Confluência Lounge Bakery — Restaurant in Caldas da Rainha

My husband and I are staying in town a while and have walked by this cute bakery a few times and finally decided to give it a try. What a mistake!

We noticed when we walked to the counter to look at pastries that we were ignored, so we decided to seat ourselves and look at a menu. After deciding, and realizing that we do in fact order at the counter, we tried again with menu in hand. Wow, I really wanted to apologize for being such an inconvenience for ordering coffee and pastries at a dining establishment. We try to be pleasant and respectful people, even so, the dislike of our existence was clear. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re not local or just foreigners in general.

We were greatly surprised by our pastries, sandwich, and latte when she brought them to the table. The food was very good and presented nicely. The price was extremely fair as well.

We’ve been in Portugal for over a month now and have had a wonderful experience at every other dining establishment. It’s a shame that we felt so unwelcome at Confluência, otherwise we would frequent regularly. I love my morning coffee and my husband loves his...

MASSIVE LACK OF BUSINESS ETIQUETTE

I'm sorry to say that my recent visits to this cafe were consistently and increasingly disappointing. I feel it's important to share my experience. The lack of business etiquette here is concerning. Waiting times are so long, that you would think its self service. But it isnt! Often requiring customers to go inside and ask for service.

The younger waitress lacks hospitality and comes across very frustrated and moody, while the older waitress comes across as greedy and rushed. Horrible combination for people in general but very shocking, to find those folks in hospitality.

This place has the potential to be much better, but it lacks customer focus and a positive atmosphere. Despite being a regular customer and leaving generous tips, the issues persisted without any improvement.

To tourists visiting this small Portuguese village, I cannot recommend this cafe. Until they prioritize customer satisfaction, hospitality, and a happier staff, it's best to explore other dining options...

Nice coffee shop with good coffees and pastries in a very nice location with a lovely patio. However it was the worst service we received in Portugal and took away from the enjoyment of our time there. The server clearly does not want to serve English speaking tourists. She was miserable and never smiled. Although she spoke excellent English she made it clear that she expected us to try to speak Portuguese. We thought ok, sounds somewhat reasonable and tried but when it wasn't to her satisfaction, she rolled her eyes and became even more miserable if that's possible. This person is very out of place in the service industry. We were travelling in a group of 8 and ALL of us had an identical opinion of her and we all found alternatives after trying this place twice. There should be a sign up 'tourists not welcome'. We have it at 3 stars only because the food and coffee were good and the...