Google Maps’ business listings in mainland China are absolutely terrible—so many stores are missing! I was searching for the Corner Café next to St. Sophia Cathedral, but this one popped up instead. Oh well, they’re all part of the same chain anyway, so leaving a bad review here or there makes no difference. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not adding the correct location to Google Maps in time pls!
The store near the church has a great location, just 50 meters from the Hagia Sophia. The original café has its coffee shop on the second floor, a cultural gift shop on the first floor, and a random Platform 9¾ decoration on the mezzanine that has nothing to do with the local theme. The coffee prices here don’t match the affordable, generous portions often promoted online, though they are still slightly cheaper than those at the Old Assembly Hall Café.
The most famous item in this gift shop is the Hagia Sophia-themed coffee cup. Unfortunately, when I visited, the staff told me it was out of stock! There were at least 20 displayed in the window, but the staff insisted that those were for display only—not for sale! So, if you came all the way here just for the souvenir cup, tough luck! (To be fair, it’s just the lid—the cup itself is a disposable paper cup.)
When I asked when they would restock, the staff told me to check back in two weeks. I asked, “So you’ll definitely have stock in two weeks?” She replied, “Not necessarily!” Excuse me? Then why even mention it? I pressed further, “What about in a month?” Again, she said, “Not necessarily!” Wow, just blatantly making things up to brush customers off. I then asked if she could check with the manager or supplier, considering that many tourists travel long distances and need to plan their trips accordingly. She flatly responded, “No need.” Excuse me? It’s the customers who need to know, not whether you feel like checking!
Later, I read other reviews and found that encountering such rude staff was not an isolated case. Many customers had complained about their poor attitude! It seems that subpar service is the norm here. If an item is out of stock, they should at least update their online store page. Other businesses on review platforms clearly state such information—just like how the panda zoo always updates its official page when it undergoes maintenance to prevent visitors from wasting their time. But this store? Zero service awareness! They don’t care about their customers’ time at all. Even when people come in to ask, they act indifferent, as if they don’t need your business. Imagine how those naive tourists—fooled by promotional accounts into believing in the city’s supposed warmth and hospitality—must feel after experiencing this! The gap between online marketing and real-life service is staggering.
Luckily, I later found the cup at another shop, so my visit wasn’t entirely in vain. But honestly, why is this lid-only cup exclusive to local physical stores? Why isn’t it available online? Just a reminder—never blindly believe those promotional stories about locals being exceptionally warm and selfless. Indifference and rudeness are just as common! And this store is a...
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