Canvas & Cream — Restaurant in London

I have been a loyal patron of Canvas & Cream for years, but after my most recent experience, I will not be returning. This establishment has always felt welcoming—until I encountered a new staff member, a white man with long hair and glasses, whose behaviour toward me was unacceptable

From the moment I tried to place my to-go order, he was offish and dismissive, treating me with a level of disrespect I couldn’t quite comprehend. When I asked how long the coffee would take, he gave me an estimate, so I mentioned I would quickly step out and return to pay, something I have done many times before without issue. However, this time, he immediately implied I wasn’t going to pay, demanding payment upfront in a way that made it clear he viewed me with suspicion. Meanwhile, I noticed that white customers around me were not treated with the same distrust.

When I did pay and returned for my coffee, he outright refused to engage with me, barely acknowledging my presence. I even thanked him, only for him to coldly hold the door open as if he was ushering me out. His entire demeanour made it clear that he did not see me as someone who belonged there. His behaviour was blatantly microaggressive and racially biased.

This experience was not only disappointing but disgusting. No one—especially people of colour—should have to tolerate being racially profiled by staff when simply trying to buy coffee. Canvas & Cream has always felt like an inclusive space, but hiring employees who exhibit such behavior is completely unacceptable. I hope management takes this matter seriously because no customer should ever be treated this way.

To respond to the owners comment, my experience happened on a quiet weekday and the gentleman that served me was clearly a long haired balding Caucasian man with glasses . A real level of accountability would...

Canvas and Cream has been my go to place for nosh since 2016/17. In 2016 I visited a lot with the child I was a nanny for and the quality and service was excellent each time. I went back in 2018 for the pancakes I had been dreaming about and again the quality, services and food was amazing.

Canvas and Cream is decorated exquisitely with vintage elements and antiques everywhere. It is really clear that every feature right down to the milk jugs in this restaurant/cafe is considered very carefully. There is often changing art work on the walls and in the gallery space. The best features for me are the aeroplane seats and harp in the toilet as well as seeing the front of the cafe wide open in the summer.

The staff genuinely care about the service you receive and may be describes as quirky. The owner is delightful and responds very warmly to reviews. I would select Canvas and Cream over other places to eat because the service is so good.

When I posted on Social Media about my visit to Canvas and Cream other people quickly jumped in to talk about how amazing the food is. The food provided is made of high quality ingredients, ample and full of flavour. Canvas and Cream do not skimp on quality and I feel their prices are...

Today I went into Canvas & Cream and ordered a skinny flat-white. When I said skinny, I meant the milk not the size of cup! What constitutes a cup of flat-white coffee at Canvas & Cream is served in a cup that most cafes and restaurants would use to serve an espresso. I pointed this out to the waiter who informed me that if I had wanted a larger cup I should have ordered a latte. "This is our flat-white," he explained, whilst showing me some larger cups that I could have had if I had not been so silly as to order a flat-white but, say, a Cappucino or Americano. I had not expected, nor wanted, a huge Starbucks-sized cup of coffee just a normal, average-sized cup of coffee. Noting my disappointment the waiter brought me another flat-white in a "normal" cup and again explained what I should order in future. When I went to pay for my coffee he had the audacity to ring it up as a latte which was 10p more expensive than the flat-white, £2.20 in total, and AGAIN explained what I should order next time. Good customer service? I think not. Good value? I think not. Will there be a next time?...