SIP Coffee Bar — Restaurant in Bordeaux

Visited with 2 friends. We ordered separately with several minutes time between our orders. The first among us who ordered had asked for a vanilla latte. The first 2 of us received our orders while the 3rd amongst us was still ordering, explaining that mine was oat milk but not specifying anything about my friend's. Once we all got our orders, my friend realized her latte didnt have vanilla. We asked for them to clarify what drinks they had made, upon which the barista said she made 2 vanilla lattes. Once we pointed out we only tasted 1 that had vanilla, she changed her story and claimed she made the vanilla one last deliberately (despite not having explained this to the person who ordered vanilla). Figuring out the orders had been given to the wrong person, and they had already drank out of them, my friend asked for a new one, and was asked to pay a full price again in response, despite this being an error of communication on part of the staff. We attempted to compromise by asking if they would simply add vanilla to the drink of the person who ordered it and had already paid the price of the latte (5.50), upon which she was again asked to pay a supplement.

It's okay to make errors or have misunderstandings, but to give multiples stories when you clearly confused 2 orders, and failed to communicate which drink was which, blame customers, and demand more money instead of attempting to reach a compromise is simply...

The ambiance is nice on the bottom floor. Staff were professional and friendly. Overall, items are way overpriced for subpar quality. Paying 4 euros for a bad hot chocolate is not worth it to me. Maybe my hot chocolate standards are a bit high, but this one was quite underwhelming. Also what’s a bit funky about this place is I can barely stand on the second floor. I have to crouch in order to prevent myself from hitting the ceiling. I would’ve stayed on the bottom floor, but a server requested that I work on my laptop from the top floor since there were other customers that wanted to drink. Maybe this is normal? But I was not too happy having to move since I also am a paying customer. Usually, cafes that are fine with laptops have a sign on particular tables that say “laptop free” on it to reserve these tables for others who want to dine and chat. Overall, I feel ambivalent...

Visitamos esta cafetería con la simple intención de tomar algo y descansar después de un paseo, como haría cualquier persona que aprecia los pequeños placeres del día. Sin embargo, lo que nos encontramos fue una experiencia incómoda y decepcionante desde el momento en que cruzamos la puerta.

Al entrar, bastaron unos segundos para notar las miradas inquisitivas del personal y de algunos presentes. En cuanto escucharon nuestro acento extranjero, el ambiente cambió de forma inmediata. No fue solo una sensación subjetiva: los gestos, las miradas y la frialdad con la que nos recibieron fueron más que evidentes. No hubo saludo, ni una sonrisa, ni la más mínima intención de hacernos sentir bienvenidos. Al contrario, se respiraba una hostilidad pasiva, pero palpable.

Nos quedamos unos instantes esperando, intentando interpretar si se trataba de un malentendido o de una mala mañana. Pero no. Era claro que no se nos quería allí. Nadie se acercó a atendernos y, tras intercambiar una mirada entre nosotros, entendimos que no merecía la pena quedarnos en un lugar donde el respeto más básico brillaba por su ausencia. Nos fuimos sin consumir nada, decepcionados y molestos por unas formas que, sinceramente, no deberían tener cabida en ningún establecimiento público.

Una cafetería no es solo un sitio donde se sirve café. Es también, o debería ser, un lugar de acogida, de pausa, de encuentro. Especialmente en ciudades que reciben visitantes de tantas partes, el trato humano debería ser una prioridad. La amabilidad no es un añadido, es la base del trabajo en hostelería. Una sonrisa, una palabra cordial, una actitud abierta… todo eso puede marcar la diferencia entre una buena experiencia y una que no se quiere repetir.

No pedíamos nada extraordinario, solo respeto y educación. Ojalá quienes regentan este local entiendan que cada cliente que entra por la puerta, sea local o extranjero, merece el mismo trato. La hospitalidad no se finge, se practica. Y en nuestro caso, estuvo completamente ausente.

No volveremos, y sinceramente, no lo recomendamos a nadie que valore el trato humano como parte esencial de una buena...