We came to celebrate New Years with a nice dinner in an relaxing environment where we didn't have to be worried about anything, except eating and drinking of course! Well, we were wrong.
Upon arrival, we were told our coats couldn't be taken because the room was too full... okay, but then let us set them somewhere else that wouldn't be in our way. But we just had to put them next to us at our table. Once we sat down, we wanted to have a cocktail first before making any decisions on ordering. We didn't give any notation that we wanted to order, nor did we even look at the menu, and we had a server come up to us three times asking what we wanted to eat. The second time around we mentioned to the server that we were taking it slow and steady and weren't in any rush, so if she could just slow it down a little.
We ordered and asked to have three appetizers before our main course; we were hungry! Instead of taking our extra orders happily, since it means extra turnover for the restaurant, she begins to say: "Well you know, we're closing at midnight." My boyfriend said: "It's 20:45, these additional dishes aren't going to take 3 hours..." and then the server said: "Well, okay just letting you know."
She then proceeded to the computer to put the order in and she told her manager what we had ordered and we heard him say: "Well they know we close at midnight right?"
That threw us off, it was quite strange how she came across and then it made us feel like we were holding them up, but as guests we shouldn't be feeling that way at all. Then the manager having the same attitude also began to show through, which was uncomfortable for us. Our first course came out, which was the scallops, the sauce was floury and mediocre but the positive note was the chorizo. Overall, we weren't pleased about it and the fact we had to wait to get sharing plates, making the food semi-cold, also wasn't an additional positive thing to add.
Our second dish came out within perfect timing, not too fast or slow, and we were able to switch over our wine. But then no sharing plates again, so we just gave up and shared the bowl it came in. The second dish was a steak tartar and we were so displeased. It missed a bite - like pepper, Worcestershire sauce, something to give it a little flavor, it was a flop. Then the server kept walking by looking to see if we were finished and I finally said to her: "You can take the plate if you want." then she said back: "Well the other dish is already ready sitting in the window."
I wanted to say back, that isn't my problem, but whatever we just took the third dish immediately after the second. The third dish was the mousse, which was good, but nothing extraordinary. At this point in the meal we were feeling rushed again, dish 2 and 3 came out back to back and there was no real attentive service when it came to plates or even changing the silverware. We asked for the server to come over and my boyfriend kindly said; "Look we aren't in a rush, could you please just slow down the pace a little more?"
During our time to chat with one another, we kept hearing the manager and other staff discuss other tables loudly amongst each other. It was like the entire time they were more concerned with getting people out of the door, then pleasing their guests and making them comfortable. At one point, I saw the chef come out of the kitchen in the middle of service just chatting along with his colleagues with a beer in his hand. The restaurant isn't a big place - so if you're discussing something near the bar and have no constraints over you voice, then your guests will hear you loud and clear. It ruined the atmosphere to hear servers discussing these things amongst each other while I'm in the middle of a romantic dinner.
Our main course makes it way out and again it was a little like okay... but nothing wow. We ordered the deer racks and I has actually excused myself to use the restroom, and came back to my plate sitting on the table. I thought to myself: Couldn't they just have waited for me to come back from the restroom? Usually each dish deserves an introduction, but we weren't getting that kind of service obviously. The pesto crust for the deer rack didn't stay on, so you could easily just scrape it off. My potatoes were cold. The overall flavor was there but there were just things missing to leave me satisfied.
After we had our main course, we asked for the dessert menu and a dessert wine. As we are making our choices, we hear the manager ask the status on all of the tables and if the tables are close to being finished, meanwhile it's just around 22:00 now... they close at "midnight". We went ahead and ordered anyways despite feeling uncomfortable that we're holding the staff's plans up.
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