Waitrose in Eastleigh

The new cafe round the corner was fully booked (Saturday lunchtime) so we tried here - but wish we hadn't. Ordered two Welsh rarebits, paid and sat a table. After a while someone came over and said they only had one left so we changed the second to a cheese and ham toastie. After an eternity they finally came - the rarebit was flat and just tasted of melted cheese with a bit of ham - no flavour. You would think at Waitrose they would use decent ham but no, the ham in the toastie was just the thin, processed type. We left distinctly underwhelmed and won't go again.

We used to drop in to the restaurant for lunch on a Friday, when shopping and going onto other shops. Whatever time we arrive there seems to be little choice left on the menu. Last Friday around 1p.m there were no non meat or fish options left on the shelves and no Welsh Rarebit. The only alternatives were baked potatoes with cheese and baked beans (tepid beans). I questioned the lack of alternatives and was told that it was due to Covid, which is becoming a tired excuse. I am almost 70 but have not yet lost my marbles.

Much less choice in the gluten free ranges of products. They never seem to have any new products in and have the same old stuff week after week! They could learn a bit from Asda.

The standard of the sushi has slipped. The main issue is the rice. It seemed as though the rice used to be made fresh but now it is always hard and dry. I have wondered if it was the time of day I was visiting (6pm) so have been at lunchtime numerous times. Still unfresh and still dry & hard rice. Such a disapointment! Sort it out Waitrose.

Very off putting. There were about 18 dirty trays left on the tables throughout my visit. Myself and other customers were moving them off the tables before sitting down. I did tell a member of staff but no one cleared up. Felt very down market

I live i Southampton, so if I eat out there it makes sense to shop there. There is a bus stop outside the store which is lovely and stocks every kind of food ata fair price.

Disappointed to find that the Chandlers Ford Waitrose cafe hasn't reopened (as posted that this would before Christmas) in the New Year. During these difficult times this cafe offered a much needed social event & is a welcomed rest area for the elderly whom find shopping a difficult process. I have to say that when the cafe reopened after the first 'lockdown' that the service had deteriorated along with the food selection. The regular friendly & helpful staff had all moved on. No doubt the closure will be blamed on staff shortages and COVID. Come on Waitrose, please get back to providing, not just the shopping essentials but a service that helps with people's mental health. Judging by how unusually quiet this store has become during our regular weekly shop I wouldn't be surprised if shoppers are voting with their feet. We may reluctantly join them elsewhere if the cafe remains closed.

i am not happy with my visit to waitrose. to my absolute sadness they had no FLIPPING YUM YUMS. flip this place man i’m out

Very underwhelmed. I know cafes had to close during lockdown, but The Kitchen is a joke - 2pm and they have five cakes. Very little choice of food, even though the sign says freshly cooked food available all day. The staff told me that they have supply issues, and that most things come prepackaged, including bacon or sausage rolls. Very poor show - John Lewis Southampton were open yesterday and had good stock levels. Your cafe is an embarrassment and I’m sure footfall is down , which will lead to you ordering less, which will mean even lower footfall and closure in the new year if you don’t sort this out.

My wife and I do online shopping at 4 or 5 different outlets. Twice recently, I have put in a big order to Waitrose, just because they were offering frozen lobsters and/or reduce-price Lagavulin whisky. On both occcasions, they ordered everything else but told me that the lobsters/whisky were 'not available'. Of course, I realize that such orders may be impossible because of lack of supply, but my online orders were on the same day as the announcement of these prime goods. It is a disagreeable practice to entice shoppers with tempting offers that are not available. When I complained to Customer Service, I was brushed off with 'the orders are fulfilled by your local store, who did not have these items available.

Quite a few more than one shopper why? .....................................not very safe for following guidelines...very poor customer management...I'll go to Sainsbury's

I went on a short trip up the road to my local waitrose. On my bike. So as you may know waitrose provides bike locks .. yet after riding towards the bike area I was swarmed by security and asked to leave :( everytime I cycle past I get stared down by the guards... off putting and terrifying

Trolleys not cleaned. Not allowed in without a trolley even though just wanted three items. Forced to have one. No sanitiser at doorway as in other supermarkets. Manager rude beyond belief. Felt I had caught covid in there. Will never go there again.

As Waitrose virgin , this was my first time in one anywhere , Upmarket Sainsbury’s IMO ,,, But has a massive alcohol section 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 Friendly staff and service , Parking a bit weird , but guess it’s prime parking around , have to spend £5 to get free parking on the way out you have to get your tickets stamped before leaving or guess you’ll parking won’t be free ,,,

Visited the Waitrose cafe again today. Its certainly not the first time, we are regulars! The cafe staff, as always, are very polite and caring, the latte coffee was hot and just as we like it. Although we did not buy food today, we have on some previous visits. The food that we have purchased is always good. The only downside is that, as the cafe is adjaicent to some chilled food cabinets and a doorway, it is not as warm as it might be. Perhaps the management do not wish customers to be too comfortable, and want a fairly rapid turn over! Overall, a good informal cafe though.

Needed several ingredients for a Japanese dish & thought this was my best, but going to be expensive - bet. In truth, I found more than I expected but couldnt find any bonito dashi in powdered form - it *was* available made up as a litre of liquid - but who buys that ? I can add water to a cube myself.. I'm sure its better than tht - but I'd like the choice esp of such a basic stock item. Good try... half a cigar.

Limited menu but cakes usually fresh and coffee better than some of the High Street coffee shops. Mornings can be like a creche so choose times of visits carefully.

Since big names arrived..Smiths, Boots, Costas.. this place is the undoubted hub of Chandler's Ford....yes it costs a bit more for some things (but not all by any means) - which caters for local snobbery and people who want to say "I shop at Waitrose" ..but by and large it's just a nice place to shop, have a cuppa and read the paper.

Lovely light and bright airy shop with friendly staff. It is Waitrose so prices are high but for treats and something on the go, their sandwiches are great and so are their choice of breads.

Staff always friendly and professional always willing to help. Food quality is always good, also has a nice little cafe area.

We ate a snack lunch here on a weekend afternoon whilst visiting family nearby. Whilst the choice of hot food is limited, the service could not be faulted and the staff were very friendly.

Semi - self service with food selection on display as would be expected - all looking goodService levels above average Food quality including main course meals very good & tastySome challenges with delivery of hot meals all together but still dealt with in a pleasant mannerDrink range adequate but no real panache on presentationOverall - lovely new operation with a full range of food choices - a lovely facility for locals & shoppers alikeValue ? - as expected , reasonableRe-visit ? - Yes

I would like to thank all the staff at Waitrose for the flowers I received after being in hospital My husband bought them home today after shopping and talking to the girls on the fish. Counter. Thank you Joyce

We occasionally shop at Waitrose, when looking for some up-market options such as unusual cheeses. Sometimes we visit just because we are cooking steaks and their pepper sauce with brandy is so good, bringing the steak dish to life. The fresh fish counter is good, occasionally offering lobster tails at a discount. To see how much more they charge, you need to do a big shop at ASDA. When you get home, you put their receipt bar-code number into your computer and it compares the prices with Sainsbury's, Morrisons, Waitrose and Tescos. All purchases available at more than one store are compared. If ASDA is not 10% cheaper with its total on comparable items, against all their rivals, they give you a voucher for the difference. Anyway, my point here is that when you compare ASDA prices with Waitrose, the difference is sometimes considerable, something like £29.50 against £25, or even more. And, of course, Lidl and Aldi are even cheaper, although not offering such a wide range of goods. So, you are paying for Waitrose's good quality and variety of foodstuffs.

The layout of the serving area is a bit strange, many were unsure what end to start as the till is in the middle and the stack of trays were at the end not the start.

So this Waitrose is very much the same as the others, great customer service.

I have shopped in Waitrose for some time now. Most of the staff are friendly and helpful. The old cafe had a great choice for food and lovely coffee and tea.

I always have a good shopping experience here .i can also say how I do t feel rushed when you go trough the checkout.the staff are always happy to help .i will shop here again with out hesitation.plus the my Waitrose card which you get your free hot drink also vouchers and coupons in the post and at the checkout

The cafe has gone down hill, the mugs are too chunky and the old china was so beautiful that the new approach looks cheap and clumsy. The new pour your own milk would be a lot easier if it wasn’t out of the big jugs. Staff range from amazing to new starter not got a clue. The seating area is always dirty, tables never cleared and the floors are grotty. The toilets in Waitrose are lovely to look at but could definitely do with being checked more often.

We regularly drop into Waitrose Kitchen for a quick drink and snack.

We regularly shop at Waitrose and often drop into The Kitchen for a coffee or a snack.

We shop here regularly and just love the store, worthy of special mention is the sushi bar. The food is just amazing and as its prepared in front of you, it's incredibly fresh. We were disappointed with the new in store cafe so now just have sushi.

Fab shop expensiveyes but everthing is of superior quality and if it is not they glady refund you you with no fuss. Second to none customer service. Always consitanently great!

Waitrose have surprised me with the complete lack of interest they've shown their customers since the cafe was changed. Prior to the changes earlier in the 2017 it was a bright well patronised cafe with a good range of food and happy staff. It has been replaced by a McDonalds style mish mash of tables with no logical layout, removed anything of any colour and replaced the menu with a selection of mostly inedible offal. The store has received numerous complaints since it's opened from regular loyal customers to which they have not responded to a single on. The place is rarely busy and the majority of customers have decamped to the Costa Coffee over the road which is regularly overflowing with ex Waitrose customers. Whilst I'm sure this type of set up would work well in fashionable areas like Shoreditch it does nothing for Chandlers Ford. There's clearly demand for another Costa size place to open, if that happens they may as well shut the place.

Nice store and despite reputation for being expensive .... it really is not if you check out their own products. Very nice store

Good selection of tasty food, salads, hot meals and snacks, cakes and buns, reasonable cost, good service, friendly staff, nice new modern surroundings

We shop here and take advantage of their lovely Kitchen for light snacks etc. Great value if you have a My Waitroise card!

Loving the ‘The Kitchen' and new-look counters!! Great for a light bite or something a bit more substantial.

Just popped into the refurbed waitrose, so much better in thier now. It has a much better flow and entrance, tried the sushi and OMG it was delicious! Best sushi ive had in a while.

If you like coffee it is of fabulous quality across the Company, we've tried it at several around the Country. It is strong, definitely no need for an extra shot as some coffee establishments

I don't think I'll bother going to The Kitchen again. I popped in for afternoon tea and cake and a chat with a friend. I am severely gluten intolerant and asked if they had anything tasty for me to eat. They didn't. In fact the response was, "Oh we used to have gluten free cakes and then they stopped. We're getting them again in a few weeks, there's been quite a demand for them," Well that wasn't much use to me at the time, so we decided to just have tea. Two huge, chunky mugs were plonked down in front of us with the tea bags still in them. "Er, and the milk?" The woman behind the counter shrugged and waved her hand, "It's over there..." and that was that. A large stainless steel mug of milk stood forlornly on the side. Nowhere to put the teabags. It felt like we were in a factory cafeteria. No style, no class. Just two industrial sized mugs of tea. Not what I'd expect from Waitrose. We drank it. It was ok - how bad can tea be? And then we wandered off across the road to Costa coffee at the Fryern arcade. We were warmly greeted, our request for tea in a coffee shop was promptly attended to. We each received a little tea pot, a cup and saucer and a tiny jug of milk. Now that's more like it! It's the little things...

We went to The Kitchen for lunch. We both had a ham & cheese toastie - never again! It was on sour dough bread which was as hard as a rock to eat. The staff were lovely though.

Popped in for a hot chocolate today which required Almond Milk due to allergies. Got really good service from the member of staff who served me. Even repaired the wobbly table!

Just reopened after quite a nice refurb which seems to be attracting the crowds! Cafe is very nice, good open feel and comfortable seating. As ever, the food is good quality, if a little expensive.

We shop at Waitrose most of the time and it's convenient to call in for a drink. If you have a Waitrose loyalty card, you are entitled to one takeaway hot drink (tea/coffee) free every day. If you want to have a drink in the restaurant/cafe, then it's free if you buy accompanying food.

Great for snacks, coffee, tea and soft drinks. Always busy. Staff are polite and helpful. Can be a bit crowded with lots of trolleys and push chairs. Food is always good.