The Bungalow Diner, Marks Tey — Restaurant in Colchester

What a disappointment this place is. I went there a couple of years ago and it was quite run down and dilapidated then. I waited over 25 minutes for service. There came none, although the place was almost empty, and so I walked out. Fast forward to today. I had been to Marks Tey boot fair (as is my usual trip out on a summers Wednesday morning) with my daughter. We didn't buy anything at the boot fair but, as we hadn't had breakfast, I told her I would buy her something at the Bungalow Cafe. As we were walking in, I recounted the story of my previous visit there. We entered and were shown to a table. The Cafe has been completely refurbished as an American Diner, complete with juke box, and looked very clean and tidy. Well, we waited and we waited, but service came there none, even with trying to catch a waiters eye. There were at least five young people on service, mostly talking or cleaning tables. Several people entered after us and they waited and waited, two couples walking out in disgust, muttering about the lack of attention. Several people did get their food, which looked ok. A group of three, who came in about 12 minutes after us, got served first and, eventually, a girl (tattoos all over her arms,) took our order. My daughter ordered pancakes, with bacon, and a milkshake; I ordered poached eggs on toast and a mug of tea. Our food arrived 11 minutes later and my daughter said hers was very nice, but the milkshake was tasteless. My poached eggs were slightly undercooked, with that opaque slime in the centre of them that tells you a further minute would have seen them poached perfectly. There was also a peculiar taste to the toast that you get from cheap 'butter'. We got our drinks 6 minutes afterwards. We finished our meal and I went to pay, but the manager who was at the till obviously hadn't stayed awake in maths lessons. It took him several minutes on a calculator to add up the cost of what we had ordered, and then several more minutes to work out what change to give me out of the 20 pound note I had proferred to pay him. I got so fed up with waiting for him to finish his 'complicated' maths calculations that I told him what the answer was. He believed me, not because his calculator had come to the same conclusion, but because the line of impatient would-be payers was getting longer and longer and he was getting flustered. I eventually got my change and, throwing my eyes to the ceiling in front of the aforesaid queue, left the building. I won't be back and I respectfully suggest you don't go there either. Just my...

Really Really Really NOT GOOD. I booked a table on Friday 14th August. On the website when you book it said “Please do not attend until the booking confirmation has been confirmed”. I received the confirmation that night at 20:10. So on Sunday the 14th our party of 6 all arrived at 11:00 as per booking. There was a small queue outside. After 5 minutes, a lady worker asked if she could help. I told her that we had a booking for 6 at 11.00 This is where things went downhill very fast. The lady said just a minute and went back into the diner. Some 5 minutes later she returned and asked “can you prove you have a booking” not a please or thank you. I showed her the text message I had received confirming the booking. The lady said just a minute and went back into the diner!! Another 5 minutes later she returned and said “I have got no booking” again not a please or thank you or sorry insight. So I asked what could be done again. The lady said just a minute and went back into the dinner!! On return she said “You can sit outside”, again no please or thank you or sorry insight. With the weather looking like it was going to rain again we could not take the chance and had to refuse. The lady that was dealing with us had zero customer service skills. She did not apologise once and was not empathetic or concerned. When this was pointed out to her we got abuse. All of this was in front of our party of guests and other waiting customers. Not a way to make an impression on your customers. If this review is read by the owner of the diner you should consider training staff in customer service. I appreciate that some time things go wrong but not once was there a sorry, or a smile, or we will see what we could do. We will not be returning to this place ever again service was appalling. Politeness and manners cost nothing and customer service in this industry should be high on the list of priorities. I needed to feed my party of six so I then called The Barn Brassiere in Great Tey at short notice to ask if we could attend. No problem was the answer we got and had a fantastic Breakfast. Big Thank...

Update 31/07/2022: Visited again today, and the service was just as bad. Only 3 tables including ours in service and 3-4 waitresses, but staff barely spoke to us - same as before. no one asked if we wanted anything else, if we wanted sauces, if everything was ok with our meal. When I went to ask for the bill, the waitress asked if I was paying by card, I said yes, so she gave me the bill, shoved the card reader at me and said nothing!! No 'was everything ok with your meal' or even a bye. Another table left after waiting 30 minutes for someone to take their order. Such a shame as the theme and the menu is good, food average.

Original review 20/12/2021: Visited a few days ago for the first time. I was very excited to go to a 50s themed Diner for my birthday, and the interior certainly loved up to my excitement.

The food arrived quickly but unfortunately the service was poor and I felt very unwelcome. The staff seemed more interested in playing with their kids than serving us. Waitress put the plates on our table and walked off - I'd usually expect "can I get you anything else?" and to be asked if everything is OK with our meals a few minutes later, or for plates to be cleared once we've finished eating. But it felt like we'd been forgotten - after half an hour with no one coming to our table, my boyfriend went up to the counter and asked for a dessert menu. After waiting another 15 minutes for someone to take our order, we just asked for the bill and left. Even when paying, she said the amount and nothing else! (usually you'd expect some small talk and to be asked if you enjoyed the meal!)

The restaurant only had 3 tables occupied at most so it certainly wasn't busy, but the staff were more interested in throwing paper aeroplanes around. A real shame as this isn't far from me but I don't think I'll be back after...