Bastion Kitchen — Restaurant in County Westmeath

Went here for breakfast as it’s our favourite place and it was busy as usual. We went inside to queue for a table and were approached by an extremely rude staff member who told us there were no tables, (we could see that) but that they had a policy of having their customers enjoying space to eat and we were basically hovering and making people feel uncomfortable by standing there. We simply wanted to be acknowledged and told whether it was best to wait outside or inside, we were happy to do either. 2 of 3 of our party are involved in restaurant management so are well aware of the situation but this staff member clearly doesn’t have people skills when she can speak to customers like this, especially in close proximity to all staff and customers. We left and won’t be back. I won’t be recommending this establishment in future to people as I have done. Can I add that we appreciate the apology, however, the staff member is gas lighting. She wanted us to enjoy the experience and not be crammed in? How could this happen as we were not offered a table nor were we offered the opportunity to wait for one? When we were approached we thought our name would be taken and we would be asked to wait outside. There were 2 people outside brought in and given seats at the window that had come free. From what we saw, we would have been next as all tables outside had people with food on them. Your staff member went on a rant that we would be waiting 15/20 mins and we had no problem with that as the weather was fine to wait outside, there was also a table near finished from what we could see. We were not offered the opportunity to wait, and there was no mid communication or understanding, all three of us were aware of the tone of what was been relayed to us. This explanation makes no sense at all. “Hi, we don’t have a table free at the moment, can I take your name and if you’d like to wait outside, we will call you as soon as we have one, even though the wait may be 15/20 mins if that is ok with you”? This is all that was required. We didn’t need a lecture on giving customers space to enjoy their food. Thank you...

Style Over Substance — A Disappointing Experience

Visited recently and left thoroughly underwhelmed. This cafe seems far more interested in curating an Instagram-friendly image than delivering anything of actual culinary merit or customer service.

I ordered the pulled pork wrap, which came with a sharp mature white cheddar — a bizarre and jarring choice that completely overpowered the pork. My wife's chicken pesto sandwich suffered the same fate: again, sharp cheddar. Why not use something that actually complements pesto, like mozzarella? It’s as if the ingredients were chosen by someone who’s never tasted them together.

The accompanying salad was a sad afterthought — either undressed or so lightly dressed that it tasted of absolutely nothing. The coleslaw, meanwhile, was a vivid pink thanks to beetroot juice (I assume), but offered no flavour to justify the visual gimmick. Just another case of style over substance.

Service didn’t save the experience either. We walked in to find several dirty tables, and while they were eventually wiped, it was more of a smear job than a clean — food debris was casually pushed onto the floor rather than properly cleared. Staff training, clearly, is minimal at best.

To top it off, the menu was virtually unreadable. A dark brown background with black text? Who thought that was a good idea? Anyone with even mild visual impairment would struggle. Accessibility clearly isn’t a concern here.

In short, this place is all flash and no flavour — quite literally. Avoid if you actually care about food, service, or being able to read what...

Disappointing Experience

I recently visited this café and was met with an indifferent attitude from two young men behind the counter. One seemed to be the owner, while the other showed no concern for customers. Although the café was quiet, with only about five people inside, the service was virtually non-existent.

When I asked for a coffee, I was simply told to sit down and pick up a menu by the window. My friend and I took our seats and waited for about 10 minutes. During this time, two other people came in, and it was obvious that one of them was a friend of the owner. He immediately took their order and began preparing it, while completely ignoring us.

At that point, I decided to leave. I don’t mind waiting, but watching a friend of the staff receive preferential treatment in an empty café is unprofessional. As I walked out, they finally sent a woman from the kitchen—who looked tired and stressed—to take my friend’s order, but it was far too late and felt more like an afterthought.

The new owners have taken over what used to be a lovely spot, but with such poor management and a lack of basic service, I won’t be returning anytime soon. If you’re looking for a better café in the area, I highly recommend Loaves and Fishes around the corner—they truly care about...