Lakeside — Restaurant in Wakefield

TREAT WITH CAUTION!

Was here on sat, stopped for a quick catch up after our walk. We’d gruffly been told coffee and cake only which was fine for us. Then we had a little wait to be given menus, nothing out of the ordinary.

As we were finishing the manager marched in to a table behind us and loudly announced that “no one in her kitchen had dark hair”. Words exchanged with the family on the table, then she marched out. As her announcement was so loud it had interrupted our conversation my friend asked the family if everything was ok. They explained they’d found a hair in the food, had discreetly let them know, they’d not asked for anything, then the manager had accused them of planting the hair because the children had dark hair! My friend and I were at a loss for words. We’d not seen the kitchen staff but several of the waitresses had dark hair. Then during this conversation the manager sweeps in but this time to us asking again loudly and aggressively if we wanted to move tables away from “that family”. My friend challenged her and asked why, the manager replied because they are "talking rubbish to us". My friend responded explaining that she had asked what had happened. The manager looked visibly annoyed that we wouldn’t move let alone we were speaking to them. Again we were speechless. Both tables apologised to each other we were all is disbelief. The Mum of the family revealed that they’d been asked to pay in advance for their meal without explanation. We thought this was strange as we’d not been asked to do that even though we arrived last. The family shared that they felt very uncomfortable, the only difference between the two tables was our first language. My friend and I felt sick as it seemed to appear that the manager was discriminating as the family were Romanian. It was horrid, the children sat quietly and politely as the manager returned again making comments about them being difficult, slamming money down on the table as a refund. The mum again tried to speak to her calmly asking if she realised what had happened, and politely refusing the refund. The manager appeared to listen for a few seconds and finally apologised (hardly heart felt) and then left again. As the family left the manager was still making comments to her staff that could be heard.

It was horrid I’ve never witnessed such appalling behaviour in a service environment. We were both impacted, feeling sick. Another member of staff then appeared to us after the family left and apologised to us ‘for them (the family) kicking off’ and brandished the card machine at us. My friend calmly explained that we didn’t want to pay for that experience.. without showing us the bill she disappears and the manager returns already using aggressive language to us threatening us with the police for not paying saying she’d been “warned about people like us”. My friend tried to explain how her behaviour had impacted us and made it a horrific experience but the manager continued with her speech about non payment and that we had to pay and then complain for a refund. At this point I said ok if we can see the bill we’ll pay for the goods but not the service. She agreed and went to get it as we both had phones ready to pay. At that moment another member of staff appears and vehemently spits the words ‘freaks’ at us. This sets the manager off again hurling abuse at us again saying she wouldn’t take our money and ordering us out, she narrowly missed kicking my dog as she kicked the door stop away to slam the door behind us still shouting abuse. They then reopened the door to video us as we left in shock.

We were both incredibly shaken by the event. Having worked in the service industry for decades I really can’t fathom how what should have been a simple apology from the staff turned into that horrific scene.

Reading the reviews it’s shocking that the behaviour is allowed to continue. Please DO NOT SUPPORT IT I hope the...

!! AVOID- EXTREMELY RUDE AND AGGRESSIVE STAFF !! Myself and my friend had the most awful experience after stopping here for a coffee and cake today. We were just finishing our coffees when the owner/manager approached a table behind us with a large family and made a bit of a fuss, it was obvious that she was accusing them of something and being very rude, when she stormed off we asked the table if they were okay? What had happened? They advised us that they'd found a hair in their food and discretely advised the staff (we were sat very close and had no idea that this had happened) and the manager actually brought the hair back to them on a plate and accused them of placing the hair in the food themselves! We were gobsmacked and talked about it a little until the manager returned but approached us this time asking loudly and aggressively if we'd like to move seats? Very confused now we declined and asked why she would ask that, to which she replied that she table behind us was "talking rubbish to us" to which I explained that I'd actually asked what had happened. After more huffing and puffing from the manager she once again stormed out, leaving us sat there in disbelief. The family advised us that they'd also been made to pay in advance for their food, extremely weird as we hadn't been asked to do that? It was so confusing as to why this very polite and lovely family were being treated so differently and it became clear that the manager was actually discriminating against them due to the family's race. The manager continued to come in and out making comments and being rude, slamming money down on their table as a refund for the food, making us all feel extremely uncomfortable. We were left shaking and upset and therefore when the bill came we said we really felt like we didn't want to pay for our coffees after being made to feel so unsafe in their cafe, to which the manager began hurling abuse at us, stating that she'd been "warned about people like us". We were clearly upset and tired to explain that we'd had such an awful experience but she became increasingly more aggressive even when we were staying very calm, saying we had to pay then could complain and ask for a refund, which I am absolutely sure is not the process. Then a young girl came out from behind the manager and said "stop wasting your time on these freaks" to which the manager agreed and shouted at us to "get out". Making us walk through the bar while still abusing us, she then slammed the door on us, called me a "horrible woman" and even videoed us as we walked off in horror, for what reason I honestly have no idea. I have never, ever been treated in such a way or witnessed something so horrendous as the treatment as the family sat behind us. DO...

I rarely feel compelled to write a bad review, as I know how much small businesses rely on reputation however this place really deserves it. We booked in advance for my mum's birthday brunch, to secure a good table for 3 of us plus dogs. When we arrived, the hostess (owner?) tried to put us at a small table for 2 people with an extra chair added - this was nowhere near big enough so we asked if we could sit at the vacant large table which seated 6. The surly hostess begrudgingly agreed on the understanding that we would move if a larger group came in. We felt quite uneasy at this point, as if we were causing a problem and I asked, if we did need to move, could we be seated at a 4 table rather than a 2 table. She snapped that there were only 3 of us so no. I really wish we had just left at that point but it was my mums birthday and we were all hungry so we sat and ordered. When the food arrived we were further disappointed. On the £10 traditional breakfast the bacon was rubbery, black pudding undercooked and sausage wasn't very nice. The sourdough 'toast' was soggy bread, hidden under masses of beans. The only nice things were the hash brown and mushrooms. I just couldn't eat most of it (which is very unusual for me!) and explained to the waitress at the end how unhappy I was with it (no one had come to check on us until that point). My mum was also unhappy with her eggs and mentioned this, as well how she had been made to feel unwelcome when we arrived. My sister's scone was nice, which we also made a point of saying. The waitress didn't say much, and came back with a bill for the full amount. I queried this and she said that they had checked the food on my plate and it was fine therefore the full amount was payable. The rude hostess (owner/manager?) wouldn't come and see us, simply relayed this through the poor waitress who was clearly uncomfortable. I was extremely taken aback and paid the bill in a bit of shock to be honest. The waitress came back with our change and then asked us to leave via the side door rather than back out of the entrance where the hostess was. I've never been treated like this at any food establishment in my life and am still in shock that we experienced this. In summary, the food is extremely overpriced for the quality, the hostess/owner is extremely unpleasant and customers are treated with little more than disdain. I truly hope that this woman (if she is the owner) sells the business to new owners who value their customers, as it is a lovely location and the place has so much potential to be amazing. Until then, I will choose anywhere else but here to take...