The CAFE : BAR by Benugo at John Lewis

Staff not very approachable, looked very unhappy. I arrived 1445, they close 430pm and everything was already cleaned and they refused me a hot sandwich. They had cleaned everything way too soon considering they close at 430. Laziness and just could not be bothered it seems. Never mind.

Nice food and cup of tea ok. Member of Staff who served me not too engaging. Made me get a tray. Understand the health and safety aspect but i currently can't carry a heavy tray and was about to ask for help but put off and felt embarrassed to ask due to her manner. A younger waitress a lot more friendly but didn't serve me.

I have been to this coffee shop several times now and every time I question whyEverything is consistently dreadful - the cleanliness, the mannerisms of the staff and their overall attitude stinks!Each time my coffee has been served with dirty cups and saucers and when asked to change I received a snarky comment and look from the woman servingThere are also no vegan lunch options and when asked if there were any the woman just stated rudely ‘we have what we have’Do not visit here unless you want to be put in a bad mood and possibly made ill by unhygienic cups and cutlery!I am appalled by John Lewis and shall not be returning unless they sort it out - their staff need a serious talking to

This is a place where the customer is NOT always right. I eat scones on a regular basis and here I was told that the lumpy cream for scones was standard. With management not even knowing the standard it should be, in addition to arguing with the customer.

Disappointed. An independent company within John Lewis as The Cafe Bar" by Benugo at John Lewis. More like a depleted service station cafe. My chai latte was out of a tin of powder I could have bought at Sainsbury's. I wish I'd given my business to a local independent in Cheadle."

Impressed with range of tasty food options, whether sandwiches or hot or cold mains.Good selection of cakes and superb scones.Staff are efficient and friendly.Coffee isn’t strong enough for our tastes. Fancy coffee options have far too much milk foam or froth (air!) than a decent cup of actual coffee with a beautiful crema.Wish there was a choice of larger flat white available too - they are always served in small cups which isn’t a satisfying quantity of coffee.It’s always a busy cafe but we don’t usually wait too long to be served, we tend to opt for a late lunch just to avoid the main rush.Personally I’ve missed the original cafe and cake bar, also the sandwich bar at the back of it offered more extensive, interesting choices when the Cheadle store first opened. The current offerings have since been rationalised and are therefore limited but we’ve managed to find an acceptable tasty option nonetheless.The current self serve system of push button hot drinks machines feels impersonal, akin to a cold, canteen-like experience, in a similar fashion to Ikea. Dislike using them as the coffee is bland. That said, it is far quicker and more effective than a barista service if your time is at a premium. There is also a manned hot drinks station (rather tucked away!) for when the queue isn’t long.A particular bugbear is the queues at the tills are extremely busy and slow whenever we’ve been. This is frustrating because any hot food gets colder which is less palatable. Just never enough staff manning the tills.Plenty of tables which are cleared and cleaned effectively.Overall the cafe and food are very good, the staff are generally efficient and helpful. Room for improvement with the strength of coffee and the canteen vibe around the drinks machines, also the quantity of flat whites. Need to improve the tills to achieve a quicker flow when paying.

Been 2 times when visiting JL and had Chicken Laksi both times and its delicious!! Any chance of the recipe???Well done!! Judith

Horrid place, food is mediocre and expensive. Some staff are lovely, the manager is super rude and unhelpful, has a serious chip on her shoulder.

Great hot sandwiches and flavourful flat white. Can get busy with JL and Sainsbury nearby, but it was quiet on our visit. Staff friendly and service was swift.Big recommendation would be the hot ciabattas.