THE CAMBRIA, CAMBERWELL

Let me start by saying, this is the first ever comment I have posted anywhere, on any website about anything, Honestly! I had such a negative experience at the Cambria (TWICE!), I just had to comment.

Short version, otherwise I will be here all day!

First Visit � June 2010 - A friend and I went for lunch, during the week, no one else in there. Great, we thought in and out! 1 hour and ten minutes later we received our lunch. Yes, 1 hr 10 mins! At no point did the very unfriendly bar staff come to explain, at the 45 minute mark I had to enquire, which I was told, it was 5 mins away, I asked this 3 times. We had to ask for some bread to eat (not offered!), as we were starving. Apparently the lentils needed cooking from scratch, which we know takes along time. How about telling us that when we ordered!!! It would have been nice to be given the choice to order something quicker! After much disappointment, they offered us a voucher for two free meals.

Second Visit � Sep 2010 � What a mistake! Why on earth we gave them a second chance I do not know... After presenting the voucher, the hospitality went very cold, you think they would have bent over backwards! �Why do they have a free voucher? Let�s take extra care of them as it must be for a reason.� Well, you would at least think they would ask! You won�t believe this, but 1 hour and 10 mins later we received our very average meal! After the table next to us received their meal, 50 mins after ordering curry and rice, I went to ask how long our meal would be only to be told the ticket had not printed and the kitchen doesn�t have our order. I explained why I had the free voucher, and what happened last time. The owner was informed, she then left the table she was drinking at with friends, came over and apologized, saying respectively �I don�t know what to say� Say something I said, at least explain?? Apparently the ticket machine went down at the exact time we placed our order and then started working again 30 seconds after when the table next to me order, silly ticket machine! Nothing to do with the waitress not entering it...

A free drink later, and some bread (that I had to ask for AGAIN!) we ate a mushroom and stilton pie, with no evidence of stilton, and at least a table spoon of pepper accompanied by wall paper paste, sorry bland mashed potato, and a pre made purchased burger that I had to check wasn�t a warm bit of rubber! I�m laughing now thinking about, it�s not even worth saying anymore about the food.

Now please understand I am not some bored, angry little man who goes around writing negative reviews about people and places to make myself feel better. This is the very first, and mostly likely the very last review I have ever written and will ever write. But, my experiences at the The Cambria (TWICE) with the unwelcoming, unhelpful & clueless staff, very amateur cafe cooks brought me to this point.

Good points, the cider was ok, and the jazz band was very soothing, both out of control of the Cambria. Stay well away from this place, save your money and buy a tin of beans from the supermarket.

21 Sep 2010 10:30