The Courtyard Tea Rooms — Restaurant in Winchester

I took my Mum here yesterday - during these troubled times it was a rare treat for her. She loved this little place and was very much looking forward to it....and given her enthusiasm for it so was I. Has it recently changed hands I wonder? Unfortunately we did not experience the friendly service she had remembered from previous visits. On arrival we waited outside whilst another customer was being served and leaving via the ‘entrance’ door. Then when we entered, there was no greeting, no smile, no acknowledgement what so ever for some while. Finally without even looking up a member of staff said...’what can I get you?’ We ordered our drinks and cakes and paid. There was at no point a please or thankyou. Literally...no conversation!! We made our way to a table...without being guided. Our order arrived, delivered by the same lady, and was virtually slammed in front of us. My toasted tea cake was a bit black around the edges but I could have forgiven this if we had had the smallest amount of Courtesy. I appreciate how difficult times are for businesses at the moment but experiences like these will certainly not help this establishment. Such a shame.....I will not...

We turned up as a group of road cyclists who had been to this cafe many times before. It was a wet and cold December Tuesday and there was 1 customer in the cafe. We were told we were not allowed to sit inside because some of us had grit on our clothes from the wet roads. We had to sit outside in the cold. We then asked again if we could go inside after the single customer had left (we always put a clean side of a jacket on the chair) but the lady flatly refused. She then served burnt coffee and totally forgot my friends food order. We then had to wait extra time in the freezing cold to be served the food she had forgotten - so bad! Won’t be returning and will spread the word in our cycling community. We then went to Caracoli who were very welcoming, we had lovely coffee (and we didn’t...

First time visiting and loved the quaint outside seating area. We ordered and were told by an older lady, possibly the manager, there would be a wait as 'they were up to their neck in it'. No smile or apology, but we understood they were busy. We received our order after 30mins and the young waitress apologised and was very polite. We asked for more napkins from the older lady who responded with nothing and gave no eye contact. When we thanked her, she was still unresponsive. She cleaned the table next to ours and knocked our baby's pram, again with no apology. I understand this was a stressful day for them but being polite to your customers isn't difficult. Very unprofessional and rude. We certainly won't...