Caffe Nero - Newcastle upon Tyne

I was not impressed with this restaurant. It needs a good cleaning and makeover. The chairs are dirty and torn, the tables need to be replaced or cleaned, and the walls are badly stained. The toilets are in a disgraceful condition. The staff also need to be more welcoming. It is extremely cold inside, with the air conditioning blowing out cold air on cold days. Customers have to sit with coats on, possibly to discourage them from staying too long as there is now a rule requiring the purchase of drinks every hour to remain seated. I understand the reasoning behind this rule, as some people linger for hours on end using the internet, making it difficult to find a seat. However, I do not understand why the coffee shop cannot make improvements, especially since it is part of a chain that should not allow its outlets to become neglected. I will not be returning and will instead spend my money at a warm, friendly, and clean coffee shop next time.

The coffee at this restaurant is average and the cleanliness could definitely be improved. The tables are often left uncleared, and it seems like there is a high turnover rate among the staff. It appears that the baristas are always newcomers in training.

I visited Cafe Nero on Acorn Road on September 22, 2023. The service was average, but there was a delay in heating up my order. The table we were seated at was unstable, causing our drinks to spill slightly. It was a bit frustrating having to hold one side of the table down while trying to eat and drink. I tried to leave a review after receiving an email asking about my experience, but encountered an error that prevented me from doing so. I hope to hear back from Cafe Nero regarding this issue.

The issue with Caffè Nero, Jesmond, is that it's really run down and rather dirty. The tables are often left uncleared, the loos are pretty grotty and the place generally needs a good deep clean and a bit of updating too. Of course, it's a popular place situated as it is in the heart of a popular area and it attracts local residents and plenty of students alike, so they probably make a fair profit but it would be good if some of that were to be re invested. The staff are pretty good on the whole although there seems to be a steady turnaround. The coffee can be variable but usually OK. The food options are often limited or out of stock. There are tables inside and out, but it can get crowded and there are always a good number of customers who hog tables with laptops etc and stay put for the duration. Just make a start with clearing tables and giving the place a clean, that would go a long way ...

Please note this has been my favourite go to spot for coffee in Jesmond, until ... Saturday 29th April, 4pm, chilly afternoon. Self and two friends go in for coffee (in theory, the cafe is open until 7pm so no problem with timing. A few hardy souls are sitting outdoors at tables in the forecourt but it 's really too cold for that, so we go indoors. The place is quite full but not exactly busy as most tables are occupied by customers who 've finished their drinks and settled down with lap tops or phones, so they are making no demands on the staff. I find an empty table, friends join short queue at counter, where there are two people serving. They come back to me flustered and obviously put out, having been told we may purchase coffee but must drink it outside. This is so confusing that we try again (by this time I 've abandoned our table, which has immediately been occupied by someone else hoping to sit/drink there, so I find another table and the queue is again joined. Nope we are NOT permitted to drink indoors, and even on asking why (should we have had to ask? we 're told it 's because they 're short staffed. We have no alternative except to shuffle out (as do the couple who came in after us thoroughly confused and embarrassed, watched by those privileged customers who HAVE been allowed to sit in. What on earth was going on? You don 't offer table service, so why was it too much trouble to sell a coffee to a customer who would drink it indoors (where there was clearly room than to sell same coffee to someone who would drink it in the forecourt? It wasn 't even a matter of staff being needed to clear tables, as a small hand chalked blackboard did announce that all drinks would be served in disposable take out mugs, a gesture that presumably saved on the staff time needed to collect and clean china ones, though hardly in accordance with any eco friendly policy concerning single use packaging. We would have put up (albeit with some annoyance with this unheralded change of policy and practice, but were not prepared to sit out in the cold. At the VERY least there should have been clear signage at the door to say Wanna come in and drink coffee? Don 't bother, you CAN 'T . That at least would have saved us, and the customers who came in after us, from the embarrassment of being visibly unwelcome in an environment where there was room for us and we might reasonably have had every expectation of utilising the exact service the place is set up to provide, as others were clearly doing. The staff seemed embarrassed when they should have been instantly forthcoming, telling us as soon as we set foot inside the door that our custom wasn 't wanted and telling us exactly why. Though your policy here would have remained opaque to any regular user, at least the experience wouldn 't have ruined our afternoon.