To think Sainsbury’s cafe is better than M&S?

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Went to a M&S cafe with dd yesterday thinking I could buy something like lasagne or fish and chips, but all they were serving was their overpriced cakes and jacket potatoes and soups. There was nothing nice to eat. So we left and went and bought exactly the same sandwiches in their food hall for half the price.

Sainsbury’s cafes have a massive variety of foods and warm snacks for adults and children.

Really sad I made a thread about it, but M&S disappointed me. They disappoint a lot, except I bought really nice basic black socks for £2.50. 5 pairs.

I quite like the Morrison’s cafe even though I don’t shop there! Kiddos eat free and they even have vegan options.

Haven’t been to an M&S cafe in years but didn’t they used to do hot meals - they were just their ready meals which they heated up IIRC?

Thing is a meal at an independent café is a lot more than one in Morrison's generally speaking.

I mean Morrison's had the 2 adult meals and 2 kids ones for £10 so really good value for money.

Our local Sainsbury’s cafe is awful. The food is salty and bland, and don’t ask them to warm up a toasty for god’s sake, I’m sure they just breathe on it.

Never been to M&S cafe.Our one is boiling in summer and freezing in winter. I’ve only stepped in the door then stepped back out again.

M&S clothes quality is appalling.

I think it depends on the M and S. We have a huge one, and the food is good. IMO their coffee is probably the best in any cafe - chain or independent.

Any sainsbo cafe I've been to has been appalling.

M&S aren't much to write home about either, but they have good scones, some reasonable hot options and their kids meal deals are brilliant.

Yeah their coffee is great.

Supermarket cafes are brilliant for toddlers, always something they'll eat, fresh fruit and veg options, loads of space and tons of highchairs. Yes, Sainsburys is better than M&S for kids.

M&S is better for toasted sandwiches & cake.

Sainsbury's for hot meals when you could eat a horse.

You need realistic expectations of both places though.

Our local M&S cafe is big and does soups, potatoes, chicken burgers, some platters like ploughmans etc and I think some sort of rice dishes as well as hot breakfasts.

My three year old enjoys the kids range which for a sandwich or hot item, fruit, sweet treat and drink costs £4 which I don’t think is bad for the quality, down in the South East at least.

I’ve had the burger a couple of times and it’s been hit and miss.

Mostly I go with DS to get him a snack and me a coffee/cake.

I’m sure a lot (most) of the hot food isn’t cooked from scratch but we quite enjoy our visits as it’s very local and still open when we’re heading back from nursery.

Cafe at my local Sainsbury’s is abysmal, coffee just about passable but the food is grim.

Our local M&S cafe is awful - never any cakes left by mid afternoon, miserable staff who can't be bothered to help, dirty tables every where.

Local Sainsbury's is much better - friendly staff, cheap, loads of high chairs. Coffee is terrible though.

I love M&S cafes, sainsburys cafes are depressing imo. TBH if I was after a hot meal when out and about with a child I'd go to a child friendly pub.

I prefer Sainsbury's the coffee in our's is really good. I don't get anything in M & S now. I think the quality is really poor on a lot of things and very overpriced. We often get M & S vouchers for Christmas and it's a struggle to find something to buy with them. Last year got a table cloth but it was very badly made and is about 6 inches wider on one end than the other. Makes you wonder about their quality control.

The food is good in Sainsbury's but I always find them a bit grubby... only been to two but always sticky tables and food all over the floor!

Out of all the supermarket cafés I've been to,I think Morrisons are the best. Their breakfasts are great,and only about a fiver for a really full plate.

Naaaww reminisces about being taken to sainsburys cafe as a kid I used to think it was fancy because they put sweetcorn on the salad garnish for the jacket potatoes! I still get excited when I find that tbh

I almost never think to go as an adult, but have always had enjoyable reasonably priced meals. Don't know where the nearest m&s with a cafe actually is! I'll have to find one to compare, right after I tell all the independent cafes near me to stop serving hot food

Our Sainsbury's cafe is newish but service and food selection poor. Few other hot food outlets available in town at 5:30, but had no jacket potatoes, had to check if they were serving any hot food and then it was limited to certain frozen TTD meals. Not busy at all but tables not cleared and customer trays stacked up. On a previous visit it had taken ages to get even a toasted sandwich.

I'd forgotten Morrisons! Yes, they are the best of the supermarket cafes. I've had close on the best fish and chips ever in a Morrisons. Plus their breakfasts are great value for size of the plateful.

I agree OP.

In our area I'd probably rate the supermarket cafes as follows:

1. Morrison's
2. Sainsbury’s
3. Waitrose
4. Tesco
5. M & S

My M&S local cafe sells
Fish and chips
Jackets
Lasagne
All. Day breakfast
Mac cheese
Toasties
Soups
And the normal Cold Selection

Christ no. Our Sainsbury’s is awful. Just so many things wrong, I wouldn’t even know where to start.

The M&S is like a restaurant in comparison.

And our Morrison’s is fine if you want to have to do everything yourself, including pressing the buttons on the screen for what you want ordered. The staff in ours often don’t know what comes with what, you have to read the screen for them, then they shout out to someone in the back “have we got xxx” and the answer is always no.

M&S really is the only place where getting a meal is straightforward. And they bring it to you, that’s nice.

I don't consider M&S to be a proper cafe, it just a tea and cake place with a smattering of sandwiches.

Morrison's are by far the best and most consistent. I used to like Tesco - they were similar to Morrison's with a good selection of hot meals and their breakfasts were great but in the last 5 years the selection is poor, lack consistency across stores and for some inexplicable reason brought in the god awful Costa Coffee to many of their locations at the expense of their cafe.

I find Sainsburys cafes a bit canteen ish and not as good value as you think they would be, although the toasted teacakes (square shape) win hands down. The big gripe I have had with Marks and Spencer for years and years is how incredibly slow the service is. It doesn't seem to matter how many staff they have, it's usually one person serving and others milling around. They run out of things but still keep the sign up saying available frustratingly often.

Does no one else’s M&S do hot meals? Ours have afternoon tea, jacket potatoes, chilli, roast dinners, soups, and ham egg and chip type meals. Lovely salad to come with it.

We don’t ever have problems at ours except that there’s no where to sit on the weekends because it’s so busy but they have a nice outside area. Staff always good. 4 making and delivering coffee and 2 at the tills. Maybe it’s the size of our store that makes the difference to the menu, the cafe seats about 200 I’d guess?

I loved the kids meal deal, that was good but I don’t think it’s on anymore.