Ole & Steen in Camden

Has to be up They’re with the worst service in London. The staff are incredibly rude, if they can be bothered to acknowledge you at all.

Bought pastries and drinks but couldn’t get a table anywhere as it was full of people on laptops who had finished their drinks but were happy ignore new customers. Why don’t the staff move people on, absolutely awful would never go again.

A big impressive, bright, attractive shopfront, with some pretty yummy bakery products on display, drew us into this cafe. The only available seating was downstairs. There is no table service. At the counter, everything looks fine, but staff energy and motivation was sluggish. My efforts to engage the server and barista in conversation were wasted - they should introduce the phrase ‘misery is optional’ into their staff training. The tables were not being routinely cleared or cleaned - messy. The food and coffee were okay, but the general low energy of the place isn’t great. Then a quick visit to the sole unisex loo downstairs - a disgrace actually - no evidence of recent or regular cleaning, and no evidence of hand-sanitiser. How quickly these places (and their customers) forget the recent memory of a pandemic. I wouldn’t bother with an Ole & Steen again…other brands are available!