Red Onion Cafe — Restaurant in London

A very bizarre first experience at Red Onion Café this afternoon. We went there after seeing positive reviews on Google and were looking forward to discovering a café local to us.

We ordered two juices, one chicken burger, one bountiful salad and two sides of fries. According to the menu, the bountiful salad was meant to consist of tomatoes, dressed leaves, grains, hummus, roasted veg and pomegranate. I ordered this salad with a side of falafel. I was blown away that not only did the salad came out with the wrong side of halloumi, the salad was served essentially consisting of leaves, less than one spoonful of couscous and a very restrained spread of hummus. All this for £9. There were no roasted vegetables or pomegranate in sight.

I asked the waitress why this dish did not come out as described in the menu. She stated that the chef was new and that they would make a fresh salad. She reassured me at this stage that we would not be charged for the salad and that it would be taken off the bill. I accepted the offer of a new salad on this basis. After all this, we were flabbergasted that when we went to the counter to pay the bill, we were being asked to pay for the salad, when the waitress had specifically stated that we would not be charged for it. If the waitress had been referring to the salad that we had returned, it would have been a given that we would not have been paying for salad leaves and a spoon of couscous and houmous, plus the cost of the wrong side order. I therefore had taken her assurances to be in reference to removing the second salad from the bill entirely.

The entire interaction at the counter was very strange – we were confronted by a group of young waitresses and their comments made us feel that we were trying to get away with not paying for the salad, when the only reason we thought we weren’t paying for the salad is because we were assured that we wouldn’t have to. The waitress who had made the assurance was there, and said “I was talking about the first salad”. I mentioned that it was a given that we would not have been paying for the first salad.

The café seems to be run by a group of young and inexperienced waitresses who have very little experience of how to speak to customers and how to handle issues. Their approach at the counter can only be described as being spoken to by a gaggle of geese, each trying to have their say. To end this dialogue and not to create further embarrassment, my partner said he would just pay for the two salads, including the returned one, to bring an end to the discussion. Only at this stage did the waitress who had said she’d remove the salad from the bill say “okay we won’t charge you for it” and looked very begrudged, as though she wasn’t getting her way in a petty argument with her friends.

We walked out of the café, scratching our heads and wondering if what we had experienced was real, as we have never come across such bizarre customer service anywhere we have eaten, whether for lunch, breakfast or dinner. Furthermore, I noted from observing their interactions with other customers (before there was even an issue with our order) that there were repetitive mistakes being made with customer orders. There was also no organisation or communication amongst the staff members. Sadly, we won’t be returning after this experience, as much as we would have liked to support a local...

A hidden gem nestled in the heart of Ruislip. I have been a regular customer here for some time now and not once have I had a bad experience. Very warm and welcoming staff. They are always greeting me with a smile and are attentive to my needs. If you are looking for a spot to grab a bite to eat, Red Onion has food to tickle everyone’s fancy. Whether it’s a warming toastie like the Mumbai Chilli Cheese, a refreshing Buddha bowl or an indulgent breakfast brunch. This venue offers a variety of freshly made wholesome dishes. I particularly like coming here for the selection of extravagant cakes made by Alice the in store baker. I was pleasantly surprised by the wide choice of vegan cakes on display, there were more vegan cakes in the Red Onion then there are in actual vegan cafes. A slice of Cake (The raspberry and pistachio is my favourite) accompanied by fresh mint leaf tea or their very own special blend of coffee (You will not find that in Costa’s or anywhere else) is perfectly splendid. I have stopped giving my money to chains simply because when you go to a chain like Costa you get ripped off. Overpriced factory produced packaged food lacking in quality and taste. Independent family owned businesses on the other hand like the Red Onion exceed my expectations and deserve every penny because genuine love and care goes into making and producing the best. I should also mention the outdoor garden area which is a new addition. it is like a 21st century garden of Eden. Perfect if you're looking for an...

Went to this place last weekend with my girlfriends because of the reviews and how much I’ve heard about the vegan/veg options and I was bitterly disappointed. The service was so poorly because after waiting to be served -and when we placed our order - we were told that toasties weren’t available to order from the menu which was unacceptable because we should have been told in advance or when I booked the table. The waitress was disinterested in giving other options and stood there while we tried to re-order something else. When I got my order of avo toast on sourdough bread, I was shocked at how much avacado I was given and how much bread was on show, we had to ask for sauces and cutlery a few times before getting them. Overall it just wasn’t a warm welcome or inviting atmosphere which is such a shame because the cafe and outdoor space is actually quite nice, shame the staff, the service and value for money doesn’t match up. Not sure if they were having a bad day, but even then surely the service should not have been compromised?? Honestly won’t be recommending this place or going again - we paid £46 altogether and it just did not justify it. I left in a displeased mood, and didn’t even feel like taking pics of my food which I regret because otherwise I could have posted them to display...