PapalaCup — Restaurant in Berlin

I waited 1h 30min for my lunch on a work day, only to find out that they no longer have it. They lost half my order somehow. I ordered my drink and food at the same time.

In return, I got that €3.50 drink as goodwill.

In detail:

I ordered my lunch and was told at the time of ordering that it could take a bit longer than usual because of a kitchen problem. They said 30 minutes.

After 1 hour and 20 minutes, a waiter comes to tell me that they never got my order. He said that they are now out of what I ordered. He was also questioning me on who I had ordered from. I ordered food and drinks at the same time.

He was apologetic, but not too much. I expected different treatment after losing an hour and a half on a working day. (It took around 10 minutes for them to take my order after I first sat down.)

He said that I can order something else and because there are no other customers, then it could be fast.

Does that mean that if there were other customers, then my order wouldn’t be prioritized in this situation?

I told him politely that I’m not happy with waiting more, and so he didn’t charge me for the 1x €3.50 drink that I had.

Things go wrong sometimes, but I expected to be treated differently when a restaurant screws up this bad.

There were at most 4 other tables while I was there. Nobody came to check on me...

Update- walked in today, all the tables indoors were empty at 12.40, while all but two outside were occupied. It had customers but it was far from bursting at the seams. The server told us working at the cafe was forbidden, and his lunch rush was coming in so we left. I could completely understand this at a place that was busy, but not one single table indoors was occupied and there were at least ten. Strange to choose to lose two customers who would have bought lunch and a beverage each, rather than relax the rule considering that Not One Table Indoors was occupied. Bizarre. Might have been lovely to sit in last year but this year their invisible lunch rush renders it hostile to people looking for a spot to work from. This is such a lovely cafe to sit in, and it’s very dog friendly. The prices may be a hair higher than some of the other cafes in the area, but the cake is excellent, and there’s a lot of choice for food and drinks. I ate the carrot cake, and look forward to...

I was tempted to go for four stars. But that would have been unfair. More about it later.

The food here is fantastic. A great place to fill your soul with delicious food in a very cosy and friendly environment. They say that computers are not allowed, and I get that. Computer people would destroy the atmosphere, yet it is the perfect place to get your creative thoughts going. So, pen and paper?

Pricey? A 15 to 20% price decrease would make me a regular client instead of a once-every-month visitor.

So why almost four stars?

The coffee. Perhaps personal taste, but I have always found it bitter, too acidic, and even watery. Sure, Europeans get lost in what an Americano means, but I can only say that it is not just that. It needs more strength and aroma.

After some visits, I have learned my lesson and will start ordering...