The Place to Eat, John Lewis in Nottingham

"The Place To Eat" this is certainly not! I have noticed a significant progressive deterioration at this Cafe over the past couple of years! This morning I ordered a Bacon Roll. The lady behind the counter told me that there were no rolls, but I could have bacon on sourdough. I was okay with that, but just take a look at the bacon they served me!! It wasn't properly cooked!! The guy who did the cooking is certainly not a chef of any description! I will never return to The Place To Eat at John Lewis.

Totally disorganised on the hot food counter, had to search around for a tray. Too few staff, took one look at what was on offer and left.

Slightly chaotic behind the counter and not enough staff, too long to wait, and the scones were shockingly dry, then trying to tell me that they’ve been made fresh today when they clearly hadn’t.

I visited with friends for lunch yesterday, it was chaos. Big queues , only one person serving meals, snacks and drinks plus doing the till. Wasn’t happy that he was handling food and then taking money but not wearing gloves. Definitely won’t be be returning in a hurry.

I visited here with my 3-year old for an early-ish lunch on a Friday morning. The cafe had a kids box meal offer, which included juice, sandwich & some snack items, however, there were no sandwiches out to put in the box. All the staff were very task focussed and busying about so couldn’t catch anyone to ask if there were more sandwiches available. I queued up for at least 15-mins to reach the front of the till, as there was only one person taking food orders, making coffees and processing payments. Whilst I was in this queue, initially there was breakfast available - which was all out and under hot plates ready for plating up. The queue was incredibly slow moving due to lack of staff serving. Whilst waiting in this queue, without any warning, the breakfast was taken off and replaced with a lunch offering, however, there was absolutely no thought to asking/warning those who had been waiting in the queue for breakfast. Both families behind us left the queue as they had been waiting to get said breakfast and were quite miffed the food was abruptly removed. To make it worse, there was still plenty available which presumably just went in the bin. Why no one asked anyone in the queue if they were waiting for breakfast first is beyond me. Everyone working there was so task focussed there was absolutely no thought given to the customer on the other side of the desk. When I eventually reached the till, I was told there were no sandwiches for the kids box, but they could offer me a toastie instead - which didn’t really make sense to me. A few minutes later I was then told I could actually have a sandwich. I got a real sense of disorganisation from this place and a real lack of training. Overall I wouldn’t recommend on the service alone and I think this cafe needs a lot of improvement.

What has happened to this once vibrant place to eat !?! We used to visit with our girls who are now teens. It’s like it’s died and people haven’t been told about the funeral. Staff appear to be headless chickens. Despite telling the lad on coffee we’d not been charged enough the other staff said we had. Impossible. Huge backlog of hot food orders. What a shame. We won’t be enduring it again.

Limited availability from the menu. Most items were sold out but didn't know o until we got to order. Fir example both soup options. The sign was still displayed , the assumption would be that we can order. As a vegan the only thing left for me to have was chips! Latte hardly tasted of coffee and was warm. Not good at the best if time but certainly not on a cold rainy day.

Depressing ……the chicken goujons my grandson had were undercooked , peas didn’t look like peas didn’t ask for them anyway , chips too hot but the fatter ones managed to be undercooked ? Mash was ok , coffee far below what I would expect . Tuna roll , dry , no butter , dry tuna. Plenty of staff who were nice but unsure what they were doing . Will never visit again waste of time and money .

Arrived at midday for lunch with my daughter and twin grandchildren. Went to the counter where the children's packed lunch boxes were ,no staff present , chose from the various items available to make up the allowed number of foods which also includes sandwiches, but they were not visible. After waiting several minutes a member of staff appeared at the back of the counter , she was doing something and after finishing she came over to us and said we needed to order food at the main counter . We said we wanted the packed lunch boxes and asked about the sandwiches , she said they are delivered daily but they hadn't come in yet , she offered to do something else , we asked for toast as an alternative which she said she would do and gave us a table stand . Then we joined the queue to order drinks etc, at the checkout all the items were removed from each lunch box and checked , finally paid , found a table and sat down and waited for the toast to come . Both children had to eat other food items as toast was very slow to arrive but eventually did . The food is ok , nothing special or interesting .Just found the cafe is very dull now like the food , there are not enough staff , service is slow , there are empty counters which are not being used which just add to the dreary area, it used to be a busy place with a nice atmosphere and plenty of friendly staff but not now , it's gone downhill and I think it's about time the place was refurbished and the food improved, it's needed investment for a long time , it's not in keeping with the John Lewis reputation. The reviews speak for themselves. We won't be coming back

This restaurant doesn’t reflect the pleasant shopping experience of the wider department store. While staff are friendly and food is good, the place is littered like a bomb site. On at least 2 occasions there have been no tables available that are free of previous customers’ mess. This has led me to clear them myself in order to use one. Food itself is good, but it does lack originality, diversity of choice, and is cleaned out by the early afternoon.

I haven’t been here for years and I won’t be coming back. Jus have a look at the pictures of table stacked high with used cutlery and crockery . People are having to remove other peoples used crockery to clear space. Food mediocre and coffee weak and cold. I never thought John Lewis would fall to this level. What’s happened to “pride “ of workplace ?

Sadly something has gone badly wrong at the cafe . The last three times have been dire. I went today for a free coffee and cake. Such a long wait, miserable and slow working staff and wanted to charge me for the jam for my scone. I will do without it . When we left the queue was twice as long. At least I got a hot coffee , unlike last time , when I brought it back as cold. It used to be packed , now deserted . So sad.

Waited ages in a long queue for a coffee and cake with my friend. There appeared to be quite a few staff, but working very inefficiently. A ridiculous time to wait for a coffee, definitely not worth the wait. The cafe is like a big canteen, not cosy in any way. We had to clear and clean our table. I do hanker back to the times when it was lovely, friendly, efficient waitress service.

We had lunch here on a Monday at about 12.15. The service was very slow (only one person serving food and one serving drinks) The layout is very confusing - two counters, one looked like for just cakes and drinks and the other for food for lunches and drinks. We joined the food queue and when we eventually got to be served was told we should have got the baguettes from the other counter. There was only one choice of each left which were quite dried up and hard around the edges and not very nice at all for the price. There were no tea spoons so we used a table spoon and tea cups were dirty on the inside which were changed and I was told they were all like that because they were pot washed and the temperature was not high enough. The cakes at the counter were all uncovered and right in front of us all breathing on them - not very hygienic at all. In all the place seemed to be poorly run and not at all the nice atmosphere it used to have. The customer in front of me had to change his order twice because the assistant came back saying there was no more of the flavour soup of what he wanted. It wasn't as if it was later on at lunchtime but there was very little choice of anything. Very, very disappointed. I haven't been in since lockdown and this was my place to go to for lunch. Unfortunately I won't be going again.

Absolutely disgusted at the tables full of dirty plates and cups. Staff standing around, whilst customers were trying to clear them for somewhere to eat - even piled up on seating areas. Management should be ashamed!

We often frequent your resturant. Went in today for a coffee and bacon roll. None of the staff seemed to know what they were doing. There was no greeting just asked what I wanted. I asked for a bacon roll when it came, eventually it was on bread not a brioche roll and the bread was really dry. The lady that bought it almost threw it down on the table and never spoke a word which I found extremely rude. As I sat eating it I watched as all the staff stood talking and not really paying attention. Needless to say I didn't finish my sandwich it was to dry. The coffee was lovely though as always.

Ordered and paid for a bacon brioche. It came on sour dough bread instead. The girl said they didn't do brioche anymore and I should have been informed of this qhen I ordered. I mentioned that it said brioche on the menu but she just repeated what she said. Bread was dry and bacon over cooked which made it even more dry. Cappuccino was good though. Will not order the breakfast brioche again.

visited today May 12 2022 .purchased a bowl of soup and a gluten free roll,which was covered in plastic .opened the plastic and the roll was covered in mould .Got a refund .Wont be returning very surprised with john lewis .

Still waiting for two bowls of soup 20 mini after placing order. If I hadn’t already paid I would have walked out by now. So many staff on the floor - doing what???

Visited today. Only second time since Covid. Previously visited regularly over many years. Queued then to be told no sandwiches. Why not put a sign on listed sandwiches saying temporarily unavailable. Apparently hadn’t been delivered. Had to make another decision. Toasties on sourdough. Oh my they looked awful. Decided on Salmon quiche. Waited a while. Salad was appalling. A piece of lettuce that should have been thrown in the bin. Tea or coffee and cake in the future will be the safe option. All staff very friendly.

The 1 star is for the toasted sandwich … v nice ! No atmosphere , v few staff , asked for a cold coke and was offered ice. Slow service. V little choice . I know that covid measures are more relaxed but found it strange to be handed one by one each serviette, cutlery , sugar ! Stood waiting for 20 mins didn’t see ANY hand washing ? Staff in crumpled shirts. Used to eat here regularly , what’s happened ?!!!! Won’t be returning

We arrived at 12pm (ie early) to find there were about 3 sandwiches and only 1 child pack available and were told there was no more. We queued at the area we found the sandwiches only to be told we couldn't pay there by card....

My wife and I regularly call here for a hot drink and snack and whilst the fayre on offer is always if good quality, the service since reopening during the Covid-19 outbreak leaves an awful lot to be desired. Staff are always getting in each...

A good place to meet whilst shopping in one of Nottingham’s top stores. Quality food and drink. However, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for staff to be allowed to have meetings in the customer cafe, especially if loud and when discussing John Lewis...

The wait to order and get 2 soups was ridiculously long ( Yes. Julie Walters would have been quicker). It was lunch time and people were queueing for hot food. At least 6 left the queue because of no action. Only one member of staff...

Terrible food, terrible service. Staff chatting whilst I was waiting to pay for hot food, which was poor anyway, will not visit again

I last reviewed in 2014. Visited with my elderly mum today. Oh my - if you want a cold snack the choice is so disappointing. We chose smoked salmon bagels. Bread that was black and unappetising. Sandwich fillings disappointing. Salads with figs & nuts etc....

My husband and I visited on a Saturday lunch time and the cafe was packed. However we joined a queue at the hot food counter. Big mistake. We waited for twenty minutes to order our food while 4 very young people seemed not to know...

We visited Nottingham for the first time at the weekend and the city’s restaurants were extremely busy. Reluctantly we went into the John Lewis restaurant as we had wanted to dine somewhere much smarter. The place was really busy but we managed to find a...

Myself and my husband stopped by for some late breakfast. We got in the queue at 11:35, giving us 10 minutes until the breakfast menu ended (11:45am). Service was extremely slow, so I checked with one of the serving staff whether the breakfast was still...

Looking dated now, compared to other John Lewis coffee shops etc., Not much choice and no atmosphere.

Visited John Lewis today . We arrived at 'The Place to Eat' at 11.30 for an early lunch and also to use my free coffee and cake voucher . (This is a big incentive to make a trip into Nottingham ! ) Unfortunately they were...

Tired, joyless, dated , drap and stuck in a time warp - sixties, fifties, not sure. The staff are as helpful as they can be , nonetheless the restaurant is woefully understaffed. Always long queues . No one tidies up the tables - this gives...

Poor choice of cakes which has been a familiar story on other occasions we've been Went for afternoon cake & tea only stayed as we had free vouchers today otherwise would've gone elsewhere. I think since these vouchers have been introduced the choice and quality...

Appalling is the only word I can use for this place. We are loyal and regular customers of John Lewis and the restaurant is handy for a drink and something to eat but it has gone steadily downhill over the past couple of years to...

The Expresso Bar is closed for refurbishment so up we went to ‘The Place to Eat’ - very poor choice of poor quality hot food. We had dried up reheated cheese and fig tart with tired leaves. I saw a young couple trying to feed...

Cuando llegamos, todas las mesas cerca de las cajas estaban vacías de gente, pero estaban llenas de platos sucios que deberían haber sido una señal para irnos. El hombre de la caja trató de cobrarnos demasiado, cuando le dijimos que en vez de ir a comprobar el precio, se limitó a encogerse de hombros y decir que no había pagado los precios. Luego se quedó allí. Le dije que el precio era incorrecto y me enojé porque una cola estaba creciendo. Le dije que dejara el pedido e iría y me quejaría con el gerente. 'Eso está bien conmigo', dijo. No podía creer que alguien en John Lewis pudiera ser tan grosero como yo pensaba que estaban entrenados para mostrar más atención al cliente que eso, pero claramente no.

Mi esposa y yo llegamos al mostrador de "Comida caliente" exactamente a las 10 am del sábado, escuchando el final del servicio ofrecido a la pareja que teníamos frente a nosotros (a la que acababan de servir 2 "desayunos completos") no fue un buen presagio. Pero 15 minutos de espera para ordenar y servir 2 sándwiches de tocino, ¿es esto aceptable? En primer lugar, el "gran" pedido delante de nosotros significaba que quedaba una loncha de tocino (pero el personal del mostrador no alertó a la cocina) y luego, cuando la cocina entregó un nuevo caldo de tocino, la persona que nos atendía había desaparecido en algún lugar de la parte posterior y la pobre niña que quedó en el mostrador "no estaba entrenada" para servirnos.

Intenté la sopa de guisantes y menta que venía con un pedazo seco y rancio de pan integral. La sopa, que era verde con manchas verdes oscuras, era muy espesa e insípida. No me dieron la opción de pan blanco o marrón. Podrías servirte mantequilla o Flora. Costo 4. 95 que no es caro, pero no comeré aquí de nuevo. Tuve que limpiar una para encontrar un espacio para comer.

Yo solía ir al lugar para comer cuando estaba en la ciudad y tienen un langostino y salmón ensalada + una tarta (todos sin gluten) y una bebida. Siempre ha sido muy agradable. Pero hoy fui por una ensalada. Elegí una ensalada de salmón. No había nadie en el mostrador como el hasta se había estropeado. No había sin gluten tarta. La ensalada fue el peor que he comido y cuesta £8. 75. Consistía de unos copos de salmón en el piso, debajo eran rock - frijoles duro verde (No preparado) unos cuartos de tomate verde + unas cuantas hojas de berros + una cantidad diminuta de rábano picante aderezo. El servicio era antipático.

No kids' 'hamper' sandwiches available, had to queue up for ages, unhelpful staff, really busy, food nothing special. Don't know why you'd choose to eat here when there are so many better places in the city centre.

After shopping for a few hours in john lewis nottingham my son and my self decided to have lunch in the restaurant and that is where my upbeat christmas experience stopped . The two ladies serving the hot food had faces like thunder , no smile and an attitude that said to me i do not like my job or having to serve you ! . The meal was thrown on to the plate without any care and some fell off to the serving counter then was just lifted back on to the plate . No thank you or recognition of any kind , we went and sat down and there were dirty pots on many tables . my meal was average with the roast potatoes being soggy and just warm . The whole restaurant lacked atmosphere which is a shame as i remember the old days of the restaurant which was then i think on the second floor were you used to wait for a table and have waitress service and it was a fantastic place to eat , it is now a glorified self service cafe and a bit over priced at that with a chocolate eclair being £3.25 ! It totally lets john lewis down and i shall not be using it again . I have spoken to Anthony one of the restaurant managers who told me he had only been at the restaurant for a week and was very concerned to hear of what i had to say , i asked him if he had looked at the reviews on trip adviser and he told me it was one of the things he had to do on his list . Well good luck to you Antony and hope you can make some improvements to a failing restaurant that must have some of the worst reviews i have ever seen .

Visitamos aquí recientemente siento decir que este solía ser un lugar muy agradable, sin embargo la pared estaba manchada con comida, cubiertos sucios, y la mesa que había sido limpiado era como una piscina. Decir esto pertenece a John Lewis este era totalmente inaceptable.

Oh cielos, es que lo mejor que puedes hacer John Lewis? Me sentí como si estuviera sentado en una cantina chunga; el café amargo no hicieron nada para mejorar mi impresión del lugar. No vayas. . .

After finding our favourite coffee shop had changed owners and is now one of the atmosphere free group coffee shops, we were on the look out for somewhere else.

La calidad de la comida, especialmente los pasteles no son una buena relación calidad-precio. La sección de crepes fue la única cosa que no era digno de recomendación y, sin embargo, fue interrumpido hace algunos mientras. Todo lo demás es bastante mediocre y caro. Es sorprendente que la tienda, que es tan buena en todos los aspectos, debería haber un café tan malo.

Fuimos para el almuerzo mientras compras en John Lewis. Deseado no tenía. Contamos 11 personal de los tres mostradores pero las colas cortas disfrazados una espera interminable. Cuando finalmente nos preguntó qué queríamos que nos preguntamos sobre las sopas de ser sin gluten. Esto era claramente una cuestión novedosa, para responder a lo que se produce un archivo grande y después de deliberar el chef fue consultado. "No lo siento" - ¿pero por qué tienen gluten en puerro y sopa de patatas? Hay un montón de mejor y más acogedor y sitios útiles fuera del centro de Victoria como 200 en el café la iglesia de corral y en la puerta de San Pedro.

Uncooked scones and dry cake. Abrupt staff. Needs sorting out if it is to continue.Staff should think themselves lucky to have a job.

I realise the store had serious problems when a burst pipe flooded part of the store, but that was over a week ago and the store has been open for business now for 3 days. However, when we visited the restaurant at 10.15 this morning there were 5 pieces of cake in 3 options to choose from. When I spoke to who I assumed was a restaurant manager and asked when we could expect a greater selection to be available we were told she had no idea. Surely an organisation as large as John Lewis having had over a week to make contingency plans could have done better than this. Having heard this response I would suggest that you find an alternative venue for a morning cake for the next few weeks, or will it be months?

Our usual visit to the John Lewis restaurant with my daughter. On this occasion my daughter decided to order a breakfast, approached the counter, explained she had not had breakfast here before and asked ;what is the procedure? There was no response from the staff, she ignored the ignorance and continued to order breakfast, then returned to our table. After a time I looked across at the counter where I saw a breakfast sitting there no cover or on a hot plate. I went across and asked if this was the breakfast as ordered. I was told in rather an abrupt manner, " WE DON'T DO A TABLE SERVICE" I was also told; you pick up a tray up when you come in.. the restaurant was not busy, three staff doing nothing. John Lewis standards have dropped considerably since first visiting the store.many years ago (25) Staff need more training in; manners, service with a smile! and organisation on clearing tables.

After my poor review of The Nottingham John Lewis retaurant earlier in the year I thought it worth visiting again to see if things had improved and was pleasantly surprised. A much better choice of cakes and although the decor is feeling dated at least this time there seemed far more staff to clear the tables and keep them clean. The tables are however still too close together. The Christmas cake was delicious. I hope they are able to market this excellent fruit cake in some form after the festive period.

We went here for lunch today . It was rammed. Heaven only knows why. It's like a Soviet canteen ! Really noisy, horrible lighting, endless queues for well below average food. And much more expensive than the Soviet version. Even the usually sunny John Lewis staff looked miserable. Go somewhere else. Or , to put it another way. Middle class diners of the world unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains!

I was in Nottingham for the weekend and only popped In for a quick cup of coffee while shopping in John Lewis. However, seeing the lovely array of cakes, I opted for a piece of carrot cake and was not disappointed. It was simply delicious!

Visited with my brother at about 3pm on a Friday afternoon. Several of the counters were closed and the queue was long. We ordered 2 soft drinks which came to £7.25. I felt that this was so overpriced. The staff on the tills were rude and unhelpful and the actual restaurant was dirty. The tables needed wiping and the floor needed a good hoover. The toilet facilities were ok.

Having used the restaurant in John Lewis since it first opened over 40 years ago I have never felt the need to read or write a TripAdvosor review until now. I was therefore shocked to see just how many people are as disappointed as my wife and I have become recently.We normally visit between 10 and 11am a couple of times each month. Over the last two years at this time of day the choice of cakes has become increasingly very poor. We are not sure if there is more choice at other times of the day but there no real point in calling for morning coffee if you would like a reasonable choice. What is on offer is of an acceptable if not outstanding quality but expensive for what you get. The other problem is that the selection of cakes with the exception of one or two seasonable examples does not seem to have changed for years. Like a number of reviewers I so find the coffee rather too strong for my taste, but I get around this problem by asking for a small jug of water, but all too frequently this ends up being provided in a teapot. We have our favourite area in the far end of the restaurant with more light but a couple of years ago they increased the number of tables and seats in this area so it's impossible to have a quite conversation at busy times. A significant problem is apparent lack of staff to clear tables. On a recent visit I had to clear a table in order to sit down, and by the time we were ready to leave, approximately 25 minutes there were a total of 10 tables in a small area with piles of dirty cups and plates with many older couples disappointed that they were unable to sit in their selected area. No member of staff appeared to clear tables in the whole of this time.I am a local John Lewis customer but personally I only use the restaurant when I have to.

Oh dear John Lewis Nottingham. This place doesn't half let you down. The acoustics are terrible, the cleanliness is lacking, the place is long overdue a refurb and the staff look so fed up! Makes me long for the old days when there was a proper coffee room with professional waiting staff and lovely cakes on the trolly...well worth the obligatory wait in the queue! I'm afraid that this place has become a coffee shop shelter for what feels like every mother and toddler group in Nottingham, which does not make for a pleasant oasis for your average John Lewis shopper.

Dirty cupsDirty spoonsDirty floorDirty tables. All the food is outsourced so at least that's ok. Recommend the carrot cake and a pot of tea. BUT! Clean your spoon and cup as you sit down. Your napkin will be filthy!! Would only recommend for the carrot cake.

I popped into the coffee shop at John Lewis this morning.The Victoria sandwich tasted awful I didn't eat it which isn't like me.The coffee was very strong.The staff didn't seem very friendly.such a shame it used to be so nice

Visited for a quick sandwich for my toddler and I for the past few weeks and have to say I feel robbed! Kids pick n mix skeleton, prawn baguette and a coke nearly £13 (over £20 when hubby came last week) and it wasn't tasty at all. Sorry JL that was my last visit!

Avoid this unless you want to pay way over the odds for a cafeteria, coupled with abrupt service and a poorly organised set up. Small Coke cost £1.90 and a prawn sandwich £6.50. The service reminded me and the couple in front off me of the school dinner hall but not as friendly. Service took too long and staff were abrupt and disinterested Also v noisy but that comes with the large cafeteria !!

Had fish & chips - the fish was off. Received choice of anything else and got a full refund. Well done John Lewis for brilliant customer service.

Nipped in for quick drink amd sandwich - ended up sharing baguette as expensive. Tea for 1 and coffee for 1 - I requested a jug of proper fresh milk - the serving person assured me that the little plastic pots of "milk" were fresh milk as it said so on the top and refused to give me what I wanted - I reluctantly took it but I could taste it was not pasteurised proper milk it had to be long life as no dates on the pots comeon john lewis get your act together if you areexpecting people to spend their money on good food please give jug of milk

Met a friend for lunch and just wanting something light opted for John Lewis. Had the homemade soup of the day and the quality and taste were very good. Reasonably priced

This is a company with adequate finances to employ excellent chefs food planners who can excite the eye as well as the palate, neither of which delivered yesterday. I had cous cous with roast veg......the options were poor the quality poor......lacking flavour !The atmosphere in John Lewis restaurant Nottingham is the result of a pervading ' greyness' this might work in other departments but does nothing for the restaurant on a miserable day in Notts.

Whilst shopping in Nottingham we were undecided where to eat but we're very glad to call into John Lewis. We are a hot lunch of fresh soup With a bread roll and good old fashioned bangers and mash which sounded expensive at £7.95 but was absolutely delicious piping hot and wonderful. Recommended.

Good food freshly prepared and well presented. I like the fact that it is simple food without the fancy work of some places.

We called in for lunch with 2 kids and it was an error we just wanted a sandwich or something simple but they only had one sandwich left and they didn’t know how long wait was for more. So we went to the to the hot counter, we had one adults and one kids sausage and mash (that was literally that with no veg.) a kids sandwich, a slice of quiche with side salad and two waters, it cost over £30 and the food was just ok not great. We had to wait a long time for food, the woman serving us was busy telling other people what to do and hardly acknowledged our existence. And the counters are badly laid out so the kids sandwiches are not near the adult sandwiches so you don’t know they are there unless you ask, cake is at a separate till/ que and generally it was just a bit chaotic. I love John Lewis and usually get things right, I’m surprised they’ve got it so wrong.

The staff were very friendly and helpful which for me is very important. My coffee was fine but the cheese scone although a little on the hard side was quite enjoyable. This is a busy cafe/restaurant and there are bound to be some delays which some reviewers have highlighted somewhat unfairly in my opinion. The wi-fi connection was excellent and I have no complaints. It makes a very welcome change for the staff to be so friendly. I have visited many cafes in the last year for when this was not the case.

Had lunch with my friend today, had mushroom soup with a wedge of bread, had a pot of tea. Nice Relaxing place to eat, staff friendly.

The luxury hot chocolate was absolutely vile! The drink under it's topping of whipped cream was at best lukewarm and had far too many marshmallows in it making a vile mess that I refused to touch.Urghh!

Had to meet the in laws and they chose Place to eat. I have been in her a couple of time and to be honest never really been impressed. I find this place unbelievably expensive for what you get. 4 cakes. 2 teas and 2 coffees for just on short £20. Ok we didn't pay so I wish not to appear too ungrateful. My blueberry muffin was fine tea was ok. I still can't get over the price. To be frank the cafes in the Victoria market are just as good. On a Sunday you will better going to Rose Teas on Broadway at least you get waited on. Would I eat a meal here no way not sure that the wallet could take it.In my opinion it's nothing more than a glorified canteen. What does surprise me how is this place always busy?.

This is a nice looking place and the staff are friendly and helpful, I'm sure it's fine to have a coffee and a bit of cake. I came for lunch and plumped for fish and chips (£9.50). The fish looked ok as did the chunky chips but eating them was another matter. The batter was thick and greasy and the fish really watery and probably over cooked. The chips, whilst quite nice tasty were the wrong side of warm and therefore not the most pleasant. This should be a fairly easy, no nonsense thing to get right but it was simply not to be. Fine for coffee etc -yes, but even if you've worn yourself out shopping, I'd head elsewhere for anything more substantial.

have eaten here many times over the last 20yrs, always busy and sometimes you have to wait for ordered food but have always been impressed by the friendliness and helpfullness of the staff, this was particularly true when we had a small child and needed help finding a table or finding out what was available for children. The coffee and cakes are certainly good but have also enjoyed the hot food - fish and chips today - very crisp batter and well cooked fish.

Just paid 26 quid for chaos lunch here. In the hot food queue for 25 mins and watched bedlam in front of us. Staff polite but very slow, hardly any food to serve on hot plate and no menu up. Ordered two portions if quiche , one came out runny and had to pay extra 2.25 with the portions if we wanted a salad, so all in all paid 9.15 pounds for each meal, a total rip off. Chips were hard , salad limp and tired and our cold drinks were warm. This is poor john Lewis , really really bad show for such a thriving company , we won't be back I'mAfraid and from the looks on customers faces today neither will they, please improve things and give us what we pay for

Having read some previous reviews I do wonder about the intelligence of some people. Why keep going back if somewhere is so disappointing and why not complain to the duty manager at the time and get your money back?!I have to confess that, to date, we have only ever had coffee and cake as we are normally there mid-morning. We choose our cakes, no one forces them on us and I only ever have Americano coffee, no frothy milk to disguise the lovely fresh filtered aroma.Well done John Lewis!

We often shop at John Lewis and eat in the Place to Eat. Our last visit was on Saturday 22nd November and what a shambles! It was about 10.15a.m and the breakfast counter was virtually empty - eggs being cooked one at a time, no bacon and no sausages out. Breakfasts were queuing up on the passé waiting for eggs and collection to go out.There was no supervision at all until about 10.45am when a very organised lady came on duty and took control of the situation. We were about number twelve in the queue. We only wanted a bacon sandwich and a slice of toast and it took us 45 minutes to get these. As another customer commented he should have ordered his lunch instead of breakfast. I can only hope this is an isolated occurrence as customers are really not going to accept this - and we are not even into the busiest time of the year. I dread to think what it will be like during the next four weeks. I certainly won't be trying there but will find somewhere else to go.

I have been visiting this restaurant for many years. The cold food served is so disappointing. Anaemic unappetising baguettes with different fillings. What happened to the traditional sandwiches?.A large percentage of customers here are retired and I am sure they would prefer a sandwich compared to crusty dry baguettes. I have mentioned this to Management but they obviously don't listen to their customers. Took ages to be served with a turkey baguette and a prawn salad. Expensive also.Cakes and coffee are always lovely. Excellent choice. Sandwiches followed by a lovely cake would be just right.

Ate there yesterday as shopping in store it made sense but being rather less than impressed decided to see on TA what others' experiences were like. I was not being picky,! Our experience was much as eveyone else who had written their reviews.it was crowded yes - mostly I think by old ever loyal customers of what was formerly Jessops of Nottingham, folk taking a break from work and midweek shoppers no doubt like us instore and it seemed like a good idea . Long queues at all counters ( what happens if you are a party of three who want different choices . three or more queueing experiences ?) expensive ( £8 for 4 sausages and a dollop of mash is a joke) and the baguettes we purchased , horrible. Two very expensive seeded rolls which were either from the day before, had been previously frozen or simply kept uncovered and chilled to death. They were hard, dry, crumbling without benefit of any kind of butter or spread, some bits of leaves poked in and a quantity of tuna sweetcorn filling piled in the top. I have had better and fresher from a good many other places who dont simply trade on their name to get customers in. And we paid for this ?Not a good experience I'm afraid so, sorry John Lewis, no doubt you can manage without our hard earned cash and will continue to pull in the unwary shopper but we can certainly manage without your poor quality, overpriced food.

After a few hours of shopping, I stopped into the restaurant, hoping for a hot meal. It was still early, so I anticipated there would be a variety of things to choose from. I was informed that all hot food is put away by 3:00 pm, and the only choices were tuna clubs (that were being attacked by flies). Not what I expected from a John Lewis. I settled for a cup of hot chocolate and a bag of chips.

Just had a light lunch with my wife and grand-daughter and came on to do my review only to find doom and gloom from most of the folks who had submitted reviews. So ... situated on the fourth floor this very busy eatery for people wanting breakfast, lunch or just a mid-morning or afternoon snack. The food looks excellent, it is always hot and we've always found it to taste good. Yes, it is expensive (good example 250ml of full-fat milk £1.00 - Tesco 4 pints Red Top, £1.00) BUT it is good and any way, if it wasn't that good why is it just so very busy? We shall return!

How do John Lewis get away with the prices they charge in their restaurants. The soup was priced at over £6.00. !!!!!!! . This is ridiculous and anyone considering paying such must be mad. I have been eating here for several years mostly in Nottingham and Southampton and both their restaurants are no longer a pleasure. The service is unacceptably slow and the food is what I would describe as poor . The partnership drastically need to address this as a matter of urgency.

Poor quality and tasteless is the only way to describe the food and hot chocolateJohn Lewis state "never knowingly undersold" but the quality is amongst the worst that I have had.I would avoid eating or drinking here

I've been to The Place to Eat, Nottingham, many times, simply because I like the atmosphere in the restaurant and the comfy sofa seats and views of the streets out the window. With regards to the food, there is a lot of choice. I normally go for a cake and a hot drink, and find myself queuing for ages and when I finally get served, they take ages to make the hot drink. The cakes are pretty average and everything is overpriced. No idea why I keep going!

Went on a Saturday at around 2pm. All counters had long queues due to there not being enough staff and one of the main coffee machines not working. Had 2 cakes and 2 teas which cost more than 2 main meals and drinks at my local carvery. The cakes were awful - totally tasteless. Will not be going again. One other point - staff at John Lewis seem to think they are something special. They come across as arrogant, but at the end of the day they are just shop assistants.

Arrived about 12.30 on Saturday, was very busy but this was not helped by the shortage of staff and their slow service, hence there was a very long wait for coffee and cake! Cake was not good, had better in local cake shop. People will not keep coming here unless standards improve and staff are become more friendly and helpful. Very over priced also.

My wife and I shopped in John Lewis yesterday and encountered the same poor service and food quality we have endured fro the last 2 years. The standards have slipped, the management is really poor and the food is tasteless and expensive for basic food. One whole section was closed again and the staff looked tense and under pressure. This is nothing but exceedingly poor management. John Lewis used to have a great restaurant which served quality food - what has happened??I have complained so many times we will no longer be using it and possibly find a competitor store for our shopping.Very disappointing and in my opinion shows that there os an ambivalence to customers.

Arrived at 3pm it was quite busy. They had only one soup left it was Moroccan chicken. It was yellow and full of oil with bits floating in it. It was horrible!!!!

I have eaten in this café for many years and have always found the quality of food to be excellent together with the service but my recent visit on Friday left a lot to be desired. My son and I arrived about 3pm which is late to eat but the sign on the hot meals said that they were served until 530. The place was dead and all the hot food appeared to be cleared away. He asked for sausage and mash and the staff hesitated and said they did not think it would be available now due to the time. Why have a sign up saying you serve hot food until 5.30 then? They said fish and chips would be so he decided to go for that. I grabbed a small glass bowl of 'greek salad' really side salad size. We had a small carton of apple juice and a diet coke. The fish (£8.95) arrived two minutes later and was awful, obviously blasted in to life in a microwave, the chips were soggy and insipid, the fish greasy with a horrid fried taste, the peas were well peas ... my son abandoned it after a few mouthfuls so I ate some rather annoyed at the waste. My salad bowl consisted of a few small lumps of feta a couple of slices of pepper, the odd black olive and the rest was lettuce. No dressing of any description. This all came to about £16.80. If the quality had been good I wouldn't have minded. I couldn't help comparing it, in terms of portion size, quality of food and price with Weatherspoons. The fish and chips tasted like a microwave meal and not what I would expected from John Lewis whereas in somewhere like Weatherspoons it is extremely tasty and probably a fraction of the cost. To be honest I thought that they freshly cooked everything as usually there is a wait time but now I can see that things are just warmed up. On a plus side the cakes looked great and when I last ate here a couple of weeks before with my other son we enjoyed nice coffee and a slice of apricot chocolate cake.

Having previously enjoyed a Gluten Free vegetable tartlet at the Tamworth Ventura John Lewis. I expected great things from the much larger Nottingham restaurant. To my disappointment, all that was on offer was pre-wrapped cakes, etc - the usual fall back of cafes and restaurants who can't be bothered.When I asked to speak to the restaurant manager, a young woman tried to explain that selling and making Gf foods was unlawful because of the potential motes of non GF flour that could be floating in the kitchen preparation area.Ok, but how does that then explain how other eateries, both large and small, have no problem? If John Lewis can buy it pre-wrapped cakes and biscuits, they could do the same for decent rolls and sandwiches.Maybe they should ask the National Trust, Harvey Nichols, Starbucks, and many independent cafes etc, etc, how they manage to (legally) sell tasty GF food, both pre-prepared and fresh!For such an institution as John Lewis, this is very far from acceptable.and apparently each store seems to have their own GF agenda. Disappointing and lazy.

With only time to grab a quick bite during the day, we headed for John Lewis as the standards and quality are usually quite good in other city stores. It was obvious that this restaurant has a fairly high throughput of customers, as it was not easy to secure a vacant table and those that were empty had piles of used crockery on top. We realised that there appeared to be a dedicated / preferred servery for families and children, as that side of the seating area was popular with families, children and pushchairs. The area was rather noisy and busy, but the sandwiches were the standard John Lewis fare. There appeared to be a flow of diners arriving in the same entrance and exiting further down the opposite end of the dining area. Perhaps that is because the toilets were located on the shop floor area near that exit rather than from inside the restaurant directly? In any case, it fulfilled the need of providing a quick lunch.Having explored more of Nottingham centre later in the afternoon however, we had obviously made a poor choice on this occasion, as there are plenty of other places to eat in the city on busy Saturdays....

Inexplicably popular, John Lewis's restaurant is a miserable experience.The food is awful. Pre-made sandwiches that are chilled to death. Dry, stale cakes. Hot food that looks as though it would be best served in the bin.Service grinds to halt at busy times with shoppers amazingly quite happy to queue out of the door before wasting money here. The atmosphere is more like a factory canteen. The only noteworthy point is the lovely view across Nottingham's city centre at the back of the restaurant. Unfortunately, they even fail to make the most of that.One to avoid.