The Observatory Swansea — Restaurant in Wales

I recently visited The Observatory in Swansea, and while the venue itself is beautifully designed with a unique and well-thought-out décor, the overall experience was disappointing due to poor service and operational inefficiencies.

Service & Staff The service was notably slow, which in itself wouldn’t have been an issue as I was there to catch up with friends rather than expecting fast food. However, the waiting staff appeared to be inexperienced, with many seeming unfamiliar with the layout of the venue, both upstairs and downstairs. This led to unnecessary delays and confusion when delivering orders to tables. It was evident that additional training is needed to improve efficiency and customer experience.

Food Service Unfortunately, the food service was particularly poor. Two portions of chips were missing from our order, and when we requested them at the bar, it was clear that the staff were overwhelmed, with one particular member bearing the brunt of customer complaints. The replacement chips arrived 20 minutes later but were cold, requiring yet another wait of 15 minutes for a fresh serving. This level of delay suggests inefficiencies in the kitchen processes that need urgent attention.

Facilities & Atmosphere The venue itself has great potential, offering a stylish and inviting atmosphere. However, maintenance and customer convenience need to be prioritised. The upstairs toilets were out of order or locked, leading to long queues for the downstairs facilities, particularly for the ladies’ toilets. Additionally, the first-floor coffee machine was either not in use or inefficient, which slowed down drink service.

Suggestions for Improvement To ensure The Observatory thrives, especially as it approaches what is likely to be a busy summer period, I would recommend the following improvements:

• Staff Training: Floor staff should be properly trained on table layouts, order management, and customer service etiquette, including checking in with diners to ensure their meals are complete and satisfactory.

• Kitchen Efficiency: The kitchen processes need streamlining to avoid excessive delays and ensure food is served correctly and at the right temperature.

• Facilities Maintenance: Toilets should be fully operational to accommodate guests, and key equipment like the coffee machine should be well-maintained to improve service speed.

• Attention to Detail: Regular upkeep is needed to prevent the venue from becoming run down and to maintain its reputation as a quality destination.

I plan to revisit in the summer and hope to see improvements in these areas. The Observatory has the potential to be a fantastic venue, and I sincerely hope management takes action to enhance the overall experience for...

We have never had such a bad brunch experience as we did at this place. Absolutely appalled by the service. We ordered 2x veggie breakfasts, one normal and one without mushrooms and an extra hash brown. Very simple order that was repeated to me and confirmed twice. When the food came, one plate had bacon on it…I immediately went up and explained we wanted 2 veggie breakfasts and could we just swap the bacon for the veggie sausage. The waitress said okay, not very apologetic at all. I went to the bathroom and when I had returned the waitress was at our table refunding £2.50 for a veggie sausage and then brought the plate back to us still with bacon on?!

This was so so bizarre. I had to go up again and complain and she just said to me I’ve refunded you for the veggie sausage if you just want to keep the bacon on the plate! I was so confused by this. I had explained so many times we wanted 2 veggie breakfasts so why would we want bacon?

My husband is Muslim and does not eat pork. Putting a plate of bacon in front of him and refusing to change it was ridiculous. Even for somebody who just is simply a vegetarian should not need to explain why they don’t want bacon on their plate? The waitress said to me she didn’t know that we wanted 2 veggie breakfasts so she obviously didn’t listen at all as it was repeated many many times.

I refused to accept the food and demanded a refund and the waitress was very hesitant to help. This entire experience was absolutely ridiculous and just simply did not need to happen. All that needed to be done to resolve the issue was to remove the bacon and add a veggie sausage. How hard would that have been? Either it was the waitress, the kitchen or a combination of both but we will never return here. Such a shame as we were recommended this place. I was made to feel like I was wrong in this situation when it was clearly the waitresses lack of listening skills and care. Completely ruined our morning. Luckily we had ordered a side of porridge so my husband actually had something to eat. Absolutely...

Appalling Customer service, food and drinks with extortionate prices and chipped & broken crockery. Ordered 1cooked breakfast, 1 vegetarian breakfast, 1tea cake, 1 cappuccino, I cup of tea and a bottle of Thatchers. All items were ordered from the same table at the same time. The drinks were served first. I requested to have hot water to pour into my cappuccino. Unfortunately, the hot water was handed to me in an old chipped and cracked ceramic jug. Not only was the chipped jug a living place for bacteria but was also an accident waiting to happen due to hot water being in the chipped and cracked ceramic jug. As predicted the hot water spilt out of the side of the jug and the staff were informed. They proceeded to wipe the spilt hot water away from the table we were sitting at. Whilst providing an old battered jug of hot water but thankfully no cracks or chips in it. The cooked breakfast arrived, after my partner started to eat his, he was then informed that he had been given someone else’s cooked breakfast and the order contained a porched egg and not a fried egg as he requested. A second mug of tea was then ordered, mug of hot water with a tea bag dipped in it. By now my partner had finished eating his cooked breakfast. However we were still waiting for the vegetarian breakfast and tea cake. My partners mother eventually received her vegetarian cooked breakfast 25 minutes after my partner had received and eaten his cooked breakfast. Whilst my partners mother was eating her vegetarian cooked breakfast the tea cake eventually arrived. We had treated my partners mother to a birthday brunch at The Observatory. But unfortunately the whole experience was a complete disappointment. I have never been to an eating place where the food is ordered at the same time for the same table but served at separate 25 minute intervals. Over priced, over rated, would definitely not recommend to visit unless their hygiene, customer service and...