Pulteney Kitchen — Restaurant in Bath

Took our seats at an empty table downstairs, to immediately be asked "Are you eating?" (No "Hello" or "Welcome") and implying that if we were not ordering food then we couldn't sit at the table.

After being given the menus, it took about 10 minutes for the server to return. Meanwhile, the atmosphere was extremely unpleasant and chaotic....continous noise from very loud clattering of crockery and the constant use of the coffee/espresso machine, plus lots of rushing around and staff talking loudly to eachother. When he did return, he made some sarcastic and strange reaction to my elderly mother ordering a cream team.....not sure why exactly - he said something about it being "Too early" but that he's "Not judging". All very bizarre.

A cheap and nasty brown sauce brand was placed on the table, together with a Heinz ketchup bottle that looked about 10 years old, that had been refilled with cheap and nasty ketchup (definitely not Heinz).

The cream tea was very poor. A tiny scone, which had been overwarmed (microwaved?) and took a while to cool down, was accompanied by a small dollop of cream and some of the cheapest nastiest jam I've ever seen.

The poached eggs dish with mushrooms, tomatoes and toast was reasonable, but the poached eggs were slightly overcooked. I'd ordered extra bacon, which turned out to be turkey bacon (though this was not described at all on the menu, and nobody mentioned it). I also understand that the sausages are beef not pork, and again this is not mentioned anywhere.

Coronation chicken sandwich was OK, but lacked a little salad garnish on the side which most other cafes typically provide.

At no time were we asked whether the food was OK, and at no time - even when paying the bill - did anyone say "Thankyou".

This establishment has a lot to learn in customer service. But my overall impression is that they're not aiming for repeat custom. They come across as nothing more than a tourist trap, masquerading as a quaint and traditional tea shop/cafe in central Bath. More honesty and transparency about the non-pork (and presumably Halal?) ingredients would go a long way.....why not just list it on the menu? Otherwise it just comes across as dishonest and hiding something. The cheap condiments and jams also seems like unnecessary cost cutting......and don't pretend it's a premium brand if it's clearly not.

Avoid. There are so many good options to eat in Bath and this is not...

The waiter (who appeared to be the owner) seemed to hold a grudge on us and dislike us. Why? I'm not sure.

TLDR: The waiter rudely sent us outside in the pouring rain to look at the menu when he had menus right in front of him. When confronted, he proceeded to tell us that "it's life" and "it's good to get fresh air".

Here's the full story in plain English... I'm writing this review straight after my visit.

We popped in to shelter as it started to rain heavily and we saw that the waiter noticed this. So, we decided not to be rude and leave but to order something. We went and asked for the menu from the waiter - he told us that it's outside and wanted us to go back into the downpour to look at the menu. So, not knowing any better, that's what we did.

We then went back inside, after getting wet, for the waiter to then ask us what we'd like to order - we said we'd like some drinks. He then asked us if we wanted to sit in or take it away - we asked if we could sit in and he said that we aren't allowed to sit in if we're having drinks (why even bother asking in the first place knowing we were ordering drinks?).

He then got behind the till/counter asked us for our exact order, so my wife asked for a chai latte and I asked for the Nutella & Banana milkshake but asked if I could have just Nutella. For some reason, the waiter seemed somewhat offended and started telling me that it will be plain so I should have it with the banana. I mean, I'm not a fan of bananas which is why I wanted Nutella only... as a result, I spontaneously changed my mind and went for their strawberries and cream which I now regret. In hindsight, I wish I had just gone with Nutella and got the waiter to make that.

Here's where it gets interesting - whilst he was making our drinks, we noticed menus on the counter. What does this mean? Remember what happened earlier when he told us to go outside to look at the menu? Well, this meant that he rudely sent us outside in the rain to check the menu for some unknown reason when he could have given us the menu which was right in front of him. When we confronted him about the menus on the counter, his immediate response was that "it's life" and "it's good to get fresh air". We said we would leave a bad review and went on our way.

Honestly, I regret even paying for our drinks. We should have left following his...

Judging from the exterior it's reasonable to assume that this cafe would be cosy and be a pleasant place to enjoy brunch. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The waiter that served us was rude and frankly disinterested in us as customers. The toilets were equally as unsatisfactory and the kitchen next to it is what you would expect in a student apartment. A woman and child were sat on the counters and the chef was in a t-shirt. Certainly this isn't a deal-breaker but it does give off a rather unprofessional and unhygienic vibe. The menu was handed to us from over the counter and the order was taken in a similar fashion. The food was slammed on the table by the same waiter who then swore as he as he said the plates were hot. It was the food itself ,however, that we found to be the most disappointing. The bacon tasted disconcerntingly 'un-porkish', the mushrooms were chewy and the tomatoes were not cooked. The eggs royale was served with ice cold salmon and the eggs (whilst they looked pretty) had little yolk and were quite hard. I have never complained about food in my life yet after two bites I found this to be the worst food I've been served, especially when considering the price. (An ice tea served in a Lipton bottle was £2.50 and the Full English was £9) I discreetly spoke to the waiter about the poor quality of the food where he responded with "15 people have had the same food and not complained". His rude demeanour definitely does not make him approachable so I doubt other unsatisfied customers always feel comfortable expressing their disappointment. As he took the food away, that we were actually going to pay for in-spite of its poor quality, he said it was "horrible" of us for complaining. I would have thought since he works in such a sub-par cafe it would have given him a tougher skin by now but apparently not. I think this place does however have potential, given it's location. But as it stands it does not deserve a review...