Gail's Crouch End

Normally a fan of GAIL 's across London ... but will never go to Crouch End one again! It was 12:15 PM, there was very little of food on display as most morning fare had been sold, I selected a salmon bagel from the lunch menu on the board, and was told by the lady serving that it was only the (limited) food I could see that was available, and that salmon bagels may be available later. I queried what may be meant ... as it was an obscure answer, I thought perhaps there was a problem with the kitchen, facilities or staffing. She said, well,, I don 't know… So I carried that again… And she said, reluctantly, do you want me to go and ask? I was bemused as well as hungry, so I said, yes please. I saw one of her colleagues look up from the back to say shop and give me a challenging look .... as though I was being difficult or route. Which I wasn 't. Just a regular customer who had specifically sought out a Gail 's, and not unreasonably, had expected a reasonable choice of food to purchase and eat. After all, it 's the middle of the day and the place is a café! She returned after a minute, or so, and said, we 're not going to start making cinnamon bagels until lunchtime… I said, well when will that be? And she said in about 15 minutes time. That being, 12:30 PM. Firstly, I thought, given the fact that there was very limited choice of anything else to eat anyway, perhaps it would be too much to expect them to make a pretty uncomplicated salmon bagel! I didn 't say this, but I did say, but I might have wasted last time if you had just put on your board what time your lunch menu starts. And then I left. But before I got to the door, the male coworker who has been looking at me challengingly before, shouted across from where he was preparing something, calling out, Did you say, put the time up? . I paused and replied, yes, it would be helpful to say that you had a rigid start time of 12:30 PM for lunch on your board. Because someone like me has arrived at 12:15 and not unreasonably. Have expected lunch menu to be available. But now I 've wasted my time. I then left before he continued, which I anticipated would not have been a friendly dialogue. I mean, seriously, so much bad in this… She didn 't know what time the lunch menu started, I 'm actually suspecting there isn 't a good time, but they just couldn 't be bothered to begin… And then that guy there, cruising for some sort of fight with a customer… I 'm a 61 year old average size woman, just looking for a sandwich and coffee. I had a feeling he wouldn 't have been looking challengingly at me like that and then shouting across the café if I 'd been my brother, a younger 6 ' 3 guy. The whole experience has put me on scales forever. They need to sort out their staff training and practice very basic principles of customer service

Don't waste your money here, this place is overpriced. The olive bread is delicious, but it has shrunk to more closely resemble a baguette. It costs about three times as much as olive bread from a well-known supermarket. While it does have more olives, you could buy a kilo of olives for the price difference.

Today I was presented with a small handleless cup/bowl overfilled with coffee, put on a tray.How are you supposed to drink that? At my request the girl poured my coffee into a larger mug with handles. It was barely warm when I drank it, a minute later. My first and last visit to Gails . Very Expensive place, with no atmosphere.

The quality is good, I just find it a little overpriced. however I suggest the ham and cheese croissant and soho bun, I love how they are made with off-cuts of croissant dough, which would otherwise go to waste, and dark chocolate chips.

Claudia and Illiana were working and were both very kind and friendly. Claudia suggested a great breakfast and Iliana suggested to try the rose cake delicious They sanitized the table for me before I sat down to put me at ease, and they both make the atmosphere in Gails very light and friendly Thank you