Itchy City guide to Oxford. Food, drink, film, music, stage, events, shopping, offers and competitions within Oxford, Great Britain.

Woman manager here one of the rudest I've ever come across. Pity - nice caff, man working there charming and kind.

Part one… We were shocked and very upset by the treatment my wife received this morning at the St Giles Café. I had entered an empty café, enjoyed a full English breakfast (though the sausages were not to be repeated); my wife joined me as arranged, we chatted a bit, and I left her to nibble on the remains of my toast while I went to get our motorbike from down the road. When I returned, she was in tears. A few moments after I left, the cook had gone up to her and asked why she hadn't bought anything. Not a good start, as any waiter or manager would tell you. She explained that her husband had paid for the meal and had gone to get the bike. He leaned over her, pointed at the tea and then at her and said, 'You're a liar - you haven't finished the tea.'

Part two... He then insisted that she should leave, poking his finger at her face and blocking her exit. Understandably, she reacted with anger and outrage, whereupon he opened the door and shouted, 'Leave!' She refused, saying she would wait for her husband to talk to him, and then he said he'd call the police, which he did. She was provoked into swearing at him for the way he had treated her, but this was a result of his behaviour, and not the cause. I arrived shortly after this, and before the police came. The police arrived dramatically, siren blaring. Their conduct was impeccable: sympathetic, understanding and professional. At no point did they criticise my wife, offer to take down a name or issue a warning. Their recommendation was to post a review, which I am doing now.

Part three... I have no idea why the cook should have behaved as he did. I had waved goodbye to him and pointed at my wife as she sat in the booth to let him know she was waiting for me. My wife was sitting quietly. I was away for not more than ten minutes. Why did he begin with an accusation? Why didn't he offer to take an order? Why didn't he accept her explanation, which was given with some astonishment, but calmly? Why didn't he give her the benefit of whatever doubt he might have had? There was no one waiting for a table, and as an Asian with first-language English, it was unlikely that my wife was a homeless person scavenging, an ignorant tourist mistaking the cafe for a public shelter from the cold or a rival restaurateur taking up seats to reduce his custom.

Part 4 - last! And why would he treat a customer so badly that I am, for the first time in my life, writing this sort of a review? As a temperate man and a professional writer who has reviewed restaurants around the world - from tapas bars in Spain to 2-star Michelins in Hong Kong - this has truly been an unpleasant and totally unwarranted experience. So if you're in the area and want a cup of coffee, a delicious breakfast or a snack, and would like somewhere welcoming and friendly where you can sit cozy and unmolested for hours over a single cup, try Green's, which is just two doors away. It's not a coincidence that Green's is always busy while the St Giles' Café, though intriguingly retro, attracts little custom. Stay away.