So disappointing. At first glance, this shop is like a parisian candy shop and one wants it to be as delicious as it looks. I purchased several macarons and when I bit into them, I could taste the inside of a refrigerator. And I thought I would have to have a veneer replaced from my front tooth because it was so tough. The meringue was brittle and crumbled when I picked it up and the ganache was hard --like hard candy, and like hard candy, had to be pried from my teeth afterwards.

On another occasion, they wouldn't seat a customer with a child in a baby buggy. They have a policy of no baby buggies. What? Who does that? Anyway, this place is more like the witches candy house in the Hansel and Gretel story than a place of one's Amelie-like dreams.

I have been to borough market many times, as I have client meetings around there and although I've always seen Lila's empty, I thought I might pop in to buy my partner some Valentines Cakes just a few hours ago now.

After looking around and ready to ask some questions, the woman who worked there (I presume Lila?) rudely told me to wait and went upstairs. I didn't know how long she'd be but when she came down again her mood was no better and I found her to be very unfriendly and condescending when she claimed she couldn't understand my request (I told her I wanted 5 cakes).
I asked if I could have some red tissue paper under the cakes in the box, as she had displayed in the shop, but she refused to add in the paper without any explanation and before I could finish asking questions about the cakes (prices etc), she was already shoveling the first one in the box.

In the end, I bough 3 cakes and left and didn't so much get a 'thank you' or a smile. She missed out on a bigger sale and a customer. I actually can't believe, in a day and age when people are struggling to keep family businesses alive, people like that feel they can afford to be so rude. I was the only customer in the shop and felt like I was being hurried out of there. With service like that, no wonder it's always empty.

Charged £3.50 for a simple cup of tea, and they don't have costs written up on a board. What a disgrace.

After reading the reviews on this site I hadn't planned to go to Lila's last week. Unfortunately Elliots round the corner in Storey Street was closed for refurbishment - so Lila's it was.

Lovely *looking* cafe, coffee fine, shame about what happened next. With the permission of a waitress I'd sat at a table marked ' this table is for 4 people' - as I had 3 others joining me. I'd been there about ten minutes, had coffee and a pastry and had just ordered another tea when a 60-something lady, clearly the owner, arrived.
'You can't sit here' she said. 'This table is for 4.'
'Yes," I explained. 'I have 3 others joining me in a moment. The waitress said it would be OK'.
'You can't sit here,' she said. 'This table is booked.'
I got up and paid the bill without any further comment, as this kind of behaviour was exactly what reviewers on other sites described. As I left, two of my friends appeared in the doorway.
'Where are you going?' they said.
'To another cafe,' I told them.

Awful service, awful pastry, awful manager. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY GOING INTO THAT PLACE. THEY DESERVE TO SHUT DOWN.

i would love to give zero stars but there is no option. I didn't even get to eat or drink here. they told us we weren't welcome because I had my baby with me. Very rude and made me feel totally humiliated.

Goodness me - thank you all for your reviews and comments. I was just about to apply for a job there, but am glad that i had the good sense to look up what other people thought of it first! Not only have they lost custom, they've also lost a potential employee...

The worst service I have ever encountered in London! My wife and I went in for a coffee, we were asked to sit outside unless we were going to spend more. when we sat down outside we were then told that we needed to spend £10 minimum, it wasn't hard! Two coffees and a fairy cake and the bill was £9.90! The waitress then told me that I had to buy something more as I was 10pence under, I told her to shove it and refused, so they accepted £9.90.

But the service from the staff who hover round you once your order arrives is shocking. I will never go back there. Mind you Borough market is terrible these days, very touristy and all the local stall holders who sold fantastic produce have left, Now it's all gimicky food and obscenely expensive.

Avoid whole area at all costs!

We went on a very crowded Saturday afternoon. I have read all the reviews above since. The service we received was not unpleasant merely brusque. The owner did not seem to be a happy person when we entered but then I noticed that she left the premises to do a bit of shopping of her own so maybe this relaxed the atmosphere. We had to share a large table with other people and it was very cramped next to a dish washer. My son had a mocha and a cup cake, I had a pot of English Breakfast tea and some fruit scones with clotted cream and jam. The pot of tea was rather small and made about one and a half cups. The scones were superb and I shared with my son. His cupcake had a great deal of chocolate and was very tasty. The bill which came including 10% service was £14.30 which I consider to be very pricey even by London prices. I would not expect to go there again. There do not seem to be many cafes around Borough Market where you can sit down inside just for a cup of tea or coffee. Entrepeneurs take note your business opportunity awaits.

One star only, but I'd rather give zero. This place is a good example for how a seriously bad place can still make good business: Because the “The Patisserie Lila” is conveniently located near the bustling, fashionable Borough Market, passer-bys will always be lured in – just like it happened to us. Once inside, however, we experienced a service that could hardly have been worse: As we were “only two people”, the sour-faced waitress asked us to join people at another table – which surprised us but it did not put us off. When we had a look at the menu, we were a bit shocked by the rather unreasonably high prices – but we ordered a coffee and chocolate cookies anyway; only to be told by a truly pissed-off waitress that we had to order more to stay which we found very odd indeed. When we pointed out that we were not too hungry really, we were told to leave. Quite an experience! Don’t go – this place is the worst rip-off I have experienced since I came to London in 2004.

I give 1 star because we can't give 0. Terrible customer service and quite expensive. Do not go! I had a similar terrible experience as the others: I went with my boyfriend around 3. We had already had lunch and we felt like a coffee. We didn't go to a restaurant to get a coffee but to a patisserie. Of course, one expects that it's the right place to have a coffee! We were seated in a table to share with other costumers. When we sat we realized that the prices of the coffees were quite pricey, but we decided to stay. After a while somebody came to take the order: we ordered a cappuccino, an americano and a pastry to share. We were told that this was not enough, that we could only stay if we both ordered food. We were not hungry, so we decided to leave. But above all I find their attitude quite anacceptable. How can a place with such a limited offer of food oblige you to eat something!? Come on, it's just a cafe! I don't think they deserve any costumer.

I very much regret recommending to my family that we should meet up at this sweet looking cafe, for our day out in London. When my Grandmother and I arrived early, we sat at a lovely table by the window. Having ordered our coffee and croissants, we were advised that we were not spending enough money to sit at their 'best' table. Not wanting to cause a fuss, I proceeded to order some mince pies to bulk out our order. Completely out of the blue the manager then proceeded to come to our table and demand that we 'get out' as we were being a nuisance (!)

After trying my very best to discover how we had been a nuisance, we finally decided to leave and wait outside for the rest of our family.

A few minutes later this outrageous women stormed outside and announced she was calling security to get my 75 year old grandmother and I 'removed'! She then proceeded to photograph us with her mobile phone through her window!

This woman is clearly far more concerned about making money than creating a warm, friendly and sustainable business.

We ended up having our coffee in a delightful place called 'Best Italian' next to Neal's Yard Dairy.

This is a terrible establishment. Do not, under any circumstances, go. Lila's (or, better, the owner) has a very well founded reputation for being disgustingly rude to everyone who tries to eat in her cafe.

I've been asked to leave once because I dared to refuse to order food (even though I was having a coffee and was sitting with a large table of people who were eating).

On that ocassion I made the mistake of thinking it was a one-off experience. But last week, after deciding to give Lila's another go, I was refused service because my friend had a baby buggy - at the time, on a week day morning, there were only two more people in the cafe.

We were effectively yelled at from across the cafe and told to get out as we took our seats. There are awful reviews across the internet for this place - take heed.

Well, I'm glad to see I'm not alone in experiencing bad service: If I could give them no stars I would.

I was beginning to think that the staff had taken an instant dislike to us just from the way we looked...

We were four and tried to sit at this illustrious table for no less than 4 people, but we were told we couldn't sit there.

When we tried to go upstairs they told us it was closed (but it wasn't).

We were holding bags of cakey treats that we'd bought at the market however we explained that we had no intention of eating them in their cafe.

Why are they surprised to have customers with bags of food when they are situated right by a large food market?

The staff and the owner were so incredibly rude and it didn't seem to matter to them that we were trying to order but bascially being shoved out of their cafe.

We tried to sit outside but were basically man handled away!! We couldn't believe it. It was quite a shocking experience, so much so that we are kind of glad that we experienced it - made us laugh very hard... BUT we'll never go back. And would discourage anyone considering it to avoid.

How hard is it to be polite to your (potential) customers, when surely it is them that you rely on for your trade!?

I would beg them to rethink their attitude - word of mouth opinion isn't to be sniffed at.

Avoid at all costs. This cafe may look inviting with it's candy-coloured cake display but the service is nothing short of bitter. I went in for an after work coffee with a friend and was told I couldn't sit at the only available table as it was for 4 people. Not exactly the welcoming atmosphere I was looking for. After waiting for a table to become free I ordered a 'homemade hot chocolate'. I can only imagine the homemade part was referring to the waitress spooning drinking chocolate into a mug and giving it a quick stir- it wasn't good and certainly not worth the £3.50 price tag. After ordering drinks we were then told in a brusque manner that they were not serving drinks without food today, so we had to order some food we didn't particularly want. Overall I left with a bitter taste in my mouth after the average food and sour-faced service. I won't be back.