Camellias Bar & Roastery — Restaurant in Charlottesville

The staff need customer service training. I took one sip of my drink and immediately realized it wasn't made correctly. I expressed my concern to one of the staff members, but she seemed unsure of what to do. One staff member suggested making a different drink, while another mentioned needing to contact the manager. Then, another staff member from the back came forward and said it was against their policy to replace the drink.

While all this was happening, yet another staff member got involved, and the other two left without saying anything. This new person then said, “You’re responsible for your own choices.” This was extremely unprofessional and disrespectful.

I had only taken a sip of the drink, and it tasted horrible. I calmly communicated that it didn’t taste right, asked if it could be changed, and even suggested simply adding more milk to dilute the flavor and make it less concentrated. Instead of resolving the issue, the entire interaction felt like dealing with a group of untrained kids in a playground who didn’t know how to run a business.

I frequently try out new coffee shops and have never encountered such a situation before. Typically, baristas are well-trained and handle issues professionally. Here, they couldn’t even hold themselves accountable or acknowledge that their drink tasted terrible! The whole interaction doesn’t make sense, so my only conclusion is either a lack of training or the staff being racist, which would explain the difference in treatment between myself and my friend.

Edit: To the person who responded below- since you lack ability to hold yourself accountable, let me break it down for you. I'm unsatisfied because I had to problem-solve for you because your staff didn't know the policy, not because you didn't give me a different drink. The drink tasted horrible but I assure you it had to do with how it was made but you don't want to acknowledge that your staff could've made a mistake. My friend literally tried it and said, "this tastes horrible!" If something is drinkable, I will drink it even if I don't like it, to avoid making the barista make another one...Your latte was not drinkable! At other places, they simply offer to replace the drink or modify it. This is the general rule. Why didn't they know the simple answer to that? Your staff didn’t know the policy, and that isn’t the customer’s responsibility. It's their job to be able to communicate what the policy is. Perhaps you should post the policy at the front of the shop or even better, train them so 3 people don't give 3 different answers! You can't be upset at a customer for having a request because you lack the ability to listen and train.

Additionally, I did ask your staff how the drink tasted before ordering. Their lack of ability to communicate in English meant they couldn’t accurately answer the question. I literally asked if it was like a mocha latte and if it was sweet. They simply said "no not sweet" and failed to clarify that it wasn't like mocha latte. By the time you came over, I had already asked for more milk to be added to dilute the drink. They didn't even communicate this to you or perhaps you didn't bother asking and were ready to argue. Here's a tip, in customer service, you first ask what's the problem (learn to listen) and then explain your policy and what you can and cannot do. It's really that simple. The whole time I spoke calmly and respectfully while you were being passive aggressive hence, I stood there quietly and listened to you. Even when I asked you to simply add some syrup and milk, your response was, “You are not going to like it.” You are acting like I got the drink for free. I paid for my order and gave a tip but since you lack manners, I'd like others to see that if they express dissatisfaction with your service then you become passive aggressive. I also see I'm not the first person who had complained about the taste of your drink. Maybe be less defensive and actually listen to the customer. I will happily go to a place that treats their customer...

I recently visited Camellias, and unfortunately, it was a disappointing experience. First off, I ordered a drink that cost $9, which I found to be quite expensive for what I received. The drink was overly foamy and didn’t taste good at all. It was hard to enjoy, and I honestly expected more for the price.

To make matters worse, we were told we couldn’t have outside food, which is understandable in some places, but the way it was handled was off-putting. After a brief interaction, they actually asked us to leave. This felt unnecessary and left a bad impression.

For the prices they charge, I expected better quality and customer service. Unfortunately, I won’t be returning.

Reply:

Thank you for your response. However, I have to disagree with your assessment of the situation. While I understand your policy on outside food and drinks, the way it was handled was incredibly rude and dismissive. I attempted to explain that I had supported your business by purchasing coffee, but instead of being met with understanding, I was told in a curt manner that I couldn’t enjoy my pastries on your premises. The tone of the interaction was unnecessarily harsh, and it left me feeling uncomfortable and unwelcome.

The issue wasn’t simply about the policy—it was about the way it was communicated. Being asked to leave in such an abrupt manner over something I thought was a reasonable request was completely unnecessary and unprofessional.

As for the quality of the drink and service, I stand by my initial review. The drink was disappointing and not worth the price, and the service was far below what I would expect from any establishment, especially one charging premium prices. The staff’s lack of courtesy made the experience even worse, and it made me feel as though my concerns and feedback weren’t valued at all.

I’ve been to many cafes and the customer service has always been much more welcoming. Based on this experience, I won’t be returning, and I believe there's a lot of room for improvement in both service and...

Wow—this place was absolutely amazing! There are truly no words to fully describe how incredible the food was. I found myself returning to the checkout counter three times because everything was just that good!

I started with a chocolate and pistachio croissant, which had a fantastic flavor and perfect texture. My kids then decided they wanted their own, so I went back for two Sakura croissants, and they were just as amazing—light, sweet, and beautifully filled. We also tried the Oreo croissant, which was flaky and packed with delicious flavor.

Then came the Dubai chocolate roll, and wow—I completely fell in love. It was easily the best sweet treat I’ve had in a long time. The apple cinnamon roll was equally incredible, bursting with flavor. I was so impressed that I went back one last time to grab two more of each to take home.

We also got a peach tea, which I enjoyed, though my son had a different reaction to it! The staff was friendly, and while the café was quite busy with people working and studying, we managed to find seating. Despite the challenge, it was absolutely worth it, and I would highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for delicious pastries and a cozy atmosphere. I’ll...