CASA DE CHÁ “O POEJO” — Restaurant in Ponta Delgada

A hard review to post-

The food is lovely - really nice and fresh, beautiful array of homemade cakes! Buuuut….

The reviews about the service are right. It’s comically bad. A sign on the door that reads “no tables” that seems to be up all the time regardless of if there are tables or not. We peeked in and the restaurant was empty so we opened the door to ask and were told abruptly “NO TABLES. READ THE SIGN”

(Their method seems to be wait until the tables are all empty, close the door, clean them all in one go, and then start letting people in again? Why aren’t they cleaning tables as and when the customers leave??)

Some locals told us we could wait so we did. Eventually the locals were brave enough to poke their heads in and ask if any tables were ready and apparently now (despite the sign) we were allowed to come in and sit down - all 5 of us and the couple in front and the couple behind. Ok, fine, we were in.

After that the service was fine but every customer who dared to poke their head in the door was told in no uncertain terms “READ THE SIGN” while the staff angrily pointed at the sign. Literally no one ever saw the sign, maybe you need a better system?

Have never been anywhere before where staff take such joy in turning paying customers away.

A shame because the food is nice and the place is decorated beautifully, the outdoor space looked gorgeous too. Needs a serious change in management.

We had the cheese and ham toast which was delicious, on the most...

We visited this café with a group of 11 people. When we first walked in and asked if we could order food, a woman (Ligia Melo) told us they were closing and only offered coffee. So we left, thinking we would try a nearby café. However, the other place was smaller and also only offered coffee, so we decided to come back. This time, we were welcomed by a very friendly man who told us we could order salads and sandwiches — quite the opposite of the first experience. It felt like Ligia Melo simply dismissed us without any effort to help or offer alternatives. Later, I waited a long time for my cappuccino. When we paid at the end, the same woman was handling the payment — she didn’t smile once, didn’t say thank you, or even goodbye. She was cold and quite rude. It’s a real shame, because the place itself is beautiful and located in a very touristic area. But in such a lovely setting, the staff makes a huge difference — and unfortunately, the female staff (especially compared to the men) were unwelcoming and unprofessional. I’m giving 4 stars only out of respect for the man who kindly welcomed us and offered food. Otherwise, the attitude and service we received would deserve...

My boyfriend and I had a very disappointing experience here. We came in 1st June 2024 late afternoon for a short coffee break when it started to rain. I ordered a decaf latte and my boyfriend ordered a cappuccino. You can see how they come from the photo. As the tall glass came to him, we assumed that should be Cappuccino, however, there was instant coffee powder stuck on the spoon and glass that had not completely dissolved in the lukewarm milk. Very confusing? We asked one of the waitresses if that’s cappuccino. She looked at us very aggressively and said “Latte is milk with a shot of espresso, and Cappuccino comes with a package in hot milk, Okay?” Well… she spoke as what she’s saying were universal knowledge… and we were speechless. My boyfriend, who is Italian, and I were stunned by the shocking information. Plus, my decaf latte was absolutely burnt.

We understand the coffee culture can be different in different countries, but there’s no need to be rude about it and probably it’s worth clarifying if these customs differ from the rest of...