"On our annual festive return to my home town of Diss we were on the hunt for a good coffee shop (with, hopefully, great coffee to visit with mum and our two kids (8&6 . We’d read good reports on this place on Google and TripAdvisor so decided to give it a try. It is very small inside, with space for 4 tables in the area at the front of the shop. When we arrived there were two tables taken by two on each. Being a group of five the staff member did allow us to add the remaining two tables together to have room to sit (there was a 2 and a 4 but with too little room for 5 of us to squeeze around the 4 . This was the first time we sensed a frosty attitude inexplicably different to the warmth of reception some reviews conveyed. Almost immediately the table for 4 became available so I went to the deli counter and, being a considerate customer, offered to move so they could get two tables back. The answer was yes they would which we fully understand, being a small independent shop who need as much capacity to serve customers as possible. I thought we were being fairly kind by offering to do this, we were certainly stepping out in a tiny way as customers to help the establishment, but if gratitude was felt this was not really conveyed. So we all stood up, waited quietly and patiently (including the two kids while the new table was sanitised before shuffling over to take our new place. Quick as a flash (just about had our coats off next to no time to look at the menu our host was back asking for our order. Her attitude to us wasn’t warm but quite abrupt and cold. We knew roughly what we wanted so we went ahead and ordered. We went for hot and cold drinks and two lots of toast and were intending to buy some cakes later and some Norfolk made gifts from the deli shop to take home with us to Derbyshire. Once we had ordered we were surprised by the next thing that happened. The host abruptly gathered up our menus. My wife asked to keep hers to look at the cakes which the lady reluctantly agreed to but connected to that she then commented that she “Didn’t want the children to start pulling them apart” referring to the laminated covers. I smiled and nodded before it dawned on me how this was quite rude and presumptive about us and specifically my kids (actually, they just wouldn’t do that . She quickly took the valuable laminated A4 sheet menus away from the table as well as the two special offer sheets that I subsequently noticed were left on every other table. This added to the tarnish on what could have been a lovely experience. Coffees arrived (and the final menu was taken! . Coffees were good. Toast was good. We drank and ate noticing how the host was talking with the two other tables, asking about christmas being chatty. We assumed they were regulars or friends. So, perhaps a local coffee shop for local people? (Assuming my mum who has lived here for 70+ years doesn’t qualify?! Perhaps there should be sign on the door to say not particularly child or family friendly? Perhaps it was just a rubbish day for the hosts and we bore some of the brunt of that? Whatever the reason we found the whole experience very frosty and we left cakeless and giftless. Still on the hunt for a lovely coffee shop coffee in Diss and sadly now we need to default back to Costa, but at least the staff smile at you there."
