Cafe at Lewers — Restaurant in Sydney

Imagine you no longer live in your own home, the home you’ve known your whole life because you’re no longer able to care for yourself. You’ve lost your familiar environment, your comforts, your neighbors & your independence to go out and about your day as you choose.

Socialising becomes a time when your family may or may not come to visit you, the staff who care for you (who seem to be always busy through no fault of their own), the others who live around you who’ve also said goodbye to everything they knew.

You now get one opportunity a week to go out - to an exhibition, a show, a cafe; & you look forward to that each week from the minute you get back from the previous weekly day out.

Imagine you get to the cafe for your weekly outing, a cafe that the locals love for its location in a beautiful garden; you’re so very excited as you set off in the bus; but you get there and for the whole time you are there you’re all treated as an inconvenience by the staff member who serves you. They get frustrated because you can’t remember your order, because you’re in a wheelchair or use a walking frame & take up more space than they’ve allowed for. They leave you without cutlery or condiments so you’re left to ask for it. And you sit there feeling sad even though this was the one day of the week you really looked forward to; because you thought feeling invisible was the worst you could feel as an elderly person, but this makes you feel much much worse because now you’re feeling like you’re not worth anything by the way you’re treated and you just want to go back to the safety of your small room where you hope you’re not an inconvenience to...

My friend booked a table for 4pp last Sunday. We all ordered the duck breast with mushroom and berries, they were delicious and everyone ordered the drinks. One of my friend ordered an ice mocha with soy milk but it took them 3 times to get the order right and my friend had to wait for over 30 mins just to get her drink. The first time they made it with normal milk, the second time they made a chocolate milkshake instead and then the third time was correct and when a young waitress served us a drink then she said with abit of attitude "I hope it better this time" and walk away. What was all about! We did not compliant about anything else or being a difficult customer, all we wanted just an ice mocha with soy milk and how hard was it to make it! I usually don't write this sort of reviews but this time I was very disappointed as all my friends travelled from the city just to visited me and my 3 months old baby. I live in Werringyon and can take my friends to somewhere in Penrith which they were lots of nice cafe and restaurants as well. I picked this cafe caused it heard lots of good reviews but shame that we did not get the same service like the other. There were no greeting, smile or even said hello and thank you. We all so shocked and disappoited with the service. The food were ok but preferred more variety...

Update from my first rating:

Came here initially for chips and coffee - which they did well.

However the bagel dish for brekkie was vegetarian friendly and tasted as good as it looked (points for presentation).

Cafe staff were great this time round - and got to talking about the brew of coffee (which I'm still keen to get once my current coffee ground is finished). It's roasted in Katoomba and can only be brought there at the Cafe - good stuff.

Overall - when I think about a great place to bring out of towners (e.g. people from the east) - I take them here. A great cafe with artwork and a riverside walk nearby. Add the drive to the place (tree lined) and makes for a good visit each time.

Great place to bring the kids too with a nice green for the kids to play.

Keep hitting them winners.

P.S. I did get complaints from the guests I brought about one of the staff at the galleries making visitors feel uncomfortable. I got that vibe too but laughed it off. That said, I am sympathetic and I get where they are coming from (i.e. recent events overseas with people...