Mystic Kitchen — Restaurant in North Island

Good food marred by poor, condescending, visibly annoyed, service. Take this review with a grain of salt, it is based on my one interaction with one, perhaps anomalous, worker. I live close by and wanted to bring some pastries over to a neighbors. I chose 5 items: 4 breakfast pastries and a cookie. They had about 50 cookies made, all looked delicious except for one much flatter runt. I said "Could I get any cookie but that one flat one?" She looked at me strangely. "Yeah one is just a bit flat, can I get any cookie but that one?" I asked this because it was a gift, and it was the next cookie up so thought they they wold naturally go to that one. I live 3 minutes away and was going to plate them so asked if they had a box, because two of the items had a delicate attractive creme frosting. She again stared at me and looked annoyed. "No". You know how you feel apologetic when people are annoyed. 'oh sorry, I just didn't want it to smush." "We know how to package these things, we've been doing it a while..."

Anyway....They gave me the one flat cookie, no surprise since I didn't hear her communicate my request to the lady preparing my order, And was visibly annoyed when I apologetically asked if I could swap the cookie when i checked it. They put rectangular pastries into too small round cup things and the lids smushed the frosting. All fine for myself, but a bit sadder looking on the plate to take to a neighbor, and wasteful of packaging in this instance to boot. I was extra annoyed with myself in retrospect for being so apologetic for my requests since they were meant to be presentation pastries, in the face of such visibly put out service. Foods, fine. really good even, and work caters from them often. But the service was off putting enough that I will avoid going back. A shame really. Hopefully you have a better experience, or a different worker.

EDIT: Reading some of these other reviews, I see that the rude service...

We're regulars and have been since these two usually excellent cafes have opened. The food is very good, the staff are excellent but the management needs to rethink their "pet friendly" policy because on certain days the two cafes look like Dogsville. Perhaps the owner could bear in mind that not everyone likes dogs and some dog owners don't give a toss about other customers, so it's on the owner to protect them from the health hazard that dogs present, given that they carry up to seven diseases which are transmittable to humans. Dogs should not be allowed where food is served. Can I suggest the cafe owner put up a sign stating: "Attention dog owners: For the comfort and courtesy of other customers, we request that you sit at our outside tables if you have your pet with you". We were at the Strathmore Cafe today and a woman brought a large labrador in and it scratched itself the whole time we were there. It also went round trying to sniff other people's food on their tables. Then one of the staff, with both hands full of cups and saucers, all but fell over the dog's lead, which was lying across the access to the back room - so a health and safety hazard x 3 then. If this is going to be the norm, we won't be coming back unless this...

The dismissive patronising and downright rude attitude by the counter staff at Strathmore store today was simply jaw dropping. If customers are not wanted 25 minutes before their 4 pm closing time, shut the door at 3.45. To be told we couldn’t sit inside or at outside tables that were dry because all seating had been stacked (on tables) ‘for the day’. We could sit at one outside table that was wet from the rain and it was also raining at their time. To be told anything purchased would be served in takeout containers. To be told ‘all staff will be out that door at 4 pm so you’d need to go too’. Was perplexing at best. I get it. We all want to finish work on time. Simply shut early so staff can leave at their scheduled finish times but to turn poor management round so the customer experience is negative, makes absolutely no business sense. I’m not that desperate for a coffee and cake to be made to feel so unwelcome. I’ll spend my money elsewhere. I’ll never patronise Gypsy Kitchen...