Iris & June — Restaurant in London

After two days of disappointing London burnt pret-a-manger coffees and hectic Hub by premier inn breakfasts (we had previously had decent experiences at Tower Hill and Reading, but Westminster is dire) we were desperate for good coffee and a nourishing, tasty start to our day. Iris & June is a fantastic antipodean (it's run by kiwis, but we know this food well in Australia as well) style cafe with all the standards like ricotta hot cakes and avo on toast, but elevated with different, surprising, and high quality add-ons and twists that take the food to a higher level. the space is stripped back, industrial, and light-filled (this does mean the noise level can get a little high so don't expect a cosy conversation). service is friendly and prompt. coffee is as good as you'll get anywhere - robust and smooth bitter flavour, quality beans. and I just want to recommend the quinoa and smoked tofu cakes/fritters (I can't remember - I'm jetlagged!) as a stand-out. it wasn't even the cakes themselves that were the highlight of the dish. you know often when you order such things they come with a little relish and some salad as a kind of after thought? in this case the accompaniments were just as important: a creamy beetroot hummus, a heap of crunchy and delicious charred corn kernels, briny chewy pickled mushrooms, and a generous portion of lightly cooked greens - Including a lot of perfectly cooked wilted kale. everything on the plate complemented everything else perfectly, and the portion size was enormous, but because it felt so healthy and was so delicious, I had no problem demolishing the lot, and it set me up for a lot of walking until dinner time. my partner had lemon and ricotta hotcakes and he was very pleased with his meal too. if we are ever staying in the Victoria or Westminster areas again,...

I used to come here regularly with my partner and friends as we really liked the relaxed atmosphere and the friendliness of the staff. However, the attitude of the staff the last couple of times is simply appalling. They treat customers as money making machines. So as soon as you step into the coffee place you are surrounded by 2 members of staff who decide where you need to seat based on their assumption of your spend on the day. So if it is just 2 people be prepared to be squeezed at a small table at the back although better tables are available...but of course they are kept for larger parties of customers. However, their stupidity does not make them realize that 2 customers could order brunch, coffees and desert (like we wanted to do today) whereas 4 customers could order only coffees. And the best part is that if by any chance you do not accept to go to one of the tiny tables at the back they tell you that they will ask you to change tables if a bigger party arrives. No way I am coming back!!! There are far better places to...

I’ve been a regular customer here for over 2 months since I started working in the area. I came in a few times this past week to work and honestly I’m very disappointed with the treatment I received. One of the staff members was very unfriendly and not welcoming.

I usually go in at 2pm, work for 30 mins, then order a coffee and continue working until they close at 4. The last two times I came in, staff members came up to me informing me that I ‘can order a drink at the till’ - the first time was in an unfriendly manner (as if I wasn’t aware).

I would understand that statement if I had been a new customer - however, I’ve bought over 20 coffees from them in the past 2 months so getting that remark in an unfriendly manner in public instead of feeling welcomed just put me off completely from the place.

You need to learn how to respect and appreciate your customers instead of treating them like sources of revenue. I feel quite humiliated and I won’t be visiting Iris and June again -...