The Sun and Doves, Camberwell

This pub has a lot going for it: garden is to die for; beer is good (& real, some of it); atmosphere is buzzy; there's a kitchen (closed due to running out of food, so can't comment,but they did run out: someone likes it). However, it also boasts the worst bar staff I have seen in years. It doesn't help that there's a clock directly on the wall opposite: yup, you guessed it; I had no choice but to look at it. So, the very cute airhead barmaid took 8 minutes to take an order for her friend with two meals, two drinks, one chat & the obligatory credit card transaction (why do girls always do this?). She then served another friend who was deep in the (unhappy) crowd rather than those who had been waiting the longest. The barman to my left took 18 minutes to work his way around to me (I give him credit that he worked strictly from right to left). An example of inexperience: a round of eight shots (Sambuca's I think). How do you pour them? Put them in a straight line next to each other & touching, pour away, spill 1 - 2% - 30 seconds? Not if you arrange them all nicely in a circle & fill them all gently one at a time. Spill = 0%, time taken 4 minutes - that's another punter gone as we were all dying of thirst (it was hot last night). On my side the standard order included a beer...but all the clean beer glasses were the other side of the bar...how many times did he weave his away over there, grab 2 glasses, weave back? I'm sure that's not rocket science (yes there was a space beneath his bit of the bar, I had an eternity to check that out). Basic training is what's needed: these guys & gals look 21 & act like it's a student bar for them & their mates. It's not good enough for central London, you will lose custom Mark: they need basic customer service training, fast, or I won't be back. If you want a recommendation of where it is done properly, go to the Firefly on Clapham Common Southside & watch the staff, you will learn a lot.

28 May 2005 11:40