Grace S.
Google
RESPONSE TO YOUR REPLY:
Thank you for your response, but I feel the need to clarify the situation as your explanation does not match our experience. regarding the seating: The section we were refused was NOT closed there were already three tables occupied by other diners when we arrived, and those tables and several others were still occupied when we left. Claiming the section was closed for coverage reasons is disingenuous given that others were being served there.
Also, your reply did not address the other serious issues I raised - the dismissal of our request for a high chair on my son's birthday, and the hostile 'you are not welcome' stares and attitude we received from THE SAME waitress during our second visit. Your reply lacks accountability, fails to address all concerns and instead is just a justification and a generic explanation about floor plans.
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Since I started attending Mass at the church on Haddington Road, we wanted to make brunch at Milano a tradition for my son.
The first time I took him was on his birthday, but we were met with a terrible attitude by one of the waitresses. She spoke to me with a frown the entire time, was dismissive when I asked for a high chair, and generally made us feel unwelcome. That experience was thankfully salvaged by an older waiter who was very kind to both myself and my son. Because of his help, I decided we could come back again, thinking perhaps the first waitress was just having a bad day and didn't mean to make us feel so unwelcome.
Several weeks later, we returned for lunch. We were waiting for an elderly woman who does not have a phone, so we needed to sit by a window to see her when she passed by, as we had arranged beforehand. When my son and I entered, we were greeted by a friendly waitress who directed us to a window seat. Just as I was about to sit, the waitress who gave us terrible service the first time suddenly appeared and said we couldn't sit where her colleague had directed us.
I explained—actually, I pleaded with her—that we were waiting for an elderly lady without a phone and strictly needed a window table to spot her. She refused to listen to any of it, claiming that the entire front section was going to be closed and no new customers could sit there for the rest of the day.
All my attempts failed. As I desperately needed to get a meal for my son who was looking forward to eating, I had no choice but to sit in the section she insisted upon. I ended up having to get up and walk to the window constantly to check for the person we were waiting for, all while trying to watch my son to ensure he wasn't making a mess. While we were there, this waitress would pass by and give us unpleasant looks, which made me feel deeply uncomfortable. It was now clear that she wasn't having a "bad day" the first time; she clearly just didn't want us dining there.
Sadly, we did miss the elderly woman we were hoping to meet, and she ended up getting lost for hours. To make matters worse, when we were leaving, the very section we were prohibited from occupying had several tables filled with people who came in after us. The restaurant wasn't overly busy, so it wasn't a case of opening up the area for overflow; it was just evident that we specifically were not welcome to sit there for reasons only known to her.
It is very sad that this is the experience we have had. My son, who is only two, has no idea why we can no longer go in. I now avoid passing by because he says "eat, eat," wanting to go inside, but I cannot bring myself to experience such treatment again. Unfortunately I don't have her name but she seemed to have some sort of authority judging from how she changed where her colleague had asked us to sit initially. She may be hispanic or maybe even of asian heritage (or both - my apologies if I am mistaken). I wish there was a way to know when this specific waitress is not on duty, as only then would we feel we could go in for a meal as all the other waiters and waitresses there are really lovely.