City Place — Restaurant in London

This was my second visit to the place, and unfortunately, the customer service wasn't up to par this time. The two lady waitresses seemed disinterested and not attentive compared to my previous experience. The first visit in the garden had speedy and helpful service, even on a busier weekend. The second time, however, was quieter and less efficient. The food was decent, but not outstanding. We tried the Christmas menu with the chicken stuffing brioche burger and the chicken and gravy brioche. The latter was the standout with tasty, juicy chicken, while the stuffing in the burger was a bit dry and needed more cranberry sauce.

For drinks, we ordered a hot tea and gingerbread coffee, but despite requesting extra hot coffee, it arrived lukewarm. Getting the attention of the waitresses was a challenge, and we had to approach the coffee counter ourselves. The total bill came to around £30 for four items, which felt steep. Despite the lovely setup and convenient location near Wanstead station, the service and value may deter us from returning soon. Perhaps a third visit could be a charm. On a positive note, the cafe offers a nice variety of foods, including Brick Lane bagels, and features a great kids' area with ample seating. The staff, in general, are polite...

Let's start with my salt beef on rye sandwich. I wouldn't say there was a "huge amount of salt beef". If anyone's had a salt beef beigel from Brick Lane, that's what I'd expect beef to bread ratio as feeling like a huge amount. Sadly, there wasn't a lot of rye to my sandwich and it was dry. I'd rate my sandwich a 5.5/10. The slaw was a 7/10.

My husband's milk shake made him "very angry". "At £5.95 I'm expecting a good milk shake, not flavoured milk which cost £1". I concur, it was very watery and not very chocolate tasting.

The full English breakfast was rated a "sub 5/10". He liked the mushrooms, the bread was very well done (not a compliment) and cold, the butter didn't melt when spread. Overall, it wasn't hot or cold and said that the plate was sitting there for a while before being served.

His final comment "can we not come back here, please?"

My husband went to pay as he was going to use the facilities. Whilst I was finishing eating my sandwich the guy was clearing our table. Just a tip, wait till a person has finished eating and drinking before clearing the table!

All in all, we were quite disappointed with our first and last visit here and will not...

Came here for brunch during the week and at the right time too as it wasn’t so busy.

I sat down and was promptly seated and given a menu. Staff was polite, friendly and attentive.

I grabbed a type of mixed berry smoothie and a cheese & cucumber bagel.

After a short wait, this came and I tried the smoothie first. The smoothie was tasty and refreshing, which was even better on a warm day. The balance of the different fruits was just right.

The cheese & cucumber bagel tasted good, with the bagel warm and soft. The cheese was lovely and enjoyed the crunch of the cucumber too.

This also came with some spinach that had been doused in sticky balsamic vinegar, I believe. This wasn’t particularly necessary and didn’t really complement the bagel well, in my opinion.

There seems to be a few local events held for the community on some days, which is nice to see.

Overall, this is a really good place to visit for a meal with a loved one or by yourself to do some work. Payment is made via a QR code, where you are taken to a site to complete the payment. Receipt is emailed.

Would recommend for others to visit and I hope to visit myself in future to try out the...