Perfect Blend

Unfortunately this place has gone down hill.

Firstly - the staff are absolutely lovely and always are, very attentive and smiley.

However, the food previously was lovely, tasty and well presented. Now, the food is none of the above, we have given this place chance, after chance hoping that it would change as to what it previously was but its not looking hopeful. Food has been served multiple times, lukewarm, messy and overall disappointing. On a few occasions my child's food has come well after mine has been served and things have been missing.

Milkshake tastes like Nesquik, boozy cocktails served in plastic cups and coffee has been served warm on many occasions.

The menu needs updating (been the same choices for a long time), food standards needs upping and overall just needs revamping.

Please do this as I used to absolutely love this place.

I've just been there this morning to have brunch with the family.

The staff were all very young and tried really hard. They were packed and also the till wasn't working. It wasn't their fault but the service a bit poor. Food was decent though.

However what it was really disturbing was the way the manager treated the staff. He was extremely rude and swear at them in front of customers...one of the young waitress was at the bring of tears.

I will never return on based on today's experience.

I do hope the stuff find somewhere better, with proper training and where they are treated with a minimum of respect.

I used to enjoy visiting perfect blend, however customer service has gone out the window. I ordered a smoothie, mentioned that this sizing is different. Member of staff said we are making cuts then immediately walked away. Whilst there, waited so long for someone to approach the us. Hi Appalling, I asked for a take away cup as I was so disappointed as a frequent customer felt unwelcome requested a takeaway cup and the contents reduced to half a cup.

I did notice none of the usual staff were present maybe change of management nonetheless I decided to go meagan’s in Balham and it was amazing, as usual☺️.

The brunch was very poor. Pancakes from a packet. Poached eggs barely cooked. Even the white toast was terrible.

The cafe itself is very run down too.

Thought I would try Perfect Blend for an Americano having had excellent coffee there in the past. Not so this time sadly. (Extremely weak, barely any coffee flavour). I will try again though, in case this was a blip ....

Very cold! Do not come in winter!

I feel bad for writing this but I feel like people need to know not to come to this cafe in cold weather. I sat inside today (Tuesday 24th Jan 2023) for about three hours on my laptop, maybe 2pm til close at 5pm. I normally go to the workspace area in SW16 Bar & Kitchen but it was closed. I saw people also working on laptops so came in. I should have left as past 3.30pm it became so incredibly cold. I genuinely put my winter coat on over my jumper but was still cold (especially my hands - my gloves don’t work on my laptop touch pad). I really was so frustrated that I should have left. It put me in a bad mood, but I’m so meek that I paid the overpriced almost £10 for two coffees, even the silly charge for decaf and service charge they added to the bill (that I chickened out of asking them to take off, which they absolutely know and rely on people’s awkwardness with those extra charges). It was my fault not to dispute that though.

One staff member was lovely (a man with colourful dyed hair). I feel sorry for him and the other staff who have to work there. Another staff member I think is partly to blame for making the shop as cold as it was. Around 3pm she opened the sliding glass front to take in outdoor seating and tables. I noticed the heat leave the room immediately and that it made me look up from my work. I don’t understand why they put out outdoor seating in January any way (I guess for smokers?) but why on Earth did this staff member choose to do that in the middle of the afternoon when the cafe still had customers? They closed at 5pm any way (I think they reopen for the evening). My biggest issue was that she left it open unnecessarily while she was gathering all the tables and chairs for ages. Common sense would have been to stack it all first beforehand, and then obviously bring it to the door, and then open it to carry it inside. I was honestly baffled. Those few minutes the floor-to-glass front was just left wide open allowed the January air to flood in and the heat collected in the room all day to escape. It’s just one big room. After she closed it, it felt to me that the heat never returned. Then I needed to put on my winter coat. The people next to me left. Two students came in but kept their coats on. The toilets were especially freezing, with no working hand dryers or towels, so you had the dry your hands using toilet roll from the cubicles. I asked a woman in the loos if she also found it cold and she responded ‘omg yes! I’m freezing!!’ So it wasn’t just me.

I did politely ask the same staff member (long brown haired woman, perhaps over the age of 30) about turning the heat up but she answered flatly ‘no.’ She did point that there was only one heating source on the other side of the room. She was slightly brusque so I expect she’s asked a lot. (Though if she’s not new, you’d think she know not to leave the glass sliding door open while stacking up outdoor furniture in such an inefficient way when it’s 2C out). But I do understand it’s not actually her fault and it’s unfair to her to have to work in such a badly heated work environment. It’s the owner’s/management’s fault.

The heating source was on the ceiling of the left side of the room above the bar. But the right side of the room was busier as it has the till, normal sized chairs and tables, and a wall of tables with plug sockets where myself and other people with laptops naturally sat. The furniture on the left bar side is more awkward low lounge sofa type seating and low coffee tables that come up to about below the knee, so not suited for eating or laptops or writing and so used less during the day. It does not make any good sense.

The decor is pretty (I love the white statue) but I cannot see any attempt to suit the winter season. All hard surfaces in a big open space; no clear insulation, no cushions, table cloths or blankets, no extra heaters. Baffling. I did enjoy the coffee and loved the music playlist. I hope this review is not unkind and prompts better heating for staff and customers.

Staff were great, food was pretty good - the Caesar salad was excellent. We love the chocolate milkshakes! Find it a bit pricey though considering we didn’t get alcohol and it was still £50 for 2 people for brunch.

Delicious full English breakfast, hearty veggie breakfast, great eggs royale. I used to love the triple eggs - 3 poached eggs on English muffins, one Benedict (with ham), one Royale (with salmon) and one Florentine (with spinach) but they don't do that anymore, which is a real shame as it was perfect!
The staff are a mix of friendly and surly folks so it's pot luck what you get. Both of our servers this week offered pretty poor service (certainly not worth the service tip that is automatically added to the bill) with one of them not writing down our order and then (unsurprisingly) getting our order wrong, and the other who made a point of asking if we wanted anything else like sauce etc. then pointedly not bringing us any, despite there being only one other table of customers at the time.
The venue is spacious, stylish and great for larger groups with various options for sitting - there are regular tables and chairs, window seat sofas with low coffee tables, a long dining table with benches, a cosy booth at the back and bar stools at a cocktail bar.
Pricing is expensive, but no more so than most 'tasteful' café/restaurants these days.
They could definitely do with a loyalty card scheme to encourage customers to come back, as this is something most other cafés offer.