Rated: Good
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« Reviews on Java City
Apr 04, 2008
Good hangout, abominable service
*This review is about the Church St. outlet*
Java City's outlet on Church St. is a study in contradictions. It's obviously a favourite haunt, given the huge crowds on weekends, but the service is simply the worst service in any kind of cafe/restaurant/pub/lounge in the whole city, possibly the whole country. Not to say that they're rude or anything; THE WAITERS SIMPLY HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON. You may think I'm exaggerating, but you have to see it to believe it. On a busy day (pretty much any day), you could walk in, sit down, hang around for a couple of hours, and leave without anyone so much as noticing. If you're lucky enough to order food, and luckier enough to have it delivered to you, you could probably walk out brazenly without paying, and it wouldn't make any difference. Settling the bill is a nightmare, especially when you have to wait for change. I really don't know what's going on here...this is the most inefficient service I've ever seen, anywhere. I just can't come up with enough negatives to describe it.
Still, it's a great place to hang out, which is why I've given it a good rating. There's a live band on weekends, and they bring the house down. They play a mix of classic rock and some jazz, and are very popular with the regulars. The (incredibly) unobtrusive service means you can enjoy the performance without being disturbed. It's absolutely packed, though, and you won't have enough room to move your elbows in. I think this gives the place character, though you might beg to differ!
I think the menu's irrelevant, as there's very little chance of anyone ever taking your order. If it's your lucky day, however, try the strangely-named 'European sodas' (pricey at Rs. 80 for a glass). You'll have to mix it yourself, because it looks like a work-in-progress when (IF, rather) it gets to your table. The food is forgettable, and the portions are microscopic. NOT WORTH IT, don't even think about ordering the food. The coffee is standard, though I've never tried the desserts.
In sum, this is a place I love to hate. Awful, awful, awful service, but that means you can sit undisturbed for very long periods of time. This is a nice place to duck into after, say, shopping for books at Blossoms, especially if you want to read. There's a fun XBox 360 lounge upstairs, albeit with staff that could give the Java City waiters a run for their money in terms of sheer spaced-outedness; I think it's sort of related to Java City, but it's all very vague. Pretty much everyone who comes to Java City is a regular; anyone else would find this place too strange to digest.
One good thing is that it's open really late, at least on weekends (till about 2 in the morning).
