We had a pretty painful (and alcoholic 😛 ) Saturday night and I woke up on Sunday with some relevant considerations about restaurant experiences. I was not sure I wanted to write a full review of the restaurant I have been, because I am not here to make bad advertisements, but I will take it as an example to ponder what actually is important when you are eating out.

Late edit: After some early morning further considerations, I have decided to disclose the name of the restaurant. I would like to hear from you guys if you have been there recently to share further points of view. This was my experience:

Saturday night. The restaurant was full but now fully booked. We were escorted to our table and left alone for more than 10 minutes after which we physically had to stop a waiter – as no ones was making eye contact and checking tables – to ask for an aperitif. To me, it is nice to ask the clients an aperitif as soon as at the table so they can drink it quietly while making dinner choice.. but it was not the case.

We ordered a dish to share as starter – that was actually called on the menu “Medley of tempura to share” – and two separate main courses. The lady who bought us the starter tossed it on my side without even say: Please. The dish was hot and it was pretty complicated moving it on the middle of the table to actually allow also my husband to have some of the food as well. Moreover, no single plats were taken to the table – and it was not something you can eat with your hands, gosh, it was fried! We asked for them together with the wine list – as our aperitif was over. No menu card were available at the moment (really?) and we waited other good five minutes before commanding a bottle of wine – actually Champagne Rose’, but it is relatively important. We ordered it while the starter was yet to be started and until we finished nobody took care of bringing our wine or some water that we have also ordered. We had indeed to eat completely dry. Our mains came and my dish was wrong – I ordered Ebi Ebi rolls, Boston Rolls and Demi-Cuit Tuna Sashimi, and my dish had three kind of rolls on it – I had already the feeling that the dish was coming wrong as we ordered several things and the waiter did not take any notes – come on, how could you remember?. I asked to change it and the waiter took it back to the kitchen – that is “a vue“. Therefore I could clearly see she was removing some rolls from my plat with bare hands. She came back and pretend the dish was correct now – I said it was still not and she insisted it was really what I ordered, (Ebi Ebi rolls and Boston Rolls) but I have been there before several times, so I knew it was not the case. I accepted then also because hubby was starting to be starving. After finishing the dishes, we remained I think something like 15 to 20 minutes without anybody asking for a coffee, the dessert list or the bill. Pretty fed up – also because waiters were just in their gossip corner talking and were not busy – we moved to the counter to pay directly there. We pay 165 euro for two aperitif, one starter to share, two main courses, one bottle of water and one of wine.

How was the food? The food was indeed delicious, I think it the best in town for sushi. The atmosphere is nice and it is a really going out spot. On the other side, would I be happy to come back here soon? I would rather say NO. I can understand if you are eating for 30 euro each, you cannot pretend to be treated like a prince (even..), but why do I have to spend 165 euro for swallowing my starter dry or having my main coming wrong or haven’t had anybody asking me if the dinner was nice and if I am fine or I want a coffee. Please.

Don’t get me wrong. It is really important to eat well, and this is probably the first reason because you are choosing one restaurants instead of the other. BUT. I am a pretty good cooker and I enjoy having dinners at my place. The reason because I like also going out, it is the spoiled feeling you get when you don’t have to be bothered running around if the salt is missing or if the wine is still in the fridge.
I love when people are smiling – because I am paying for being here, you are not making me a favor serving -, when the timings of the dinner are correct – not in a rush, but not even 20 minutes before someone asking me for a coffee – I like people to check how my dinner was because they would be interested having returning clients and not fulfill their counter with one night stands.

Am I asking too much? How is important for you the service in a restaurant compared to the food and how you would rather behave when service has been really really disappointing like in my case?