The Dominion Cafe — Restaurant in Nelson

I see a lot of positive reviews for this cafe and notice that most of them are a bit older, possibly from when the original owner ran the place. My wife and I have been here a couple of times since we moved to the area (last month), the coffee and beverages are good, tried a couple of the snack items, okay, haven’t tried any of the other food. Our critique of the place is based mainly on the service, which could be better. We ordered drinks and I asked a question about ingredients and the girl seemed a bit put out having to answer my question, her overall attitude was professional but not friendly, neutral. After our drinks were made, the server placed them on the counter and my wife asked which one was made with oat milk and the girl stuck her finger into the foam on top of the drink and said this one. She actually placed her finger into the drink. I didn’t see this, but my wife told me after. She is a bit shy and was nervous to say anything until we left the place. THe server seemed annoyed that she had to point out which beverage was which. We notice this attitude in a lot of servers presently. Are people not happy having jobs in the hospitality industry? No doubt the pay is not as good as it would be if a person was a successful social media influencer or content creator, less perks for sure, but seriously, attitude… its a thing. I’m not sure why more people do not comment on the treatment and attitude they recieve when doling out money for coffee and buns. The attitude is like: ‘you are lucky that I am talking to you right now AND that I allow you to buy coffee in our shop… you are most fortunate that I am tolerating your presence and your tiresome questions at this moment’… its kind of the feeling we get. My question to the owners of businesses like Dominion is: After the horrific near death experiences of businesses during the ‘pandemic’, after so many shut down, isn’t it great to be able to operate now in relative freedom? isn’t it great that people actually want to come into your shop and trade money for your goods and services? shouldn’t you make every effort to train your staff to make every guest feel welcome and cared for and have the best possible experience? My suggestion would be to instruct staff about attitude and how customers should be waited on: be clean, for the love of god please keep your fingers out of the beverages you make, keep your hands off of the rim of cups… be polite, be professional, be friendly, do whatever it takes to ensure each customer is cared for and has the best...

Wonderful little cafe. Batista's weren't overly welcoming but they did their jobs answering questions I or others had (mostly about the muffins or other treats) and made a great americano. The display case on top of the cooler for the muffins is what drew all the questions I think - some had a list of ingredients while others didn't and it blocks off behind the counter a bit as it is as tall as an average person. But the appeal of an older cafe that has made things work with what it has as it grows is one of it's own.. if you want a seamless experience then a newer cafe with all of that planned out is more your style. Fully enjoyed working here for a couple hours with a coffee, morning glory muffin and the other individuals visiting with each other, reading and writing - no laptops and barely any phones were out from what I noticed. 🧡 plus the...

Food great, service not so great.

This place has the best muffins in Nelson. I especially enjoy the pear, ginger, white chocolate.

My recent visit was marred by less than positive service. I enquired whether the “wired milkshake” had a single or double shot of espresso (I prefer only one shot in my drinks) and the counter person/barista was unable to tell me, did not attempt to find out, didn’t apologize for not knowing and seemed annoyed that I was asking her a question. I also mentioned twice that I wanted my drink for here and she put it in a to-go cup with no explanation. Frustrating.

So service (and product knowledge) needs improvement, food and...