ReadingLasses — Restaurant in Scotland

We went during the Wigtown book festival. It was chaotic and the staff verged on being rude. We stood in the queue waiting for a table. We were fine with this. We got a table and our coffees were served, only for them to then ask if we could move to a different table for a party of seven. We were settled at our table but felt like we couldn't say no. The lady on the table next to ours was also asked to move. No apology was given.

We went to our new table. The people there hadn't paid for the bill yet so we had to stand nearby waiting with our coffees. I'm guessing they were similarly asked to vacate their table. We sat down once they had paid and my friend asked about the cakes. My friend has a nut allergy and needed to know what the cakes obviously were before ordering. The lady said she didn't have time to. Fortunately my friend asked another waitress and she did. We're not overly entitled people and are pretty easy going but it gives the impression you are bothering the waitresses just by being there. My friend found the cake really nice.

We heard a complaint by another customer while we were there. Another customer said as they were leaving that they had tried to order four times and had been ignored by the waitresses.

Finally, once we had finished our coffees we were asked to leave. I would say we'd only been there forty minutes, had only just finished our coffee and cake and were mid-way conversation at this point. Again there was no apology. My friend would have bought another drink as they intended to stay sitting there but had to go to another cafe instead.

It was absolutely bizarre. I've never had service like it. It's quite obvious that if you are full you tell people that are wanting to come in that there is no room. It was clear that the waitresses couldn't deal with the greater demand brought in by the festival. What is the point in bringing in more customers if you can't serve the ones you already have? I think the lack of apology and the sense that we were being a bother just by being there was...

If you don't have enough space for customers, turn them away or make them wait. Completely inappropriate to make existing customers move twice.

We got seated and served our coffees, then essentially told to move and that "we have a party of seven people waiting and we need this table - if you're okay with that". We got asked more than once so reluctantly said we didn't have any preference and got brought to a new table (that still had an old lady sitting at it). We asked how they would sit seven people at the three person table and they said "oh we'll be asking the next table to move too".

We had to stand next to the till holding our coffees and bags and coats waiting for the table to be free.

Rude staff, I have severe food allergies and was told they didn't have time to go through which cake was which (they weren't labelled). Thankfully somebody else told me and the cake was delicious.

A waitress took the empty cup away from my friend while I was still eating and drinking and took my saucer away when I picked up my cup. Took my cup of coffee out of my hand at one point as well, when I was still drinking it.

Another couple who had been seated a while before us came out from another room and complained they hadn't yet been served - after they left the waitresses argued about whose fault it was just in the middle of the cafe.

Finally, we were told to leave as they needed our table. Absolutely disgraceful, shockingly rude behaviour from three different members of staff. One lady was lovely but she doesn't make up for the other three.

Also, we got charged the wrong amount and there was no breakdown of the cost on the receipt. I wanted out of there by that point so I just paid it and left.

Worst service I...

Lovely café with a more equitable balance between books and eatery than others. Very personable staff, particularly in the light of being very late in the day. Unfortunately we were too late for lunch so we had to settle for a latte and cake. There were no gluten free sponge cakes available but there was a choice of brownies or tiffin. The dark chocolate and raspberry brownie and the coffee were excellent. The other cakes looked very appealing and my wife did not resist the temptation. If we are ever in Wigtown we will surely pop in for lunch. Being dog friendly and having gluten-free options is what drew us here initially but the café has a very nice ambience with the tables...