Waitrose Cafe in Shepway

A very professional and friendly service from a fantastic cafe team, we have been going for many years and their dedication to the customer is second to none, a big thank you to you all

My wife and I came to the Hythe Store in order to take advantage of the 25% off wines promotion. Our favourite wine is Chapel Down. There was none on the shelf’s. I suspect because of its popularity. My wife approached Clive in wines and spirits, who could not be more helpful. Whilst it took him time and effort Clive turned your stockroom upside down and located what we wanted. Clive comes across as someone who cares for the business and its customers. Clive isthe perfect example of a partner.

Often pop in when shopping for a cup of coffee. Haven't had any food other than a cake though. Staff always welcoming. Maybe your smile gets reflected back?

Very nice food and coffee staff are very pleasant cakes are enjoyable good portions and reasonably priced very clean can get busy at lunch time more than earlier but clean as well

Go to have coffee and cake with a lady who just loves the cake l have a buttered bun toasted when they don’t run out and the staff are so nice they are all very pleasant we just love it

I take a lady who is very I’ll in there for a treat a couple of times a week she enjoys it very much staff are very helpful and patient with everyone tables very clean and they clear them quickly the food is excellent and l recommend it highly

Always pop in for a coffee whilst waiting for my partner. Very friendly staff good atmosphere and good selection of food hot and cold. Reasonably priced. Highly recommend

Very stylish refurbishment of this in-house cafe. Very attentive staff, with delicious coffee (and hot milk, in a jug, which is a rare treat) Perfect adjunct to food shopping in the main store

We like the quite atmosphere and of of course the good coffee and the pastries selections they have. Staff are friendly too.

Not much choice, toasted sandwich,bit like chewie cardboard, or a bacon roll, both of which went cold while waiting for the coffee to be made,

Whilst I appreciate dealing with Covid has put restrictions in place .but on two separate visits to this branch I have found staff rude and unhelpful. I would recommend better staff training .

Much better since refurbishment. More seating option and plenty of space to manoeuvre wheelchair/pushchair. Good selection of cakes and sandwiches. Hot meals available too. Staff very friendly and polite. Customer service very good. Located really close to the canal so a great pit stop on a walk.

Ate here as a quick option. Basic faye, but good quality and fast service, after the refurb of the shop the layout is much improved and does what it says on the tine

It's a supermarket cafe so don't expect luxury. That said: very clean and bright, smooth coffee and good selection of cakes.

The café is still in the plate same place but has been re-configurated and seems a lot brighter than before. The staff where as charming as ever. I may be wrong but there is no longer a free coffee but it appears that you get offered a free cupcake as an incentive, as I decided to have a Danish this wasn’t of much interest to be. I thought the prices are very competitive, you’d expect Waitrose to be more expensive but it was certainly less costly than Morrison’s café, which I had visited the day before, and my Danish was of a much higher quality.

Queued for 15 mins for a pot of tea & a cake as only one person serving & preparing food at lunchtime. Poor woman was run off her feet & told us only 2 staff on at all times now. Not good enough Waitrose a poor way to treat staff & customers.

Nice and cool inside, pleasent people work here and the food and coffee was of a high quality. What more could you ask?

Clean and tidy area , bit pricey for us....very busy. We used it on a Saturday morning , so very busy.

The food and service was great and the food was hot. The tables was nice and clean and plenty of choice on the menu.

Popped in sunday lunch time after a walk ,in need of refreshment.enjoyed a cappachino coffee and almond plaite Deliscous

You would literally need to be desperate to eat and drink here no choice cakes taste and feel like they have sat under lights a week

My grandaughter and myself went to have a bite to eat, there was no choice, so we said we would have a jacket potato with beans and cheese, no we only have spicey beans, my granddaughter said just cheese then, I looked at the board and said I will hAve tuna then, no tuna, I said just cheese then, was the smallest potato’s ever with a pot of cheese next to them, I’m sure they sell tuna and normal beans in shop? For the money it was a total ripe of!

Walking along the canal needed some refreshments so popped in for a cuppa and a bun, we sat outside in the cool, and had a chat and rest. The tea was served in a teapot and was hot and reasonably priced , good choice of snacks available, glad we called in.

Visited early this morning with my elderly mother for a bacon sandwich. Absolutely diabolical. Bread was not fresh and bacon so over cooked neither of us could it it.

A good meeting place before doing your shopping . helpful staff . Good selection of eats .Can get busy at times as it is so handy .

Considering that Hythe is a popular place to visit, as is the supermarket and the tiwn has many old age residents, then more thought should have gone to into the design of the cafe which although of a reasonable size, struggles to cope with the large numbers of coffee and food buyers. On the day I went, the staff were polite and coped well, the coffee was good and the ambience pleasant. Ideal if you have a waitrose card ... thirty pence circa coffee and a free read of the day's papers...... Lovely jubbly!!

We had a fab coffee and cheese scone here today after a long walk by the Canal. It's quite a small cafe and it was buzzing with people. The Staff were very polite and efficient. A nice end to our walk.

Had our free coffee under the My Waitrose scheme whilst shopping in the store. Small coffee shop, but was busy.

I use this branhc regularly if only for a coffee and a sit-down. The eating/drinking area is of a decent size, the staff polite and there are ample free newspaper to read. Outside is a large car-park so I never come across any teething problems.

Called in for a coffe to get warm as storm Doris was doing her best outside but was also blowing inside also.cafe next to entrance so getting cold blowing around..enjoyed coffee and staff friendly...

My friend and I decided to go for lunch at Hythe Waitrose for a bowl of soup and cup of coffee.

I was going to have a bacon roll with my coffee but lady in front changed her mind about a toasted sandwich and the last five (5!!!!) rashers went on her roll so none for me. Cheese scone and free cappuccino with my MyWaitrose card. Place mobbed - no tables free, so outside only, no matter, on a crisp, sunny January morning. Very enjoyable.

I have been a regular visitor to this restaurant. The quality of the food is excellent. The staff are a credit to Waitrose.They provide an efficient service & are always so polite to the customers.

fairly small-slow staff-limited offer-with a good draught coming from the automatic doors-good enough for a cuppa

I dont normally feel the cold but this cafe was freezing !!!It is situated near the automatic doors and every time a customer cam in the store the wind and cold came through to the cafe. Maybe you could put some sort of structure around it

The queue wasn't particularly long but was incredibly slow - when we were eventually served we were told we could choose any soup from he store which although in theory meant we had a good choice, we had no idea what soup there was in stock! They then went into the store to fetch it (hence the long wait in the queue). I would also suggest that when they serve bread with butter they allow customers to butter their own bread. Hopefully this was all a one off in a busy period

We had a light lunch in the cafe yesterday and it was good staff pleasant and helpful . Not too over priced also clean with a wide selection

Had a breakfast bap, but there sausage rolls are very good, also the choice of cakes. are very good, Nice friendly place and if you have a waitrose membership card you get your coffee free.

This is a functional Cafe. It can be very busy at times, especially when people sit and read the newspapers once they have finished drinking/eating. The servers are always friendly but sometimes slow to serve. If you are needing to kill time then this is the place to go, if you are in a hurry then I would recommend using their takeaway coffee service.

Second in queue at a very quiet time (3p.m.) on Wednesday. The woman serving was very busy doing very little than chatting with colleague why she was so slow. We waited 20 minutes to purchase two cold drinks. One of the two waiting was partially sighted and also supportedby a crutch but there was no apology for the long wait. Suggest customer service training given and staff informed that it is bad manners to chat with colleagues whilst supposedly serving customers

Not a place to spend a long time as the chairs are hard and the decor and layout are very basic. But it is very sociable and the staff are brilliant - 99% of the time they have a smile on their face. Perhaps if customers complain about staff being unhelpful or unfriendly, it is more about them than the PEOPLE that work there! Food is OK but it is a cafe not a restaurant and why would anyone want to be there at 7.30 in the morning or 7 o'clock at night?? Beats me!

Often call in for a coffee before, during or after a dog walk around the canal.

Thanks to introduction of my waitrose cards the largely retired population of locals scramble to get a free tea or coffee. Its only plain coffee and tea though the lattes cappuccinos and specialist teas cost £2-£2.15. To the staffs credit they are engulfed most days and have now started to serve the takeaway drinks from the pattisserie counter and customer service desk area. Its pleasant in Waitrose but the cafe unless they make it twice as big has not enough seats indoors however as I enjoy fresh air I sit outside in the numerous and nice seats. Best time I find to go is 7.30-9am Mon- Sat or 6pm-8pm same days in between its chaos only because of my waitrose card. It never used to be. The prices are high for food but if you want quality and good service you will pay happily. I can think on quality places though nearby without the chaos.

We normally have coffee and a cake or small snack,the staff are friendly and obliging, the only criticism is that there's little space and it is normally very busy, sometimes I feel awkward sitting so close to other customers who's tables are too closely placed together.

Good for a quick coffee. But often no table free. Free tables remain uncleaned and heaped with dirty cups etc. Food terribly expensive….like the shop. NB the toilets are often dirty .

Good food, friendly staff, and the ever handy wifi. Convenient location, easy parking, a good place to meet up for shopping.

Fancy a free coffee? Come to the service desk and show them your My Waitrose card. You will have to perch on a bar stool and don't get to read the papers. Fancy paying £2 for your coffee? Go to the café and show them your My Waitrose card. You get a seat and choice of newspapers, provided no one else has bagged them, but if you think £2 is too much to pay for a coffee that is free at the service desk 20 yards into the store, show them your My Waitrose card and ask for a LARGE COFFEE, and as if by celestial magic the price comes down from £2 to 20 pence. Slight variations in price depending on type of brew selected. Quite why a small coffee should be sold at ten times the price of a large one is utterly beyond human understanding, but the offer has been available since February and is there for the taking. NOTE that if large coffees set your heart a-flutter, a similar discount is available by choosing small coffee plus BANANA. This will set you back 25 pence. So small coffee and no banana = £2, small coffee and banana = 25 pence. It is a crazy world.

The cafe is quite small, so therefore not that many tables, however still managed to get one. The cafe was clean and the staff were friendly.

oh my , we were so hungry after our walk in the fresh air along hythe promenade and along the Royal Military Canal . This meal left us feeling totally satisfied and content . Thank you to the polite and helpful staff who served us so well. We will remember this delicious meal for a long time .

Yet another stunning example of the ' Free Market Economy' , at work...and then at its Death...as Waitrose doled out free coffees and teas to its My Waitrose members for past couple of years....

The staff work as fast as they can in somewhat cramped circumstances. Decent lattes and cappuccinos and tasty snacks and cakes. Generally a peaceful place to take a rest in for a while.

I have a lovely coffe in Waitrose after I've done my shopping It's nice and hot and very pleasant I sit in the cafe and usually have a role with it. Well worth a visit if you're shopping there.

Dont go here if you want a quick coffee. Although it is not as busy now that Waitrose have changed their free coffee offer, it can still take at least 10 minutes to be served.

Liked the food and the choice on offer, but you sometimes have to wait for a table. Good place to watch the world go by from especially when sitting outside

Service is very slow. Takes forever to be served. Menu is very limited so I can't understand this.

Handy snack stop, quality fare. Can get quite crowded then service slows. Great for refuel before or after shopping.

At least you know exactly what you are going to get, they now have 3 additional coffee stands over the store - amazing idea.

Usual Wait rose quality. cafe too busy and rather cramped now because they give away the coffee and newspapers to My Waitrose members. Prepare to queue. They sell out of food early afternoon and don't seem to replenish so go early if you want a choice.

I often visit Waitrose when shopping and often sit and have a cup of coffee with my wife and have something to eat. Today the cafe was busy - more people were standing waiting to get served and all the tables were busy. Some people sit and read the papers and even when their cups have been removed they still sit and stay there when other people are waiting.

food and service v high quality. the cafe is noisy due to flooring and stark furnishings. Always clean and tidy and staff are very pleasant and well trained

Waitrose café is a bit small so be prepared to wait at busy times food and products sold are of course Waitrose products so quality is better than most similar cafes on a warm day there are outside tables but again not that many and a wait can be experienced for these.

The staff do their best but day time the cafe is very busy and the stess is starting to show. I have a couple of experinces of this of late and the staff are not what you expect from Waitrose staff. Expand the cafe or stop free coffee and tea. I will try again in a few weeks but they have put me off shopping at Waitrose as the staff are their best asset an asset that needs investment.

After shopping I always had a coffee in the Waitrose coffee in Hythe but since the introduction of free coffee you can never get a seat never mind a table. Then one Friday at 2 pm we got one yippee, but it needed clearing which my husband did as the staff were very busy. We looked around whilst having our coffee and yum yum the mix of people was a good one the old people disliked by a previous reviewer were few, but one gentleman!? Aged about 40 yrs had a table 4 to himself with all the free papers on the table bags all over the floor making it difficult for people to pass, one coffee for over 30 minutes. Please don't blame old people for hogging tables, because after all you will be old some day. We enjoyed our coffee and yum yum so give a go!!.

Went with my mum for a quick bite to eat. Great selection of drinks available, lunch items hot or cold and of course mouth watering cakes :-) Waitrose Hythe

This cafe has now outgrown its size. I used it last year weekly but since introducing free coffee or tea with loyalty card it is overrun with old age pensioners and retired folk who to be honest never used it before. Waitrose management need to consider expanding cafe into front of store area as it cannot cope. Even with 3 very polite staff serving its chaos. Not enough seating and food is top quality but I don't even bother anymore. I will buy food and drink but full up with people just having free tea or coffee? Bad financial practice waitrose .

This is a compact cafe that offers a range (limited) of snack items that are well prepated, cooked and presented. You do need to share a table with strangers at times but the advantage is that you can have a good chin wag. The staff are charming.I would recommend the cafe as you can get a free hot drink (conditions apply) and news papers are available

We love walking along the Hythe canal and this is a great place to get some take away drinks (and maybe a cake!) to have during/ after the walk. As Waitrose are doing free hot drinks at the moment we are frequent visitors- great for a cappuccino and walk in the sun!

Since Waitrose begun offering free coffees and teas to Waitrose Card holders we have made a point of rewarding ourselves with a cuppa and a bun after shopping. It's a small cafe and getting a table can be a challenge, but it's worth it to indulge on their caramel-topped Yum-Yums. Another reviewer has said it can be top-heavy with customers of pension age at times, but so what? The main thing is that they sell scrumptuous cakes and buns and their light meals aren't bad either. The staff are friendly and effecient. We are always pleased to support Waitrose where we can.

Small and crowded cafe with little atmosphere and many old people. It needs revitalising and get some young people in. Food and drinks are wonderful as is the breakfast where you can read your morning paper in peace.