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Things did not go that well for us as I am about to explain, and I hope that this year the attitude towards customers is changed for the better, since we are the ones who are paying for the product and service, as it is, it seems to be otherwise.
We reserved a table for seven on the occasion to celebrate the festive season with an exclusive dinner night out, so we choose a 5-star restaurant in St Julians.
We had made the reservations two weeks in advance to make sure we get in, and requested that we are seated on chairs and not on benches, this was for Friday the 29 December.
On the day the manager called me to confirm the table with some changes from our request – we had been offered to be seated, some on chairs and some on benches, which we did not want. However the manager insisted that we opt for his offer, or our table being for seven would mean that the person sitting at the top of the table would be in the way of the serving staff, as the restaurant was pretty full. I tried to convince him that we do not like to be seated on benches, that these are not for dining, and as he did not have an alternative for us, I decided to cancel the reservations and go elsewhere.
In order not to spoil the evening, I decided to book us in a restaurant at a 5-star hotel, and I can assure you this was not any better. We were not impressed when we were seated in a room all to ourselves, because this lacked the atmosphere we were hoping for.
We placed our order – not all of us had a starter, and when I came to choose the wine, one particular white wine, the only German wine on the list, I was advised that there was only one bottle and had to settle for red only.
When the main course arrived, the joints were not hot but slightly warm, some cold, compared to the potatoes and the vegetables these were sitting on which were nice and hot.
When the waiter asked if everything was all right I did bring it to his attention that the joints were cold, and he offered to warm the food. I did not think that was a solution: it should have come out hot in the first place. We did not accept as it would have meant more waiting and the meat would dry up.
I am sure everyone tried to do their best but I did not expect this sort of quality and service in a 5-star establishment, for what it’s worth.
One of the reasons I am writing is because I am an ex-caterer and feel it is my duty to bring to attention these events in order that they are corrected: after all the customer is paying for the product and service.
Michael Scicluna
St Paul’s Bay
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