bottle £1.20 so this is a rip off ....won't go there again or any other

Really disappointing lunch at the brasserie John Lewis . I ordered a chicken salad , unfortunately it was full of red cabbage and a very bitter dressing . When questioned by the waiter if the food was ok I immediately responded that I was not enjoying the flavour of the salad mix , he seemed embarrassed, but offered no exchange or advise !! I left the salad and was charged the full amount !! Very poor service, we will not be going back .

We came on a Sunday lunch time. I had the spinach and ricotta tortellini. This was very tasty and better than a lot of restaurants in Cambridge. My partner had steak and ale pie which he really enjoyed. Good wines to chose from. Very relaxing with good service and very reasonably priced. Makes a change in Cambridge!

Stopped for breakfast but very disappointed in the choices, opted for just coffee and pastries in the coffee section . No atmosphere ,lethargic staff. O.K. food , poor coffee and expensive .Wouldn't recommend breakfast here must be a lot better places in Cambridge!

This is a great place to relax while touring this fantastic city. Situated right at the top of the store with views over Cambridge rooftops. Interesting items to chose from as well as the more traditional. I had a steak & mushroom pie, creamy mash and vegetables. The pie was stacked full of tender meat and tasty mushrooms. My pal had, if I can remember it correctly, a concoction of welsh rabbit, pickled cucumbers and smoked haddock which he said, after almost licking his plate, was delicious. You can see right into the industrial heart of this modern yet comfortable restaurant with busy chefs working away to provide their clientele excellent value food.