The Place to Eat at John Lewis — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

Higher expectations for this cafe but we were dismally disappointed. Don't know why I eat in these places as no menus on tables to look at first. Unsure which counter to start at (first time here) or which end to queue, I wasn't the only one. Looked at the sandwich menu but could only see a few tuna and cucumber or egg baguettes. I asked the staff member how I could order one of the other baguettes on the menu and he said that's all that they had....on a Monday at 11.45am! Why display a menu with several choices if you can only provide 2?! I asked for 2 lots of chips but only received 1...not sure if I was charged for 2 as didn't bother with a receipt. Baguettes were mediocre, fresh but the tuna and cucumber had a vinegar taste to it. Chips were ok. Only good thing was that the male staff member was polite and tried to be as helpful as he could buy offering me glasses and ice and informing me where the condiments were. This is definitely NOT the place to eat. Try harder John Lewis, great store but the cafe...

You'd think for a café as long standing as this one, that an order for a hot chocolate and a coffee would be easy enough. Not so. When I asked for a decaf americano, I was told that 'the machine doesn't do decaf'. Apparently, if you order decaf, regardless of the type of coffee you want, you get a tube sachet. I ordered a 'regular' americano instead. The hot chocolate was more water than milk topped with a frothy scum. The 'americano' was like dish water. Aside the quality of the drinks, the wait is painfully slow - almost as if they weren't expecting customers to come at 11:00 for a coffee. The decor is now tired and drab and the staff (but who knows what's going on behind the scenes) just give the impression that they really don't want to be there. When will I learn not to go there. I guess I always hope for the best. I guess John Lewis doesn't...

This was my second visit to The Place To Eat following it reopening to customers on September 5th. Things look a little different to what was in place pre-lockdown. There is now a one-way system in operation. On entering, there is a hand sanitizer station, operated by a foot pedal. A member of staff takes details for track and trace before you move on to the counter. Unlike pre-lockdown, only one counter is open and they are offering a limited variety of food. There are sandwiches, cakes and scones and the usual beverages. After ordering, you pay for your items and they are put onto a tray for you, no helping yourself. The tables are well spaced out and you don't feel like you're on...