Simon’s — Restaurant in London

Our fun-packed adventure unfolded yesterday on our (formerly) weekly post-gymnastics session visit to Simon's cafe...As we sat at our table, musing idly over whether the waitress should in fact, have washed her hands after visiting the toilets to blow her nose, we were approached by the aforementioned waitress who politely, but firmly, said that as we had been served take away food we had to eat outside.

I thought my response - that we were more than happy to pay more for eating in but that we hadn't been asked whether we were "eating in" or "taking away" when we ordered, and hadn't thought to query the bill, was sufficient to allay any concerns that we were part of a widespread and nefarious scam to “do” Simon’s by masquerading as “take awayers” and pocketing our ill-gotten 25 pence gain...How wrong could I be however.....

Next up was a chap with long, greasy-looking hair(tied back, but no net) - the chef I think?? Anyway incandescent as he was at the dastardly events he believed he had witnessed, he was decent enough to give me a useful, if somewhat novel, tip to avoid future recurrences of such catastrophes: whenever I order, I must check how much I’ve been charged to ensure that I have been charged “eat in” prices, not take away prices. If I have been charged the wrong amount, I must rectify it....

Temporary relief from the rapidly escalating excitement came with the admission from the lady who had had served us originally that in fact, it was her who had assumed that we were "taking away" and had charged us accordingly...But it was short-lived. Simon HIMSELF, then waded in with a fluent recital of the numerous notices that bedeck the café walls.... while skilfully resisting my futile attempts to confirm we have no objection to the policy - but if we're not asked when we order etc etc.....

So, in terms of my review: all fine.....provided 1) you check at the time of ordering that you've been charged "eat in"/"take away" prices (delete as applicable) in order to save anyone at Simon's the trouble of having to ask (!!); 2) You've got plenty of spare time on your hands to listen to Simon and his staff berating you....even if you've done nothing...

The food is good and Simon, Tina and younger lady (in her 20s?) normally provide great service.

Unfortunately, not a great service today when our order was wrong and the lady (not in list mentioned above) serving indicated it was my error yet she didn't write down the order and wandered off to speak to somebody else whilst taking our order. I had to get her attention to finish ordering.

Then said she couldn't give us what we wanted, even though they do it 2 to 3 times a week for us normally. Quite disappointed that after years of custom they upset my 8 year old son and she didn't take ownership of her mistake.

Only reason this isn't a lower review is that the service is normally better than this, so I'm taking that into consideration. It would be a 1* otherwise if it was my...

I spent my child good playing here I remember what a boring cafe this was when I was a kid how boring it used to be and then came along Simon with great imagination and drive and look at it now,now i have 3 dogs,and as many kids and we wer walking our dog's got to Simon's Cafe in the park hoping to give the dogs a drink in the usual bowel it wasnt there so I asked in the cafe if they had one they didn't but they bent over backwards to find something to accommodate the dogs a drinking of water while we ate, ham salad and cheese salad sandwiches and the kids tucked into absolutely beautiful beefbergers French frys everything looked fantastic as it arrived on the plates, yes they are a winner in my book something simple and I have been back more than one time since with dogs...