The Café by BENUGO image

The Café by BENUGO

Cafe

😠 Came here on the 13 of February and stood in a very long queue patiently ( is expected of a Sunday so that was all fine). Was looking forward to a nice pot of tea as the weather was miserable. We finally approached the cash machine to pay and the cashier was absolutely horrendous, really awful. You... People often mention coffee, cafe, John, Lewis, service, staff, Nice, good, soup, cakes,


Address

220 Buchanan St, Glasgow G1 2FF, United Kingdom

Website

www.benugo.com

Contact

+44 141 332 2451

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

3.40 (229 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 9:30 am to 5 pm
  • Thursday: 9:30 am to 5 pm
  • Friday: 9:30 am to 5 pm
  • Saturday: 9:30 am to 5 pm
  • Sunday: 9:30 am to 5 pm
  • Monday: 9:30 am to 5 pm
  • Tuesday: 9:30 am to 5 pm

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: coffee (20) cafe (16) John (15) Lewis (15) service (12) staff (11) Nice (10) good (10) soup (8) cakes (8)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 1/5 It’sLily 2 years ago on Google
    Came here on the 13 of February and stood in a very long queue patiently ( is expected of a Sunday so that was all fine). Was looking forward to a nice pot of tea as the weather was miserable. We finally approached the cash machine to pay and the cashier was absolutely horrendous, really awful. You can tell she has a senior position as she was moaning at the girls making the hot drinks. We get to pay and we say the tea and she starts muttering something about a queue under her breath and we ask her to repeat what she was saying as she was quite obviously annoyed about something . She then proceeds to say ‘there’s one queue you know and you skipped it …’. We had not, she had even served us in the queue ( to make up for the backlog of orders). And then she said yes you did blah blah blah . Anyway she eventually begrudgingly apologised, but obviously didn’t care as she was too up on her own high horse to care. Obviously having a senior role has gotten to her head a little bit. Someone working with customers should at least try to act a bit friendly ( even if they are completely bitter on the inside).A wholly unenjoyable experience to such a nice day ..
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Amy C. 2 years ago on Google
    My first visit to this cafe and I wouldn’t rush back. My instant impression was that the two ladies who were serving were very rude and unfriendly and one actually spoke really disrespectfully to an elderly lady in front of me. I nearly walked out. A smile and common courtesy costs nothing. Several reviews on here mention these rude staff members - management should be sorting this problem. All other staff were friendly and efficient.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Marissa J. 1 year ago on Google
    Just sat down as the John Lewis shop itself was a bit warm and we wanted to think over the ideas. There was a tall gentleman making coffee who was very lovely and nice and polite, what you would expect. But unfortunately there was a blonde young lady and a young men with dark hair that both were very rude and short off, can't even call it customer service or whatsoever just plain rudeness. A shame for a company as John Lewis to have sich rude careless people working at the cafe at their company.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Bjorn A. 1 year ago on Google
    The restaurant in John Lewis, Glasgow is no longer part of that firm I was told. Bought a bowl of lentil soup that was very watery and served with a bit of stale bread. Not impressed.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Nicholas V. 2 years ago on Google
    A group of three of us went to grab a light lunch on Tuesday 26 October. Service felt chaotic. A staff member was then rude as I tried to get some sugar which had not been offered with teas. We had a lentil soup and a New York style roll which were both adequate. However a salmon and cream cheese bagel was stale. Its replacement, a fruit scone, had not been cooked properly and/or not defrosted. I had to prompt staff to get a refund when I took that back too. Finally, the place was a tip. Staff were struggling to clear plates and crockery. Café by Benugo is independent of John Lewis. However the store suffers by association. Lewis have a much better house cafe on the first floor.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Arslan Ali K. 5 years ago on Google
    Love it?

  • 3/5 Mahat M. 5 years ago on Google
    Expensive

  • 4/5 Chris H. 5 years ago on Google
    Nice coffee and cafe.

  • 5/5 Isabel J. 5 years ago on Google
    Very good

  • 2/5 Meg S. 5 years ago on Google
    I got charged full price despite having a free coffee voucher, no change in the till only two people serving and it's packed. No milk poured out and grab bag of cutlery I won't be back.

  • 4/5 Jim L. 5 years ago on Google
    Good coffee.

  • 4/5 alex c. 5 years ago on Google
    Pricey but good coffee

  • 2/5 Geoff M. 5 years ago on Google
    Benugo will be laughing all the way to the bank at these prices !

  • 5/5 Phyllis C. 5 years ago on Google
    Great choice of cakes, lovely coffee friendly staff.

  • 3/5 Glenn B. 5 years ago on Google
    Good service and good food.

  • 5/5 Tamara E. 5 years ago on Google
    The decaf coffee was great!

  • 2/5 Owen R. 5 years ago on Google
    Filthy cup, the lady before had a cracked cup, no teaspoons.

  • 5/5 Iain K. 4 years ago on Google
    Good range of food on offer. Reasonably priced.

  • 2/5 Fiona C. 1 year ago on Google
    Coffee was nice - very hot (often flat whites are a bit tepid) but the carrot cake is horrible. It isn't just dry, it's arid! Tastes as if it's been bathing under a spotlight all week. Yeugh!

  • 1/5 Shirley O. 1 year ago on Google
    20/4/22 12.00 approximately- Coffee as always was lovely but salmon & cream cheese bagel so very stale - inedible. Got refund but senior person who issued it was very grumpy & refused to refund my card & slung cash back quite grudgingly. Poor service . Expect more from a place within John Lewis .

  • 4/5 Phil B. 5 years ago on Google
    Just OK really, prefer the ‘Place to Eat’ cafe on the 1st floor, go there instead, far better views up Sauchiehall Street, I’m sure the cakes are cheaper down there too, service with a smile though and if you have a John Lewis card there’s always freebies on the go.

  • 1/5 Douglas A. 1 year ago on Google
    The most awful service possible. We knew this was a cafe to avoid but I needed a sugar boost before heading home. As we walked in a staff member carted off a tray of cakes. I asked for one and each staff member denied they existed. We were left to choose from the scones that were going in the bin. I told the staff I was not happy and they just smiled and denied what I said had happened. This has never been a good cafe to visit, choice is however limited .

  • 1/5 Elaine L. 1 year ago on Google
    The most watery salty supposedly butternut squash soup with a standard piece of mass bread for £5.75. It is not difficult to make good soup cheaply. Very unimpressed by this low standard by John Lewis.

  • 1/5 Karen M. 1 year ago on Google
    Oh dear! Visited today.....wish the old John Lewis cafe was still there. Place was cold. Selection of cakes etc. nothing like what it used to be. Used to get small pot of cream for Americano coffee, not now. Even the surroundings are bleak. Won't be back.

  • 5/5 glessart g. 1 year ago on Google
    Visited this place on a cold winter's day to get a nice, warming plate of soup. Service was quick and soup was delicious. Quite a relaxing place with the seating well spread out. Would go back again.

  • 1/5 Philip H. 1 year ago on Google
    We had a coffee for 2 and a sandwich at the John Lewis glasgow. The coffee was in paper cups and the service was very slow ,despite there being plenty staff. After a long wait we were glad we had not ordered a full lunch. We had intended to make a day of it in Glasgow and have dinner but after this experience we left disappointed and got a bus back home.

  • 4/5 Sarah M. 7 months ago on Google
    Nice fairly large cafe. Good selection of drinks and food. Alternative milks are available. Staff seemed a little stiff and somewhat miserable but were efficient enough. The ginger cake was lovely.

  • 3/5 Kenny M. 11 months ago on Google
    Food quality is pretty good and cafe is spacious but it’s expensive and kinda slow

  • 1/5 Carole M. 1 year ago on Google
    Visited today at 1pm. Only a handful of tables were clean. I would say that about 20 tables were waiting to be cleaned. Very poor selection of hot food available (cheap canteen quality). Large queue and lack lustre service. I opted for scone and coffee but very average quality. Disgraceful for a good quality store to be entertaining such poor quality food and service. Not acceptable. From the number of poor reviews displayed here, John Lewis obviously do not value their customers' opinions.

  • 2/5 mark j. 6 months ago on Google
    Bit misleading you think your in John Lewis but no your not looks empty and stale food very basic cakes expensive £7 sandwich but kids sandwich meal is ok will not be coming back

  • 1/5 Shelley B. 1 year ago on Google
    I stopped of here for a coffee break while shopping, and wish I'd looked at reviews on trip advisor.!! I joined the queue with about 5 other customers in front, no food on sale. The female was going down the queue with a pad/pen asking what drinks we'd like, I'd said a latte, I was also going to pick a cake but found these to be not covered, so decided on a tunnocks tea cake, I'd since been asked at this point again 4 times more what drink I'd like, then while waiting I'd noticed the bread at the soup over on unit was not covered and upon looking around the silver units were so dusty,this is just not good house keeping at all, so I reached the coffee area and it was chaos as they were still asking what drinks people wanted... I'd eventually got mine to be honest it's the worst coffee I've tasted. When I sat down on closer inspection the whole restaurant needs a deep clean.. tables were needing cleared, cleaned, it just was not a friendly atmosphere.

  • 5/5 Michelle V. 4 years ago on Google
    I enjoy going in there for a relaxing pot of tea, salmon, avocado n cucumber brown sandwich, side salad. Diet coke. N people watching.

  • 5/5 Andrew G. 4 years ago on Google
    Great location, good value.. Wi fi and power point's... Free loo's..!

  • 5/5 D D. 5 years ago on Google
    This cafe is on the second floor of John Lewis within Glasgow Buchanan Galleries. Love the coffee and fruit scones and views into the Galleries of the dinosaur.

  • 4/5 Sarah V. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice cakes. Selection of cold drinks.

  • 4/5 Andrew G. 5 years ago on Google
    Nice cafe. Not a huge selection of cakes though.

  • 4/5 Morgwn D. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice coffee, quick pit shop. Very clean.

  • 5/5 Helen A. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice food nice staff.

  • 4/5 Kokotxas 5 years ago on Google
    On top floor of John Lewis, accessed through main store. Hot meals, snacks and hot and cold drinks. Homemade style cakes, meals look healthy. Prices seem reasonable. Seating usually available, quite a quiet spot, good view of shoppers below. Young staff friendly, probably students.

  • 5/5 Graham E. 4 years ago on Google
    Toasted sandwich and carrot cake both excellent. Found a seat no problem at 1.20 on a Thursday

  • 2/5 Rhona K. 4 years ago on Google
    Thought this cafe would have been so much better especially as its within John Lewis. Very few cold drinks to chose from and they weren't even chilled. I had a ham and cheese toastie which was far less tasty than I can make at home. My mum had tomato and carrot soup which she thoroughly enjoyed and it came roasting hot. We also shared a fruit cake which was nice. Had to wait about 8 mins though for a knife as they didn't have any. Didn't feel like a clean cafe at all. Disappointing to say the least.

  • 2/5 Jane M. 4 years ago on Google
    Scones like bricks

  • 5/5 David R. 4 years ago on Google
    Great Place

  • 4/5 Gordon M. 4 years ago on Google
    Q quiet Mon lunchtime,not much food on display & service bit slow.

  • 4/5 Alan J. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice and comfortable

  • 1/5 William I. 4 years ago on Google
    Poor service. No Afternoon Tea available at 2:30pm, no chef apparently. Not the first time I have visited here and been disappointed but it will be the last.

  • 2/5 C R. 4 years ago on Google
    Very disappointing lunch. £6.50 for A SLICE OF PIZZA which was cold ? (no prices visible anywhere). Kids box didn't come in a box and had a Tunnox caramel wafer rather than some healthy fruit. So over priced for low quality food and just not worth it, go somewhere else.

  • 2/5 Evelyn M. 4 years ago on Google
    The cafe used to be lovely . It is shabby looking now and not up to JL standards. Cakes were dry and expensive.

  • 3/5 Anne A. 4 years ago on Google
    Would have got five star but toasties wasn't toasted properly. Disappointing. Unfriendly server also ?

  • 2/5 Bob B. 4 years ago on Google
    Poor service and unappealing snacks and too expensive. However, the coffee was ok

  • 5/5 Michelle V. 4 years ago on Google
    I enjoyed my lunch. Side salad, salmon with avocado, cucumber, brown crusty bread. Pot of black tea (get me!) Ha! N a coke... In comfortable surroundings.

  • 1/5 Richard C. 4 years ago on Google
    Completely tasteless coffee and tea. Serving area looked dirty.

  • 4/5 Emily M. 4 years ago on Google
    Changes hands a lot, a little expensive for what is offered but beautiful setting

  • 3/5 Tracey M. 4 years ago on Google
    Very average...

  • 4/5 Bill H. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice place for a coffee and watch the world go by...

  • 5/5 Angela C. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice

  • 3/5 Julia I. 4 years ago on Google
    John lewis cafes always dissapoint. I think they are expensive for what you get and always seem a little chaotic.

  • 3/5 James G. 4 years ago on Google
    Quick service

  • 5/5 Marlo F. 4 years ago on Google
    Excellent afternoon tea. Waitress found duct tape and scissors so I could repair broken eyeglass frames!

  • 3/5 Helen N. 4 years ago on Google
    Room for improvement guys.

  • 5/5 heather c. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice cafe and if your like me u can watch people pass by while enjoying coffee and a cake very relaxing environment


Call +44 141 332 2451 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Breakfast
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✗ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway

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