Gail’s – Highgate

It was one of those days where it was lucky to have the sun come out. So a walk around Waterlow Park was wonderful. It was made even better to be able to see all the fragrant flowers and to take in the relaxing scent of the lavender by Lauderdale House. This afternoon this Tudor house wasn’t open as they had a wedding on. Otherwise, a glance at their exhibitions would have happened.

The sunshine seemed to be on and off. At one point, there did seem to be a few raindrops and then there was the threat of a downpour as the clouds and the blustery winds came. So before we got caught in the showers, we were wise to head indoors.

At the top of Highgate High Street, Gail’s was there. Although Gail’s has branches all over London, it has never been visited. Walking past other Gail’s, there has always been the disappointment that all of the food has been on open display. This is something we don’t favour, as our regular readers know. This Gail’s was slightly different as in the cakes and savoury items were shielded by a glass front. The breads however were along one side of the window on open display. They have crackers and biscuits packed to take away also by the counter.

The service seemed a bit abrupt. The staff kind of pushed us to take our order even though there were no other customers to serve. An oat decaf Americano was chosen. There were other coffees, teas, chai lattes and hot chocolate to choose from as well. For dairy free milks, there was only soya and oat.

The drinks were brought to our table which was nice. There is a light and airy seating area at the front of the cafe and a few more seats at the back, near the kitchen area. The coffee was actually really nice and smooth. With the oat milk it was a good choice of drink. It made for a quite a velvety coffee.

It’s the service that kind of lets this place down. Once our drinks had finished, the staff just came over and asked if they could clear it away. It kind of felt like our time was up as we had finished our drinks. It is a shame, as otherwise, Gail’s would have been a nice place to return to. Maybe this is a place not to go to if you want to linger over a hot drink and catch up with friends.

Gail’s, 88-90 Highgate High Street, London, N6 5HX

Rating: ★★★½☆

Gail's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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