Oliver's Pantry — Restaurant in England

My mother loves this place so it pains me to leave a bad review. However, I have really never had a completely satisfactory experience here and I feel they really need to up their game.

I live in the Ripon area so I’ve been here a few times. But I’ll describe my experience today: The service was hasty and rushed despite it being a relatively quite Thursday, this felt unfriendly and unprofessional. They didn’t make small talk or eye contact and when we asked for water, it was served in the manner of a man coming to our table announcing “water” and slamming it on the table in front of us. The cutlery was also sort of tossed before us. I ordered a can of Cawston press which arrived warm and accompanied by a glass of ice that was also warm and half melted (a quarter of the glass contained warm ice water).

For my meal I ordered a BLT (picture attached) with a side of fries. I’ve got to say they really butchered that BLT. It was dry, the bread was cheap and it just lacked anything that would have made it enjoyable. For a 5 pound sandwich (fries weren’t included) they just should have done better. This is the same for most of the food, I feel it all could use a little more thought and effort.

If you’re in the area Oliver’s pantry is worth the visit as it has a pleasant atmosphere and quirky decor. However, I wouldn’t suggest ordering a main, instead, simply order the brownie ice...

Although it has a good atmosphere, good coffee and above average food we found it lacking in a few areas.

We had to chase for our drinks after our food had been served.

The provision for children with allergies is really poor. The staff handled the situation well but not having gluten free sausages when they're such an easy and cost neutral thing to swap is not really that great. having to scratch around for options wasn't ideal, the fallback option of a ham sandwich was also not available due to using breaded ham. My daughter is really accomodating with having restricted options but her quote of "I don't want to come back here, the gluten free options are rubbish" sealed its fate, we won't be visiting again.

We came away thinking that the staff weren't really aware of the gluten free options on sale, the deserts explained to us as gf weren't all of the ones available from the look of the deserts counter. Hopefully some of these points will...

The best café/restaurant in Ripon. If you love good quality coffee, loose leaf tea or delicious cakes at a reasonable price this is the place to visit. The overall atmosphere of the café is funky, fun and quirky. Seating is available both upstairs, downstairs and outside. The café welcomes furry friends for those who wish to eat outside. Highchairs are available for families with young children, as well as toilet and changing facilities. However, WIFI is not accessible for personal use. Brownies lovers are in for a treat. There is a large selection of gluten-free brownies and blondies. The crème egg brownie is a delicious! A section of tea, and locally sourced products are available to purchase for home use.

Customer service is friendly and welcoming, although at times it can be a bit slow. The café/restaurant is popular and there is often a wait for a table. You can also purchase food, sweet treats and coffee...