Social — Restaurant in London

At first, Manager was nice & let us sample a beer before we bought. (Although they charge 10%service charge on drinks bought over the bar…) Unfortunately it all changed when we ordered food. One burger didn’t turn up. One wasn’t cooked properly. We returned the one that wasn’t cooked and it came back in about 20mins. When I went to the bar to ask if my missing burger was coming, I was told that someone on my table must have already had it. When I said we’d all paid for food, the barmaid implied that we were lying despite us all offering to show proof of purchase on our phones. Eventually they agreed (reluctantly) to get me a new burger. It didn’t come for 50mins & when I politely asked if there was a chance of some kind of compensation due to my food coming so long after the rest of my party, the manager once again said that one of us had had a ‘free burger’. When we once again offered to show proof of purchase, he said that it wasn’t necessary but could only offer a soft drink as compensation. Honestly can’t understand why they would be so difficult when it was so clear that some kind of error had been made on their part. No apology. Actually made us feel like we were in the wrong. In a place that charges 10% service charge just to buy drinks at the bar, it really wasn’t good enough. They have some way to go in terms of...

Dropped by Social at Copeland Park for a weekday lunch break and it’s a solid little spot. The area itself has a cool, artsy vibe and feels very up-and-coming.

The space is a mix between a cafe and a pub, with an outdoor terrace that’s great when the weather’s nice. It’s definitely laptop friendly, though just a heads up there’s no wifi. That might be a dealbreaker for some, but it worked fine for me since I didn’t need to be connected.

I ordered an Iced Black for £3.50 and it was a good coffee, especially at that price in London. Service-wise, it wasn’t the warmest. Let’s just say the team gives off that fashionably cool, slightly aloof energy. Not unfriendly, just not going out of their way either.

It was a really warm day when I went and they hadn’t done much about the heat besides opening the windows. It did get a little uncomfortable inside, but to be fair, London rarely gets that hot anyway.

Overall, it’s a decent spot to get some work done or take a break, especially if you’re into the creative, industrial-chic...

I do really like this place - good atmosphere inside and out, decent music, decent pints. A touch expensive but not wildly so - though this could be helped by my one and only gripe, and it's a real bugbear...

There's a discretionary 10% service charge that's automatically added to all charges, even if only ordering a pint at the bar and taking it away with you. I wouldn't mind this so much if the service at the bar was at all special - but it never is. Staff often seem more interested in talking to each other than you - great for workplace culture, and I'm glad everyone gets along, but not so conducive to delivering good service. A balance needs to be struck so that the customer service given warrants the 10% addition - I'd have no complaints if I felt like I was being valued as a customer.

Yeah sure, we could ask for it to be removed considering it's discretionary, but who wants to...