The British cafe experience is surely one of the most depressing ways to spend leisure time

[moondog]

Queues and queues of folk in beige all wanting 'three lattes, four hot chocolates and two cappucinos'. One feckless soul preparing it all, thus huge backlog.
Shuffle with tray and variety of horrid stainless steel jugs and teapots to checkout, with said items sliding all over the place, risking giving their degree burns to all and sundry.
Shuffle to filthy sticky table.
Pay through the nose for the experience.

Totally shit.
This was Dunham Massey (NT) last week. I avoid any sort of café generally but dd wanted something hot and said she was happy to wait.

God, it is so depressing. And why do British folk have such an extraordinary fondness for sticky milky drinks?
Bleurgh.

I think it's like that in smarter or trendier cafes. Queues in National Trust tearooms do tend to move very slowly indeed.

In old-school proper caffs it's much, much better.

Yabu to whinge about something optional. Don't like it dooooont goooooo. Ah freedom.

Oh, nowt like a good whinge.
Most cathartic.

Oh how funny

I read OP and said to self tee hee the OP would get on well with our Moony, and well, whaddya know

(You know you've spent Too Much Time on MN when this happens)

IKWYM OP - much better somewhere like Spain, where you are shown to a table and get to sit in comfort while someone serves you.

It's funny how we don't generally do table service isn't it?

I think in pubs they'd sell so much more booze if people didn't put off fighting their way to the bar, and in cafes it'd eradicate the stress of hoping there's a table free by the time you've gone through the queue.

Well, NT cafés are a law unto themselves, and not representative at all! All the cafés round here are table service only (I do not count Costa and the like as cafés). And are fab.

Table service in my cafe .

Menu on blackboard , order taken . Meals and drinks served at table .

Nice milky hot drinks served as well as lovely cold drinks

Agree Hoohah. Back in my youth my local was so packed they used to do table service shots to save people queuing up - t'was marvellous.

Thats because you went to the cafe at Dunham. They have a captive market so don't bother simply because they can.

There are some lovely places to eat or get a snack nearby. The Rope and Anchor pub nearby springs to mind. It is utterly wonderful, and has an excellent beer garden and childrens play area.

The rule is if you go somewhere touristy, never expect to get the best meal or service where all the other tourists are. Head a street or two over to find the gems.

Oh and I can think of loads of cafes that are wonderful - great food and wonderful service.

So YABU.

I don't mind a pub scrum.
They aren't promising anything different and on an evening it's part of the routine and stops you getting pissed too quick I dare say.
But in a bloody café where you are being charged through the nose.
Pah!!
Why can't we have a stylish yet unpretentious café culture?
I don't do queueing like this as a rule, but dd had her heart set on it.
Forgettable I have been surprisingly Pollyanna-ish of recent but this experience released my pent up churlishness which I am enjoying unleashing.

You've only yourself to blame for going to a grotty NT place.

My local favourite cafe is table service, delicious reasonably priced food all cooked to order by the lovely French ladies who own it, beautiful baking too, some nice foodie treats to buy as gifts all hand wrapped, plus great coffee, free refills and newspapers/mags to browse, quiet relaxing music, interesting art from a local gallery that changes monthly ... It's a wee haven and I enjoy a visit there about once a week as part of my "me" time to relax away from the house.

You just need to find somewhere (probably an independent) that takes pride in providing good service and food, and enjoy!

Sorry meant to include a at the end of my first sentence! it sounds a little harsh without it!

No, au contraire Toomuch.
You are absolutely right and I am filled with self loathing ad deserve to be humiliated by online folk.n
Tis only right.

We do where I live, cafe culture I mean, it's lovely.

I leave the old folk to NT tbh.....

Dunham. Massey has 2 cafés. Both are a bit of a rip,off and always packed. Worst is everyone queuing for hot meals from 11.45 when they start serving at 12.

Rope and. Anchor OK but a bit expensive and is a pub rather than a cafe.

Redhouse Farm up the road has a decent cafe but gets busy. We waited 35 mins just to be served the other week.

I think you are NBU. Cafés are usually a rip off.

Er pub????!!

Er pub????!!

How many remember the 'greasy spoons' of the 60's and 70's.

Grim, smoke filled hovels where everything was fried and the owner would have no hesitation in insulting you, and you would insult him back.

I used to go to one in Hammersmith when skiving from my A' level lessons (Latymer Upper). It had a downstairs bit that was out of view from Kings Street. Fantastic place for a crafty fag and a few games of pin-ball.

We called it 'The Beaver', I'm not sure if that was it's real name.

Should we bring these places back?

Yes sounds great!

I didn't used to mind a pub scrum either moondog, and yes, it did used to delay getting so pissed However, I find as I get older and more invisible, it can really spoil an evening, being thirsty and ignored.

Yes to the return of the greasy spoon! Preferably with nicer coffee though.

I'd be happier with a greasy spoon that does not pretend to be what it isn't.
I'm no snob. I think somewhere like Premier Inn is fantastic and would never shell out on an expensive place to sleep.
Now I just sit and get pleasantly plastered in my middle class middle aged kitchen.
It must all be just do however.
Nice glasses, good wine.
No way am I squandering free time.

Don't blame you, vegetarian cafes are generally friendly and you can get cheap food and drink.

That's a lovely poem Now you've made me think of wine.