Gourmandise & Co — Restaurant in Western Australia

The kind of place where you step in and think wow this place looks beautiful, and the food looks amazing, with real French authenticity, but soon get confronted to the reality of a basic cafe standard, where after waiting in line, obviously not welcomed in with table serviced, the host let you know that they don’t serve food any more (11:41am). In dispair, you tell the host that you came a long way for a breakfast and get the typical “sorryyyyy” (but don’t care kind of sorry). You look around and see a baker getting his breads out of the oven and can’t help but to think that if it was as authentic as it looked the host would have simply offered to “fix for you” a toast with jam, or anything that can be accompanied by the lovely bread that the baker just took out of the oven, but all you got was a finger pointing out an sign with “kitchen closed” written on it.

In response to the owner's response --

I am sorry, but you seem to misunderstand 'kitchen open/closed' with 'hospitality'. When customers choose to come to your place for breakfast and coffee during its advertised opening hours, wait in line only to discover a 'kitchen closed' sign at the counter, and above all let you know that they have come a long way, one would expect a hospitable treatment, by at least trying to offer whatever is available, a piece of bread with some jam, a croissant to share for two or whatever you can fix for your customers... That is the authenticity of hospitality and the actual opposite of the industrial quantities that you have mentioned in your answer. If I was looking for an industrial kitchen I would have said that it is just poorly managed to have insufficient quotas of food during peak season especially when a shop closes at 12, but that is not what I said and this is not what we were looking for. A simple smile, half a croissant or a piece of bread, and perhaps a bit butter or any attempt to make us feel welcomed and cared for would have made us happy. Again that is just the definition of hospitality. Pointing at a 'kitchen closed' sign with your finger, not taking care of your last customers of the day (when there were at least 4 staff present), and closing at 12 o'clock (on the dot) definitely seems more "industrial" to me.. now that you mention it.

By the way I believe that you were the one that we interacted with not Xavier. And there was no sign at the front door just the one at the counter which we only discovered after waiting in line not being greeted by anything else than your finger...

Our third try coming here!!!! Why is it only morning that you can get good. Why can't you stay open until you close?? Lovely looking food and store but the staff and organisation is 1/10. Came in 2 times earlier last year. Got told they were sold out of everything and had to worse they would even make a coffee. This is more than an hour before they say that they close. We tried again recently. More than an hour before closing time. Still 7 patrons in the store eating. Tried to enter, "oh no come tomorrow we have sold out!" What a joke are you serious! This was my third try, I'm not giving up so I snuck I side with my friend when the lady got distracted. Looked in the cabinet, There was still plenty of food! Not everything but at least 10 items of food. All we wanted was a takeaway coffee and croissant and they still had croissants. I asked for one of the croissants that I saw in the cabinet and the lady said "I said we're sold out, come again tomorrow" and stared at me as she said it. Wasn't just croissants there were a few other pastries too! They're lying about selling out and just want to go home early. Will never be trying again 3 tries is a charm, 4 tries is just plain stupid. Waste of time. Fix your hours or make more food would be my...

Exploring Albany and we were excited when we first walked into this cafe ... it looked very inviting. Female staff were very friendly - however, the same cannot be said for the male staff member. Not sure if he was the chef or not, but if so, then he should stick to his behind the scenes creations and leave the front staff to do their jobs as well as they were doing them. The place was busy so ordering took a while - no problem for us, until being verbally accused of 'giving a look' that was interpreted as showing impatience. What the? Obviously some male intuitive talent that has been waiting for just the right opportunity to burst outta the kitchen confines!! Note to cafe: bombastically lecturing your customers on their "looks" is not conducive to good business. We walked out - only to be chased after by an employee who graciously apologised on 'his' behalf. Shame on you Sir - your behaviour has done nothing to dissuade the French...