John Lewis West Quay - Southampton

Popped in for lunch today and it was absolutely delicious. Staff were courteous and quick. Tables were clean and cleared quickly. Great view out of the full length windows too PS. Really wanted a pie but they were too popular today. V Happy with my second choice.

I called in for a quick coffee and cake prior to an appointment in Southampton. I am Coeliac and required help with the choice of cake that was gluten free. When I asked the Assistant she said “ I am not at liberty to help you… you will have to go and look at the labels”? JL how can you be so uncaring and unhelpful? What has happened to your customer service? Then on top of not helping me I was told “you have to help yourself”. To add insult to injury, on top of the cakes, inside the cake covers, were the spatulas that people had handled. Not great hygiene especially since there has been a rise in flu/covid/Norovirus. Come on JL you are suppose to be a leader in care of your customers.

Have been a regular customer since the shop opened. Restaurant is rapidly going downhill. Increasingly limited food selection and increasingly slow disinterested service. Tables no longer cleared promptly. Tables not properly wiped down by bored-looking staff. Now trolleys to take used trays are wheeled out and left in gangways and dangerously beside stairways. Has now become a place to avoid.

Arrived just gone 9am for coffee and croissants after dreadful train journey to Southampton. 5 staff standing behind coffee station chatting away, and asked for 2 cappacino, and 2 croissants. After waiting several minutes was told that the milk had not been collected so would have to wait, also no butter for croissants as had been left out in back kitchen. I would never go into this restaurant again, service absolutely appalling and staff thoroughly rude. Also noticed customers waiting for cooked breakfast were queuing for ages. Avoid at all costs.

Thought I'd pop in and try the breakfast as my previous experiences of the John Lewis Restaurant, although some time ago, had been pretty good and John Lewis is considered to be a well respected and quality brand so though they'd have food of a high standard. Wish I hadn't bothered! I had The Full Breakfast which I'm pretty sure is the worst cooked breakfast I've had, the only redeeming features being the freshly fried egg and hot baked beans. Sausage was cheap and nasty, Bacon overdone from being left too long under a heat lamp, Bubble and Squeak Hash Brown tasted terrible as did the mushrooms and the normal Hash Brown could at best could be described as meh. There was at least five staff behind the hot food counter, only two appeared to being doing anything while the other three were having a nice chill out while their two colleagues ran around doing everything and the queue steadily built up due to the slow service. Pretty sure I was overcharged too but as they wouldn't give me a receipt I can't be sure. Avoid! I can pretty much guarantee anywhere else in West Quay is better.