21 Grams — Restaurant in London

I had an initially pleasant and eventually unpleasant experience with this little shop. The coffee was excellent, as a coffee lover and someone who makes espresso coffee at home everyday and am obsessed with high quality coffee beans, this is one of the best coffee places I have found in London so far. The downside which makes the whole experience rather unpleasant was I was told abruptly that there is a no laptop/tech rule in the shop. when I asked WHY, the staff told me that they do not want people to treat the shop as a working place and also the owner says so. Now, it is the freedom of the owner to make such rules and there are grounds for it, what I find off-putting is the condescending tone and unpleasant communication between me and the staff. I read many of the reviews here and most people enjoy the vibrant and relaxing atmosphere of the place, which is great, but it should not be the ONLY way that people are allowed to enjoy a coffee shop. There is one customer who mentioned that they were told the no-tech policy when they were drawing on iPad while a staff member was apparently using laptop just opposite to them. and of course replying emails on phones are considered not violating the policy. I can understand the owner does not want this place to be a Starbucks, but there is a middle ground between a pure talking place and a working space where you can buy coffee. I was waiting to pick up my kid while I wanted to work on my codes during that hour. also, as a mom, the alone time, the one hour alone in a good cafe doing something I love is a golden moment. So I was not someone who turned the cafe into a working space, I was there for the coffee while doing something I love, which happens to be coding on a computer. There are various ways to enjoying and relaxing, it should not be defined in such a homogenous way! Suggestion: if there is a sign saying no tech rule, it would be really helpful for new customers to know what to expect, I did not see any signs in that visit, there was a construction happening in the outside area, which might have blocked the sign, if the sign is there. Overall, it is a great place for high quality coffee, but the delight was partly ruined by the condescending communication with the staff, helpful if a sign is put up in a very noticeable place to let new customers...

Unpleasant Experience: Staff, Food, and Ambiance

My recent stopover at this café didn't quite hit the mark, even though I was one of only two customers during a quieter period:

Just average food and vibes: The Latte and pastry I got didn't exactly wow me. It felt like a regular cafe experience, nothing special.

Laptop policy: The laptop policy was a bit confusing. They told me no laptops (even in quiet period), but right in front of me, a staff member was working on one. A bit inconsistent, if you ask me, even though this person was part of the staff, it still left customers feeling uncomfortable.

Noisy: A staff member with a blonde buzz cut, he was making quite the racket while handling dishes and utensils. It felt like he was treating them like they were made of hay. Making the environment very noisy but I bet he didn't care at all.

Loud laughs: There was this other female staff member with blonde curly hair who seemed to find everything hilarious and laughed out loud in a nasty way. I mean, it's great to have fun at work, but it added to the already noisy scene.

Wi-Fi mystery: When I asked about Wi-Fi, the blonde buzz cut guy gave me a weird grin and mischievous gaze, and said flatly they didn't have it. I doubt if this is true because people sometimes act like that when they're lying (I don't have proof though).

All in all, the food was just okay, the rules seemed inconsistent, and the noise level was a bit much. it looks good from outside but I left feeling disappointed and unlikely to return. Absolutely NOT recommend if you're looking for a cafe with good vibe and...

James, good to see the distain for customers runs through this business. At least your consistent!!

Also the way you choose to challenge negative comments but ignore the positive ones is a great demonstration of how little importance your customers are to you.

I disagree there was anything "quality" about the coffee. Was average at best and certainly nothing worth paying a premium for. I'll continue to support local businesses as most provide a far better than yours. My only problem was visiting your venue at all, definitely the worst independent coffee place I've visited. Should have realised that naming your venue after the amount of weight a person loses the moment they dies was a bad omen!!!

Ok coffee, shame about everything else. Their "large" coffee is a similar size to a regular in most places and expensive too. Same with the food, while nice it couldn't be described as much more that bitesize. 2 members of staff working, neither particularly friendly. The place is clear focussed on maximising profit and has no interest in the customer experience or returning business. Also avoid being there at closing time, at closing time (to the minute!) they are at your table making it clear you are no longer welcome. Not a problem as I certainly won't be returning here as one of the most disappointing experiences I've had in a coffee shop. I visited as I would rather support a local coffee shop than a chain but in this case that...