Garden Cafe Brighton — Restaurant in England

My concern was never about the fruit topping fig or raspberry but about the texture, color and taste of the cake itself, which wasn’t fresh. I understand your team believes it was, but as a paying customer, I simply shared my honest impression.

As for the donut situation, I wasn’t aware of your policy regarding outside food, I mentioned that the cake wasn’t fresh like the one I saw and I specifically said “it’s not the same as I ordered, I just saw her bring it fresh on a tray and had a raspberry on it” you simply swapped the fruit and returned the same cake. That response felt dismissive and, frankly, a bit disrespectful. Despite that, I still made the effort to put my food away and honor your policy moving forward.

More troubling is the way my feedback about the cake was seemingly dismissed or minimized by linking it to the entirely unrelated donut matter. That approach feels both unprofessional and unfair. My comments about the cake stand entirely on their own and should not be invalidated by a separate misunderstanding.

To be clear, I was not upset about the policy itself, at the end I did respect it and complied without issues. What I found disappointing was the way I was treated in the process, which came across as unnecessarily disrespectful and dismissive.

I’ve always made an effort to support and uplift local businesses, including yours. That’s why I chose to visit your café in the first place and why I took the time to offer feedback. I would hope that future customer concerns especially when shared with honesty are met with a little more openness, sincerity, and...

Second time coming here for the rose latte and I distinctly asked for oat milk and made a point of also checking which cakes were vegan. My daughter - who I was bringing for a treat - is both lactose intolerant and vegan. Part way through her drink she said I can’t drink more sorry, it’s making me feel a bit sick. Are you sure it’s oat milk? I was, because I’d asked for it specifically, but I went back to ask the server to check. No, she said she hadn’t heard and offered to make a replacement. I said no thanks, she’s just feeling sick right now. I stood and waited excepting an offer of something back off the bill (not cheap, £21 for two drinks and two cake slices) but she didn’t offer and the two men there behind the counter did nothing either. My daughter works in hospitality and said it’s not unreasonable to expect a refund, so I did go back and say I’d like a refund please. The girl rolled her eyes and sighed. She asked if it was for both drinks (I’d asked for oat in both) and I said it didn’t really matter for mine so much so it was up to her. She handed me some change, did apologise but then when I left the shop and checked what she had given me it was £2.60 when one drink was over £4. Such a shame I don’t want to go back here again now. Going to have to find a rose latte...

When I mentioned I was visiting Brighton, a friend strongly recommended visiting the Garden Cafe.

I loved everything about my visit...friendly welcoming staff, an oasis of plants (my office is loaded with plants and has been described as the Amazon trail, so this was home from home!), atmospheric lights, a cozy vibe...oh, and the food was lovely, too! It felt very relaxed and, around me, people were taking selfies and photos of the decor.

My lavender latte and my smashed avocado and salmon were delicious, and beautifully presented. Service was really quick and, while I was waiting, I just had time to explore and take some photos. The Cafe is a maze of alcoves and I later decided to return for a rose latte and pistachio cake that my friend had also recommended - equally delicious. I sat in a different section so that I could get the most out of my visit!

It isn't often, for me, that the decor and atmosphere of a cafe have much of an effect on my experience, but this was special, and I really enjoyed my visit. Thank...