GAIL's Bakery South End Green — Restaurant in London

Review: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

I am a regular customer at Gails, as I often pass by the hospital, and I usually enjoy the food, which is tasty and well prepared. However, unfortunately, I have had four negative experiences with the same staff member (a man with long black hair, a black beard, and dark eyes) who shows a lack of attention and professionalism.

On 12 August, at around 1 p.m., it happened again: he forgot part of my order, which arrived incomplete, as has happened on several occasions before. I always ask him to scan my app, and he says he has done it, but in reality, he hasn’t — in other words, he lies about it. On another recent occasion, I had a medical appointment and almost arrived late because, even after I had paid, he simply served the rest of the queue and handed food to others before serving me. I was left waiting for over 30 minutes until he decided it was time to bring me my order.

In addition, the female staff member with light/yellowish eyes also frequently makes mistakes with coffee orders and shows a lack of friendliness, which makes customers feel unwelcome.

The rest of the team, however, deserve praise — they are always attentive and efficient. I would just suggest that this branch adjust the preparation of the hot chocolate, as it comes with too much milk and very little chocolate, unlike other Gails locations where it is richer and more flavourful.

I hope this feedback helps to improve both service and quality, as I really like the brand and would like to continue...

Gail's South End Green is a mixed bag. Useful outside seating, small crammed interior. Amazing pastries especially the pistachio and raspberry bun which is memorable - flakey, moist and full of flavour. The coffee is weak and basic compared to other options in the area. The customer service is inconsistent - you either get aloof and error-prone or engaged and on the ball. Gail's is also not dog friendly although all other coffee shops in the area are. The overall inconsistency might be due to the fact Gail's does not have to work hard to get and keep customers in South End Green. The privileged location (on the way to Hampstead Heath and opposite to the Royal Free Hospital) and brand recognition brings...

Would expect more. I ordered a matcha with honey, long black and a swiss cheese & ham ciabatta. The cheese was stale and the ciabatta was chewy. The staff were unfriendly and I felt as though I was bothering them, particularly when my order was wrong and I mentioned it (the barrista made an iced matcha when I asked for a regular matcha). We sat outside for about 5 minutes but the tables were covered in crumbs and litter so left after a short while.

We had to bin the long black as the take away cup started leaking from the bottom of the cup.

There are much nicer coffee shops up the road and I did begrudge paying almost £15 for such poor quality of food and service. This is very disappointing for a...