Ina I.
Google
The food at this restaurant was absolutely exquisite - beautifully presented and perfectly executed. One of the waitstaff was very professional, knowledgeable about each dish, and genuinely pleasant in her service. Another server, however, constantly wore a forced, insincere smile, and interactions with her were not really pleasant.
During payment, there was a problem with the terminal. Apparently, due to an internet issue, it displayed an error, even though the payment had already been charged to my account. Despite this, the older waiter pressured me to pay again, speaking in a demanding, instructive tone, with a visibly displeased attitude. I refused to pay twice and showed my bank account statement from my online banking, confirming that the payment had already been made. I also asked her to check the restaurant’s records to confirm that the payment had not been received, but she refused. She insisted that the previous transaction would be canceled, acting as if this were a routine situation and implying that similar cases had happened before.
I took her business card and explained that if the original payment were reversed, I would repeat the payment. 7 minutes later, while standing in the doorway, I received a notification from my bank that the transaction had been canceled. So I repeated the payment.
At no point was I at fault. And clients should never be pressured or required to pay twice due to internet or terminal issues.
This behavior was unprofessional and unethical, and it completely overshadowed an otherwise excellent dining experience. I paid 90 euros for dinner for one person, and while the food was exceptional, the service in this instance significantly impacted the overall experience. I hope the restaurant addresses this, as such treatment is unacceptable and does not reflect the level of care and professionalism that should accompany cuisine of this quality.