The Lost Draft — Restaurant in New York

I walked in, looking forward to enjoying a quiet moment — a matcha latte and a croissant, simple joys that make a day feel softer. I asked to sit at the front table, the one that catches the light, but was told I couldn’t because they were closing at 7 and had to start cleaning.

There was a person sitting at the front where I first asked to sit, so I asked again, hoping it would be fine, but they told me no — because I wasn’t using a computer like that person was. Instead, I was sent to the back. The air was heavy and hot there, but I sat, willing to make the best of it.

Halfway through my matcha latte, halfway through my croissant, a cleaning boy came up to me. I was still eating, still savoring what I paid for, when I was told I had to leave because they had to clean. There was no option to move, no gesture of kindness, only the uncomfortable feeling that I was in the way.

The matcha was good. The croissant was fine. But hospitality is not just about food — it’s about how you make people feel. And here, I felt like a nuisance, not a guest. A place can be beautiful, but if it treats people this way, it leaves a bitter taste.

A disaster, yes, because a café should never forget that behind every cup, there is a person. Everything happened 30 minutes before...

On April 30,

I’ve been a regular at The Lost Draft since it first opened, but my latest visit was truly disappointing. Upon ordering a coffee and a croissant, I immediately felt an unwelcome pressure from a staff member with orange hair who was promoting the Blackbird app. Unsolicited, she informed me that downloading the app would get me a free drink. I declined since the app was unfamiliar and the offer did not appeal to me.

Unfortunately, the issues didn’t stop there. After receiving my coffee, I realized my croissant was missing. I approached the counter to inquire and was met with a dismissive attitude from the same staff member. Her nonchalant response made me feel as if my forgotten order was a trivial issue. Although I eventually received my croissant, the experience left a sour taste in my mouth.

It was a stark reminder that genuine customer service can't be substituted with freebies or app promotions. I believe the staff should focus more on ensuring order accuracy and delivering prompt service rather than pushing promotional apps. Regrettably, this visit has deterred me from returning to...

I visited again because I loved their matcha latte with pistachio milk and rose latte during my last visit — seriously some of the best I’ve had. Unfortunately, this time the experience was completely ruined by the rudest barista I’ve ever encountered at a coffee shop.

We had just arrived and were trying to connect to WiFi (there’s no signal inside), when the barista — working around 6–7 PM on Monday evening — came over with a visibly annoyed expression and asked if we were ordering. We said we were just browsing the menu, and instead of giving us a moment, he just stood there staring at us, then pointed toward the register and said something like, “To order, go over there,” as if we didn’t know where the counter was.

Even when we did go to order, there was no greeting, no smile — just the same cold, dismissive attitude. It felt condescending and unwelcoming — the complete opposite of the cozy, chill vibe I remembered. Honestly, it made us feel really uncomfortable. The matcha might still be great, but the whole experience left such a bad taste that I don’t think I’ll be...