Polo Bar - 24 Hour Great British Cafe — Restaurant in London

My situation is very special, so you take it if you're in a similar situation. I'm a political dissident from Hong Kong under transnational repression and got sexual assault in every accommodation almost every night. I've stalkers following me to pay shop staff or security guard to exaggerate the length of time I stay in a place and ask me to leave. This is a typical night that I ran away from the hostel and tried to find a coffee shop to stay one or two hours. I visited this coffee shop a few weeks ago, I was arranged to an uncomfortable seat opposite to the bar on the first floor. Actually, I didn't expect to come again because of the straight face of the staff. But it was cold outside and I didn't bring enough clothes, so at around 3:00am I decided to have a coffee and tarts staying there for 2 hours. Right arrived at the door, the guard told me it was very busy, there was no seat for one person now, and asked me to wait outside. He first said ONE person out, one person in. I had to wait for one person customer to leave in order to get a table. I saw a few two persons left the coffee shop while i was waiting. I asked him if I could check the pastry first and when I get a seat upstairs I can order them immediately. He let me checked, that meant at that moment he still prepared to let me in. After a while, he changed to persuad me to take away the food because the coffee shop ONLY ALLOW SINGLE PERSON TO STAY HALF AN HOUR IF HE/SHE ONLY DRINK COFFEE AND PASTRY. He asked me if I would order the breakfast which is around £14. I guess i may try it if he didn't try to refuse me. At that time, I told him I wanted to eat the tarts ( Everyone knows me love egg tarts very much.) I guess he was told by my stalkers that I would order very little things but stayed long time. He could use this reason to not let me to get a seat. I didn't even have a chance to sit down and think what to eat. As I remembered last time, I purchased £7.5 and sat 2.5 hours. It may be too long for them. I can understand why he refused me. This was my unique experience under my unique background and unique situation. Your experience may br totally different than me. BTW, he told me there is a minimum charge for seat in, which he didn't tell how much. I think they should post it online and in shop window.

Luckily, there is a McDonald's in the Liverpool Station still...

Honestly one of the worst experience my friends and I had. 4 of us went over to eat at about 5-6am after having a night's fun, and ordered a set of burger with chips for sharing. While waiting for food my friend just wanted to relax her eyes so she had her eyes closed while the rest of us were chilling, someone came over and said no sleeping, she wasn't even close to asleep.

When the food came, it was in a takeaway bag, and we were confused because we already said dine in. We asked the waitress about it, just said no dine in for 1 set orders since we were a group, and that it'll be takeaway. No one told us anything like that beforehand, she didn't care much either, just insisted that we ordered 2 more items if we want to sit in the restaurant. While we were deciding what else to order, she asked if we were waiting for bus that's why we were there and ordered 1 set in the first place, for the sake of it, even though we already told her we just wanted to share a meal first and maybe order something else later.

Everything came off a little rude, no explanations, no person in charge came to talk to us, don't feel welcomed at all.

We decided to order 2 more items, and they didn't even help to transfer the food placed in takeaway bag to the plates, as though it was nothing more than a fast food place. But even fast food places don't give their customers such cold treatment.

After half an hour into eating, they told us the third level was going to be closed off, asked us to leave in 5 minutes, or we could head to second level instead to continue. However, if we wanted to continue dining at their restaurant, we have to order more food, which doesn't make sense, since we already ordered more than our fill, and they were already kicking us out half an hour into eating, could've told us much earlier.

Service could be a lot better, not sure who was in charge, felt like we were treated badly as customers even though we were speaking nicely and didn't do anything to offend the staffs either. Could've talked to us nicely instead of saying it as though we were looking for a shelter waiting...

Big portions, but the service was very poor. I had to wait quite a while just to catch a waiter walking past so I could order my food. The seating upstairs was tucked away in a tight corner where the waitress couldn’t see me unless she came in. Funny enough, she stayed around for other guests when they were ready to order but not me.

When my meal finally came, I’d only had a few mouthfuls before I realised my drink never arrived. I ended up having to squeeze through the tables to get a drink from the bar myself which was annoying, it’s not getting up that’s annoying it passing through the tight tables. Later, I ordered a second drink and she remembered to bring that one, at least.

Sometimes when I’m having lunch out, I like to take my time even when I’m full, I might still pick at a few bits before I’m ready for the plate to be cleared. She asked to take my plate while I was still eating, which made me feel rushed. When I was finally done, I had to wait again just to let her know I’d finished.

Then came the wait for the bill, which never arrived. I’d seen on their page a video saying, “You’ll leave with a friend, even if it’s one of the staff.” That’s laughable the atmosphere was nothing like that. I eventually had to go up to the bar to ask for the bill myself.

When I asked for the service charge to be removed, she looked like she wanted to cry over £4 and asked why, then claimed she didn’t know how to do it. Next, she said the manager wasn’t there. She went halfway up the stairs and shouted, “SHE WANTS TO REMOVE THE SERVICE CHARGE!” I think she wanted to embarrass me, but loool, I’m proud to say when service doesn’t deserve a service charge.

An older, round man who had been asking her on the stairs why I wanted to remove it came upstairs but didn’t acknowledge me or respond to my reasons. I think he’s the manager, such a shame can’t take in any criticism. I don’t know what kind of staff you’ve got working there, but be grateful it was a Monday I’m always in a good mood on Mondays. I wouldn’t go there again mainly because of the staff, moody, arrogant,...