2008/08/28
Cafe Blue @ the Sovereign Centre
This is one of the new additions to the Sovereign Centre. I have seen how this "mall" has grown in the years that I have been in Kingston and how its culinary offer has improved.
I still remember the early days of Deli Works, do not quite recall if it had the same name though. This place used to serve a kind of mixture of Latin (mostly Colombian) and Jamaican food.
It was one of the first places that I visited during my days without a car as I stepped out of the plane at the OLD Norman Manley International (Now, it looks REALLY nice) and wanted to go out to eat something.
That place was not really outstanding and when Deli Works replaced it (or when it was given that new look) I was pleased. However, their food was average and a little bit costly in terms of the concept of the restaurant and the relation quality and price.
But this place underwent yet another metamorphosis and something grew inside of it... CAFE BLUE. This facility was partitioned into two distinct stores and each one of them has a very different personality. You will see on one side Deli Works and on the other CAFE BLUE.
I had only heard good comments about CAFE BLUE up in the hills, but I was really reluctant travel the distance to go visit that place. However, one day, on my way to the famous Strawberry Hills Hotel, I passed by and it did not seem very attractive to me... I cannot say anything about their food though, because I decided not to stop on that occasion.
But APPEARANCE is also really important and there was something about that view of the cliff into the roofs of the houses that was really a deterrent. Nothing really outstanding!
Fortunately, they have decided to come down the hills for US and opened that little place at the Sovereign Centre. Good for you GUYS!
Although the variety of the offer is meager, the quality of the food is excellent. Their Sandwiches and Paninis are DELISH and the smoothies are INCREDIBLE! Ask for their Marlin Sandwich or their Turkey and Brie Panini and drink one of their berry smoothies and you will be set to enjoy a VERY GOOD lunch or snack!
If you like COFFEE, I am a BIG fan of their frozen coffee... WOW, one of the best that I have tried recently... I have become addicted to it!
But what makes me go back to BLUE CAFE on a regular basis is their staff. I really feel welcome and cared for... and their smiles are always ON. Service is really GOOD there and I believe that it is worth the trip.
I really recommend BLUE CAFE for lunch or for a quick snack in the early afternoon...
NONETHELESS, it will be wonderful if they opened until a little bit later. Jamaicans and Jamaican residents are really BORED to see how these NEW places are imitating the same OLD opening times, leaving US without the chance to meet some friends for coffee after 8p ... What a shame!
Rethink this time frame... and I'll guarantee more clients coming!
Keep up the good work!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
12 comments:
Well, really, the Cafe Blue at Sovereing did not trap me.I went just once and I think that I would not go back. I ate a sandwich and I think that I can make a better one. Price? Expensive! Quality is not excellent. Service: regular.
Nacho Libre
To be honest Jamaica Courmet, I was not as enthralled with this place as you seem to be.
On the positive side, their frozen coffees are exceptional, as you say, as is the friendliness of the staff.
On the less positive side, there is very little selection on offer at Cafe Blue! They only offer sandwiches and paninis, therefore they should logically offer a lot more choice of ingredients to fill them with! It is a little pricy for whats on offer, and their carrot cake was actually awful - as dry as dry can be! Not what you'd expect from a café!!! Servers are friendly, but quite laid back - don't go if you're in a rush. I went when the place was recently opened and it took about 20 mins for then to process my debit card transaction.
Nevertheless, their frozen coffees will keep me going back!
Suzie's Bakery will give you an ulcer and have you shaking all day. Cannonball is good, but expensive. At Cafe Blue, I get a reasonable price for a good coffee, without the "watch face" atmosphere I get at the other locales. But the hours MUST improve!! I make the treck to the Hilton for a 7am coffee. Is it too much to ask from a country that has some of the best coffee in the world to provide that coffee when most coffee drinkers drink coffee....early!! sigh.
Suzie's Bakery is GREAT!!!
I wish to contradict jujubean's remarks about Suzie's bakery - no oofence intended jujubeans - this place is great! Such a pity they don't have an indoors dining area.
The staff are very friendly and efficient, sandwiches and wraps are nice, and they offer heaps more choice than the dull Cafe Blue. Cakes are delicious (except the Tirimisu (they pour 3 bottle of rum into that one at least!!), and a real highlight is the Oreo Cheesecake!
In my humble opinion, don't go to Cafe Blue - go to Suzie's!
I have never been to Cafe Blue. I will try next week-end, but my husband went yesterday morning and told me that the place is nice, clean and has friendly attendants, but when he asked for one ham croissant, a sandwich and a chocolate cake slice, the staff answered, "Sorry we don't have any at the moment".
Guys, if you are running a place like this you have to keep it properly updated !!!!!!!!!!
I still give you a thumbs up for opening a new spot in Kingston.
Fortunately the owner was there and he apologized to my husband but that's not the point.
Suzie's bakery is overrated. Yes their service is excellent, but their food is VERY average and definitely OVERPRICED! how can you charge $800 for a sandwich? and you charge the same for a cheese sandwich as a Salmon or Marlin Sandwich? Ridiculous! Their cooked food is very average, boring and gives you a stomach ache. Cannonball have TERRIBLE quality and service. The food is quite plain and average...is it too much o ask for some chicken in their chicken garden salad??? and Service has sucked from the day they opened their doors until now. Nothing has changed and new workers seem to just fall in line with the new ones. The only good thing about them is that I like thier ambiance and I think their prices are reasonable. In terms of cafe blue, they may not have a wie selection, but what they do have is good every time. They a re consistent and the service is good. The prices are quite resonable and clearly the person who said tey are expensive has someone else do their supermarket shopping for them. It is after all a profit makin organization...not a soup kitchen.
Overall Jamaica needs a better coffee shop/cafe. I think someone should do a review of Suzie's and Cannonball...maybe a poll exploring service, quality and value for money?
I must disagree with this last review of Cafe Blue - while I agree that cafes in Jamaica need to open their eyes a bit, I reckon that Suzie's and Cannonball's are way better than Cafe Blue! Very little selection, I have tried cakes there and they are really bland and not nice. Sandwiches are average, and they can offer the same quality every time because they have very little choice to offer or food to prepare! Selections are much more extensive in other cafes, and gladly offer more than a few sandwiches and paninis! Go to Cannonball's or Suzie's instead. You will spend a little extra but believe me - its worth it! Cafe Blue, in its favour, is clean and nicely decorated, and staff are great. A little more variety and quality here is whats needed
I sincerely hope that restaurant owners will make use of this free market research and make the suggested changes here given out so generously....will be to the benefit of all, patrons and owners and economy alike.
i love Cafe Blu; its become my new meeting place. their blucino is fantastic nd the sandwiches are reasonably priced and good. also you don't hve to stick to their menu which IS a little limited. you can bring in food from the Deli and they have a great salad bar there and lots of other options.
yes, the staff at Blu are a pleasure to deal with, i felt they remembered me and their smiles were genuine. Suzie's is way overpriced, i stopped going there long ago.
go to cannonball for the great ambiance and some interesting food. best place to go if you need wireless internet...
but Cafe Blu is my cafe of choice right now. agree about the opening hours--extend them!
I am starting to love this place - I tried the recommended Frozen coffees and they are really delicious, ehich is why I keep going back, but why o why such a limited menu? I have tried the paninis and bagels there, and realise you can mix and gather different ingredients, but even still there is so LITTLE to choose from. I asked for a Smoked turkey and Brie panini the other day - thay had run out of Brie! I think for such a simple list of sandwiches, the least they could do is make sure to have a plentiful supply of ingredients, or am I being to choosey? Otherwise, cakes are mediocre, and on average $450 per small slice, so Café Blue is not exactly value for money, but yes is a little cheaper than its competitors. The atmosphere is great there, and staff are nice, so that is a real bonus in Kingston!
I went to Cafe Blue Sovereign for the first time yesterday: love the ambience and the coffee I had was OK. 2 of the 3 staff were average, but not impressive...low on personality. The other, clearly a senior staff memeber was rather disappointing. She was loud, too familar (not just with me, but almost all customers). Her tone and manner was consistently just shy of rudeness.
The clincher for me was that a young lady came in and left an envelope which she said was addressed to HR, looking for work. She and my least favourite staffer chatted for a while, and she spoke loud enough for me to hear eberything she said and I was sitting as far away from where she was is possible in that space. As soon as the young lady left, she opened the envelope and read, commented on the contents to her male coworker. As I went right up to the counter where they were to get the newspaper, I commented on the fact that she has opened and was reading mail that was not addressed to her. Here's what followed:
"It address to me of course"
"Really? So you are the HRM here"
"yeah!"
"Really?"
"Yeah, everyting and anyting come here mi can open it"
"I see"
As you can imagine, my first Cafe Blue experience left me rather dissatisfied and disappointed (especially since the only reason I ventured there is because my favourite coffee spot is closing/relocating).
I love Cafe Blue!!!! Friendly staff, great food(love the ham and pineapple salsa on white pannini), great coffee(love me some of that mochochino wid whipped cream!), reasonably priced, but as most of you all said, little variety! And they do need to extend their opening hours! Nonetheless, this has become one of my favourite hangout spots :) Kudos to cafe blue!
Post a Comment