GAIL's Bakery Putney — Restaurant in London

Out of all the Gails branches i have visited this is consistently disappointing. You may wonder why i bother returning, it’s as if by magic i feel like maybe the staff were having a bad day or its a one off but each time they seem unfriendly, the food is extremely average and overpriced, £4.85 for overnight oats and £4 for a coffee that isn’t short of also being totally average. On one occasion i asked what was vegan as i have a milk allergy and the chap behind the counter had no idea. Asked his colleague and identified the last one of the tahini somethings… was chatting away to his colleague then dropped it, burst out laughing as though it was hilarious…? Not only this the staff close early, i came in hoping for a coffee and to sit with my child out the rain it was about 5:08pm and i was told they were closing. I was confused as on google it says 5:30pm plenty of time for me to quickly feed my baby, get a break from the downpour and drink one of their finest average coffees. I won’t go back in future, its not worth it and the tables are usually filthy anyway. Shame, Gails has really declined! There’s a perfectly decent coffee shop next door- ill go...

I have been to two other gails before (one very regularly as I used to live nearby) so was happy to hear there was one in Putney too. Unfortunately this place doesn't live up to the good reputation other gails have. Partly because the downstairs is a bit drab without any atmosphere but mainly because the staff unfortunately have no customer service skills what so ever. One was downright rude, boarding on actual verbal aggression when I dared to ask about vegan options (I was told there wasn't any which I know not to be the case, when I asked if she was sure I was given I very sarcastic comment and a very hard and cold stare). Later when drinking my coffee I noticed the same member of staff and another one whispering and giggling whilst staring at me. Not quite sure what this was about so I quickly drank up and left feeling a bit bemused at this bizarre act of childishness and a bit uncomfortable. For take out coffee I'm sure it's fine (if you don't mind been served by moody and grumpy people) but Putney has some lovely cafes where the staff actually smile and don't seem to resent having to serve you food and drink. I won't be going back...

It is with genuine sadness that I write this review hoping it gets the attention far up the company.

When I first moved to Putney I loved coming to Gail’s but (to the best of my knowledge) the company was bought by a larger one. I’m sad to say it has all gone downhill across the board. What started as friendly neighbourhood cafes offering great coffee and bakery treats has grown to exist all over (there’s even one on the Strand now) expansion is ok so long as the quality stays but wow has it dropped.

If anything now I’ve felt silly not politely asking for my money back for the last few coffees.

Between Putney, Wandsworth Town and Barnes branches I’ve had some really poor coffees recently. Prices have even risen without being reflected on the menus. One day it’s burnt, the next watery, the next scalding hot. Coming back from some time in Italy paying €1.10 compared to the now £4 here I felt robbed!

At first I enjoyed the loyalty app but now it’s not worth it. Like I say it’s genuinely sad to see such lack of care now.

My time visiting Gail’s is sadly over. It’s long overdue for me to support local businesses putting genuine care into...