Crumpet Shop

09/19/08

Heat wave

by jan23 at Citysearch

I'm sorry the diner listed below had such a bad experience. Looking at the date mentioned, I realized Seattle was in the midst of a "heat wave" which wouldn't seem hot to someone from outside the area. When the temps there are in the low 90's, unairconditioned spaces can seem unbearable. The Crumpet Shop has, and usually needs little or no air conditioning. It is tiny and the bakers work in a glassed area that holds the heat from the ovens so on a normal day it would be quite warm for them.

Sorry you had such a bad experience. The crumpets are really wonderful and I'm sure if you went back on a more normal day, you would find the atmosphere exactly as others have described. I have always looked forward to lunch there instead of inside the noisy market when I visit.

08/28/08

when the cats away...the staff do play (owner/manager...where are you?)

by PhyllisfromSeattle at Citysearch

My last experience with the Crumpet Shop was an incredible disappointment. On Saturday, 7/12/08, my husband, son and myself drove into the market, with the express purpose of having their delicious crumpets with hazelnut topping. It was shortly after 2:00, and they are reportedly open until 4:00. In a bizarre twist, we were refused anything warm from behind the counter...because the folks assembling food said it was "too hot" to cook. Really? In Seattle? Just for comparison, all of the other food stalls and service areas were open. The market was really humming.

Extra concerning was the absence of the owner (an English woman who provides a lot of character and is terrific in her service and treatment of customers). Is the staff quite so heat sensitive when the owner is present? And did she know why sales dropped off suddenly on what should have been one of her best business days?

Alongside the absence of available food, the shop was out of the lime beverage they usually stock in the cooler, and ran out of Earl Gray Tea, as well. What is going on here???

07/24/08

Best Crumpets Ever!

by deandrea1 at Citysearch

I have not ever been to the Crumpet Shop personally but I have friends that go there frequently. Once I tasted the crumpets I couldn't believe how wonderful they were. They are the best I have ever tasted. Now every time they are there they have to bring me some home. You must try it!

• Pros: Best crumpets in the world!
• Cons: Not sure. Never been there.

07/21/08

yum

by sparkleanne at Citysearch

I popped in to the crumpet shop just to see what it was like. I found the people friendly, converstaional and overall very helpful. They took my order, chatted with me and my boyfriend as we waited for our jam-topped crumpets and gave us a few helpful hints while we were out and about in Seattle. The crumpets were tasty and warm...

I would guess that the reason the people in Portland received some questionable glances as they walked in the store after closing was that it was after closing. If the shop still has the sign out, they haven't had a chance to reverse it. Closed means closed. There are any number of reasons they cannot serve you one of them may be that they had already shut down their register.

I'd highly recommend this place to ANYONE looking for a tasty treat and not in the way of all the tourists.

• Pros: the crumpets are delicious
• Cons: not much seating

06/13/08

Denied

by peopleinportland at Citysearch

It was shortly after closing time. We had walked almost two miles to get to the Crumpet shop before returning to Portland. One bag for now, and a couple for the freezer. The sign read "open" and we walked through the door. "We're closed," came the greeting. I gazed at the shelf of crumpets in front of me. My husband had cash in hand and I was sure they would still let us buy, but no. Even though we pressed for a simple sale we were told "no." We couldn't believe the lack of service. Afterall, crumpets don't keep well and there were plenty left on the shelf. They would be day old tomorrow. We muttered all the way down the hill and declared we would never be back. Misery loves company and so at home we went on line and were amazed to find stories of the Crumpet Shop worse than our own experience. We also had a good laugh as we read the other stories and, at the end of the day, we can live quite well without their crumpets.