Botanical Gardens - the Curators House

[Riccardoh 10]

Hi all,

 

I want a bit of advice on the Curators House in the botanical gardens as I'd like to take my elderly grandparents there for lunch on Wednesday:

 

• Is it suitable for OAPs,
  
• Is it well ventilated?
  
• Would parking be bad - they've got a disable sticker!
  
• Is the food nice?
  
• Can you make reservations?
  

 

Thanks a lot,

 

Richard.

[Claret 10]

I work in the area and sometimes pop in for lunch. Food is ok actually and they often have some bargain wines on at £1.50 a glass! It's a haven for grannies and yummy mummy's with their kids. Well ventilated? No less than anywhere else! They have a conservatory area and i would imagine the doors/windows would be open in the summer - they also have an outside area. Not too sure about parking or the reservations. Maybe call them?

 

One warning - the service can be very slack. There are a couple of girls working there who obviously don't want to be there!

[pippadoll 10]

My worst experience EVER from a Sheffield cafe or restaurant. I rarely complain publicly about local businesses and try to deal with the owner/ manager to resolve the issue, however, today I have been left with little choice.

On almost all occasions we choose to avoid chains and use local businesses, but I regret this today.

I have used this cafe fairly regularly under the old and newer owners and whilst I knew the service was slow and the place a bit grubby, I always looked through this because of its idyllic location. However today is the last time I will give this place a penny of my hard earned cash. Please take heed.

 

It started prior to ordering. A woman came to ask for a napkin. The older woman taking orders replied rather brusquely, why, the customer replied that her daughter had a piece of cake without one. She grudgingly handed it over. A bad sign on two counts; serving cake without a napkin and then questioning a customer. My husband and I chuckled about this and what the owner might say if they were aware of the poor treatment of customers!!!!

 

We ordered and paid for drinks and sat in the sun. We waited and waited and waited. We had frozen food in the car and as the temperature was rising, we needed to hurry. My husband advised against asking if they would mind prioritising our drinks, given the napkin response, however I ignored his warning.

 

I went into the cafe and waited quietly. I heard the older woman ask for the girls to come out of the back to help with drinks, nobody came out. There was a tray with two stained mugs on the counter,which I had assumed were dirty. I explained my predicament to the older woman, asking if she could prioritise my drinks as we had waited a long time. What a mistake. She turned around, glared and started a tirade of abuse about other people waiting, being busy, it being Mother's Day and I had to wait my turn. I responded sharply about being in a hurry and would she do this, accepting it was unfair on other customers who had waited longer. She then encouraged a regular customer to say I was being unreasonable, who I ignored, as it was nothing to do with him. She pushed the tray with stained mugs towards me and said these drinks were next. She then shouted that she was refusing to serve me and would give me my money back.

 

She slammed a calculator in front if me, I am not sure why and went to the till. I asked for her name. She spun around, Shouted Jayne and offered to write it down. She then said, I am not sure what you will do with it because I am the owner. She then laughed. So I said I would tweet and use forums to complain. She walked away and I had to ask for my money back. This was the owner. Unbelievable. So here I am on the forum and I may have to report her for food hygiene judging by the state of the mugs the next customer was to be served in.

 

Never ever ever have I experienced this. She should not be running a business and then setting such a bad example to her young staff.

 

Rant over. I went home and made a lovely Coffee, with a blend from Pollards, in clean cups.

Edited March 30, 2014 by pippadoll