Kings Garden Cafe St Lukes — Restaurant in Albert-Eden

My husband and I decided to visit the café this morning after hearing about the new owner, who comes with a strong reputation. We arrived just as the café opened, and the cabinet wasn’t quite ready yet, so we turned to the menu. The menu itself is appealing and well-priced, though it’s hard to say how it resonates with customers from their perspective.

While the coffee, made with Altura beans, was decent and fairly priced, we felt the service could use some improvement. Both the front-of-house and barista staff seemed a bit distant, which didn't quite set the right tone for the start of our experience. A warmer greeting might go a long way in making customers feel more at home.

As for the food, I ordered the karaage chicken burger. While the dish was well-priced, I found the presentation lacking, and the flavor balance didn't quite hit the mark. The fries, though not greasy, had an overly strong oil taste, and the burger itself was overwhelmed by a hefty amount of slaw, pickles, and tomatoes—making it feel more like a vegetable burger than a chicken-focused one. A lighter hand with the slaw and a more defined chicken flavor would elevate the dish.

My husband was looking forward to the egg roll, but unfortunately, there was a mix-up with the food tags, and he ended up with a breakfast sandwich. Priced at $15, it was served lukewarm, and the addition of (maybe) a store-bought tomato chutney didn’t quite complement the sandwich in a way that felt homemade. Overall, we left feeling a bit disappointed, or maybe it wasn't our day.

It’s clear there’s potential here, but the food and service didn’t seem to quite align in terms of quality and experience. We understand that early mornings can be challenging, but other cafes in the area are often ready to serve with a smile by 8 am, which sets a different expectation for visitors.

We hope the café can refine these aspects—particularly the service and food presentation—as they could truly shine with some adjustments. For now, we’ll be exploring...

A rainy Sunday morning brunch at a garden centre, we had high hopes. We arrived and chose comfy cane seating by the window. That was as high as the comfort levels went. Unwelcoming staff with no service, finally we worked out it was self service despite the high prices and a front of house team of 4. We hunted for menus, cutlery and paid before food was served. My Americano was actually a small long black. My guests cappuccino was cold. The sourdough was hard and perhaps staledough. Eggs Benedict pre-poached, covered with packet hollandaise. Salmon not smoked salmon bit from a packet. Hash browns dense and cold. The equally cold waitress paid most attention to us just as we were leaving, asking for compliments! Luckily the day was saved in a great sale at the plant barn, but that is for another...

Hello we booked a table for 5 and when we got there to ask about our table I asked for help from a gentlemen that was making coffee and his response we did not expect at all. he was just plain rude and not helpful at all. It sucks to know one guy ruined the whole experience of coming to try out a new cafe. We would just look at the guy and he would be standing there on his phone or talking and not helping me or my friends. What is the point of working in hospitality if you do not know how to work or don’t do any work. My advice to the man, Just stay home if you are just gonna go on your phone and be rude and not help your customers. Apart from that the food was lovely and the other staff which were 2 young girls that helped me and took care of me and my friends when we were there. Thank...