L'atelier Café Concept — Restaurant in Distrito de Cusco

🚫 Don't go if you wanna have a chilled time having a coffee or tea 🚫

TL;DR: the staff rushes you, and doesn't even allow you to sit for 1h with a laptop. But if you are reading something, watching videos loudly on your phone or catching up with loved ones, you can stay.

Long version: I sat down, ordered a tea (ended up not being anything special) and even asked the waitress to wait with paying since I was looking to order more later. She was ok with that. Once I got my lemon tea, and after about 10min of getting there, I took out my laptop to get some work done for 1h before I had to move on to an appointment. Within a minute, the waitress came and said that laptops can't be used. I explained to her that it's no different me sitting here with a laptop for 1h than if I just sat here and read a book or chatted with friends. She kept repeating herself, apparently not understanding the lack of logic in this reasoning. She also said that there are cameras everywhere and that she would get in trouble with her boss.

I told her to let me speak to her boss if it's a problem. She obviously noticed that her argument didn't make much sense and let me be. I mean I had just ordered a drink!

After 15min, they turned off the internet - for obvious reasons that were pretty clear. However, there's still data and hotspots. So it felt very childish from their end.

After another 5 minutes, a guy came who, after asking him, said he was the supervisor. He asked me again to close the laptop, not being able to provide any other reasons than before - other than apparently his boss would scold him or that he'd have to ask me to leave the premises. 🤯 So now I'd have to look for another place for just 30min and deal with an interruption of an hour that could've been a great and efficient experience.

What a poor work culture if the staff is afraid that they get scolded when not following the rules - especially if it would be to the benefit of the business and making more revenue.

Fun fact: The guy who was sitting at my spot before was watching videos loudly on his phone. So, you let somebody watch videos on his phone loudly, but not let somebody work on their laptop in silence?

If I had sat there for 2h+ with only one drink, I'd understood if they asked me to close it - or simply to order more. But when someone just entered the premises, ordered something, actively shows intention that they'd want to order more - and then you treat them like this? I've never experienced this kind of poor customer service in the 100 countries I've been to. 🤯

In summary, they made me feel extremely unwelcome and like a piece of crap. I cannot recommend this place even to people without a laptop. You can get the views, food and coffee at plenty of...

I loved this place. I stayed at Hostel El Grial 40 feet away. The woman that runs it is wonderful. It is so tiny when you walk in. Only jewelry and a staircase up to the coffee shop. 2 tables, and 2 balcony spots, and more jewelry. As I entered, a woman leaving says, She makes your jewelry while you drink your coffee - how awesome is that. I had a latte, then another because I didn't want to leave. Someone ordered a Chai Tea, and the whole place fills with the most incredible aroma. I didn't want to leave, so I ordered a Chai tea as well. I had coffee there every morning, then went on my Machu Picchu trek, then returned and went there one last time before I got on my plane. The place is a treasure. So much better than Café Loco, which I went to for comparison purposes. And such better ambiance than Jack's. Go every day you can...

🚫📵Digital nomad UNFRIENDLY.

They don’t allow people to come work here with laptop (no matter how long and how empty the place is).

They kicked me out at the moment when I pulled out my laptop, because they believed anyone with a laptop will stay all day long with one cup of coffee. Then how about people with phones/books??? Simply a bad, discriminatory, and rigid policy.

Staff are unfriendly and unhappy (I won’t trust someone who’s unhappy with their job to prepare food). The only place in Cusco that makes me feel unwelcome. 👎

I suggest the owner start another business if you just want to make more money, or you’re simply making your place look bad (just a good window view won’t help with your...