This is the first (and hopefully the last) time I'll ever publically complain about the behaviour of serving staff in a London cafe - but Cafe La Roche (the smaller cafeteria next to the main restaurant) takes the biscuit.
I wandered in there yesterday, and asked for a jacket potato with chili - an overpriced £6.75, at that - to take away. Pretty much all the eateries along that stretch of St Martin's Lane offer takeaway food. On hearing the words, 'To take away please', the waitress gave her co-waitress a very odd sideways look, but proceeded to prepare it (it took about 20 minutes) in between serving the other in-house customers, while I sat there feeling very awkward, as if I'd done something terribly wrong.
Finally, she shoved a paper bag at me. When I asked if there was butter included, she growled "It's in there!!", and on being asked for salt and pepper angrily shook her head. "Um... is there some kind of problem?" I asked. "No" she glowered. "Because you seem rather annoyed" I continued. Silence. I suddenly twigged. "Would you have preferred me to eat in, rather than take the food away?" "Yes." Ah. I apologised, said I wasn't aware this was solely a sit-down affair. The waitress glared at me. "But I won't be coming here again" I added, and left.
The irony was, the potato itself was the most miserable, shrivelled affair, with barely a dollop of cold chili on it. Adequate, to say the least. Judging by some of the other reviews about this place (and I wish I'd read them before I stepped in there, but of course we never do), this is by no means an isolated occurence; outrageously rude service, bog-standard and wildly expensive food... La Roche isn't doing itself any favours if it wants to cultivate local custom, and appears to exist wholly as a typically overpriced tourist trap. It could well take a lesson from another cafe, Scott's, around the corner, whose staff greet even complete newcomers with a beaming smile, ensuring return v
La Roche
40 St Martin's Lane, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4ER

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Review Summary from 2 reviews
Address
40 St Martin's Lane, Trafalgar Square, London, WC2N 4ER
Cuisine
Moroccan
Region
Trafalgar Square
Nearest Station
Leicester Square (0.11 miles)
User Reviews
Reviewed by
maggie OB
Feb 1, 2012
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Reviewed by
Anonymous
The worst restaurant I have been in a long time !!!!
Food wasn`t the best, but when it comes to the service, so much attitude.
Won`t gp there never again.
Food wasn`t the best, but when it comes to the service, so much attitude.
Won`t gp there never again.
Oct 12, 2009
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