Pool Coffee Eatery — Restaurant in Sydney

This use to be one of my favourite cafes but our past couple of recent visits have been disappointing. Today I thought we’d give it one last chance because we did use to love it so much as it was a weekend breaky favourite and food was amazing and good portion sizes!

Visited today and the service was shocking. Sign out the front saying “wait to be seated” so we did and not one staff member approached us. We then asked at the counter if we could sit at one of the many free tables and they said to wait outside and someone would seat us. Again we waited… still nothing. Eventually I went inside and had to ask again. I totally understand when it’s busy but it wasn’t busy today and there were about 3 staff behind the counter surely one of them could of spared a 5 seconds to seat us at the table that was directly in front of them and free?

The menu has reduced significantly and is missing some of its previous best dishes.

On top of this we ordered our food. 45 minutes later and it still hadn’t arrived. We obviously didn’t want to be those people and pester the staff but eventually it became ridiculous and we had to. Apparently there was an issue with our order it was assigned to a different table? But yet they hadn’t actually even started cooking the 4 dishes we ordered. No communication whatsoever. Not once did the waitress check to see if we had our food. We ended up cancelling the order and leaving altogether as we had been sitting there for over an hour by this point. I understand things happen, but the service the past couple of times has been pretty shocking. They need someone assigned to greet customers and allocate tables.

Super unfortunate for this was once our favourite cafe but I don’t think we...

This is my local cafe - literally steps from my house. I want desperately for it to be good. The old owners managed the crowds, got everyone fed and coffee made in a reasonable time. Unfortunately the coffee was not the best, and the prices through the roof, so when we heard it was under new ownership we were SO excited. Maybe. chance for the coffee to improve and the prices to change. I have visited several times since the new owners took over. The prices seem better but oh my gosh, what is going on with the service? Last week (on a weekday when it was almost empty) I was told it would be at least 15mins for my takeaway coffee to be ready. Unable to wait that long, I left. Today, I lined up at the "Wait to be seated sign", noting there was one table left in the shade and given I was the first in the queue it would be mine. Unfortunately the staff wandered around aimlessly and ignored me until someone walked up and sat there. At the same time a waitress finally came to serve me. I asked if there were any other tables in the shade. They just shook their head and walked off. If you have a wait to be seated sign then please seat people. If someone sits down at the last table when there is a line waiting, then please tell them there is a line and they will need to wait their turn. Given the server walked off I had no choice but to leave. This is no way to treat locals who would visit daily. I then got in my car and drove to the Bakehouse at South Coogee. Always, without exception, amazing service and delicious coffee. Take a leaf out of their book and you might see your cafe fill up on the weekdays too. I can't comment on the food as we...

I have been to the Pool Cafe twice recently. The first time was on the Queens birthday public holiday. It was extremely busy and unfortunately there were a lot of mix ups with our orders (we had a table of 8). We were served the wrong drinks, and I got the wrong meal and ended up eating after all of my friends had finished. I wasn't too concerned, because it was a public holiday and it was pretty hectic.

My friends and I went back on Thursday, 18 June 2015 for coffee and breakfast; unfortunately, it was a disaster again. We requested 3 mugs with hot water and lemon wedges (and we particularly specified not slices) and we got small tea cups with lemon slices. Our coffees came about 20 minutes later, and all were spilt by the waitress when she put them down. We bought this to her attention and requested serviettes to clean it, and she showed no concern at all. I ordered hot milk with my long black, which didn't come. I reminded the waitress when she delivered the coffees however she never came back (my friend ended up going to the counter and the hot milk was sitting next to the machine!). We decided that ordering breakfast would present more issues, so we left it at coffee.

Both waitresses who served us really had no clue - they didn't listen to our relatively simple requests and didn't seem to care.

I hope you can take this criticism constructively - the cafe has a great vibe and is very well renovated & I'd love to call it my new local! I love my coffee and take my coffee seriously, and I'm happy to say that your coffee is great! But unfortunately, unless the service picks up, I'm sad to say I won't be...