How many times should you have to visit a restaurant to work out what it’s actually like? Perhaps I should rephrase this. How much money should you have to spend in a restaurant to work out the quality of the food and service?
Let’s take the first question. If the chef is having a bad day, they’re short on staff and really busy it might not necessarily be the most incredible olfactory experience you’ve ever had. Take the opposite scenario where everything is perfect, how come you can still leave hideously disappointed? There are so many factors involved but despite any issues the establishment is having, we the customer, should be the priority.
When I first ate in Forbury’s in Reading the food was good but the waiter ruined our experience. I went back recently and it is one of the best places I have eaten in a very long time. The atmosphere was different, the waiter wasn’t snarling like a disgruntled goat and the food was incredible. If I had based my opinion solely on my first experience I probably wouldn’t have gone back. I would have never known what I was missing.
There are only so many times you will keep trying and keep spending money in the same place before you get fed up. If the food is amazing but the service is awful do they cancel each other out and vice versa; I know I’m guilty of returning somewhere with impeccable service but average food.
The above scone was not what I would describe as exquisite; it was rather unfortunate. Wouldn’t a restaurant want to put its best foot forwards and present only the best? I shan’t say where the concrete scone was from but if you had never been before and something as basic as a scone was this disastrous you’d be unlikely to rush back and order anything else.
Whether you are ordering the eleven course tasting menu or the set lunch menu, the level of service provided should be exactly the same. Just because you are spending £15 instead of £150 the opinion you leave with should be similar. Several times I have been less important, ignored or treated unfairly because I am not spending as much as the man with the ridiculous moustache. I would have thought that the set menu was almost a teaser for what the restaurant can really offer. I know the food will be less complex and there will be less choice but that’s what I expect. If the set menu impresses you, how much more likely will you be to go back for a three course dinner?
Some of the most memorable service I have ever had has been in McDonald’s. I know I shouldn’t admit it but I like a cheeky Big Mac. Once I was in there looking for a table and a member of staff went to get me a chair while I waited next to an empty table. He then asked if I needed any sauces and cleared away my tray afterwards. McDonald’s aren’t known for their service and perhaps this is why it is so memorable. I have lost count of the number of times I have walked out of a restaurant because the staff can’t be bothered to acknowledge my presence. I don’t want a curtsey, just a simple hello. McDonald’s would have cost me less than £5. You’d be lucky to get half a starter for the same money in some of the places I’ve abandoned.
How many chances will you give a restaurant?
I agree with you 100%. The service and the food go hand in hand and if one is off it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth (excuse the pun). I like you have been back to restaurant were the food was so so, but not when I’ve had really bad service. In fact it took me over 10 years to go back to wagamamas because of bad service. I really loved this posting
Great post! It is SO hard to revisit somewhere that you’ve had a bad experience, if anything, I’m more tolerant of bad food than bad service; possibly because I eat out more as a way to relax and be taken care of than anything else, if I want good food I can cook at home! That said, It’s truly great when excellent food appears in an unexpected place, and devastating to receive sub-standard fare in a highly acclaimed eatery.
Great post. Glad you went back and gave them a second chance.
I feel for you. Nothing worse than wanting something that you know should be good to disappoint. Really good post. Keep blogging!!
Great post! I was thinking the same over the weekend. Visited a cafe 3 times, first time the service was great, second disastrous and the third it was ok but the owner kept asking several times how everything was making me feel pretty uncomfortable. 2 out of 3 times got disappointed, not coming back 🙁
I have little patience for trying restaurants. If it’s good I’ll go back but if it’s bad there are too many other places. I would have been tempted in your case to call and speak with the manager after your bad visit and candidly tell him you had really wanted to like the food however your waiter really took the wind out of it. Mentioning you write a food blog might be motivation for him to educate his staff on the consequences of their bad day temprement.
As for that scone…was I correct, it sounded like porcelain banging on porcelain? Ick. A straight ticket to the dentist.
I will refrain from my soap box on McDonalds. But will only say in the past I’ve shared your taste for the Big Mac. However I think everyone should watch the movie Super Size Me before eating there again. If when educated you still want it, so be it!
Hmm. Worth a thoughtful answer.
If the restaurant is somewhere I’d seldom visit, for example on holiday or a weekend break, then they only get one shot. There’s (probably) too many other places to try if I’m ever back that way, I won’t take a risk on wasting my money again.
If it’s somewhere local, and it would be useful to have as a place for a relaxing after-work meal, or to take family and friends, then they might get two shots. But if the first (disappointing) attempt was a three course meal, perhaps I’ll find time to go back for just a main course, maybe even just a coffee if it’s the service that was bad first time.
That’s a really good question – I try and get sometimes it’s a bad day, though…in such a tough industry, the first impression is what you got.
I can make good food at home. The point of going out for me is the service. Even if the food is fabulous if the service is bad I won’t go back.
I give perhaps two chances. It really depends on if I think it can be better the second time. But if the staff was rude forget it. Recently, in a restaurant, a staff person was very rude to me. My friends quite liked the food BUT her behavior was so irritating that I would never go back even though the food had been good.
A trip to any food establishment should provide the full experience, from the food to the service. Great post, made me think of the places I frequent, and why I love going back. Thanks for sharing!
Depends on the cost of the food at the restaurant. If this is a high class place then I don’t see an excuse for poor food or poor service.
If it a moderately priced place and the majority of what we ordered was good and the service fair, we’d go back again.
A cheap place… well, what were you expecting.
Chocolatepreiestess, I disagree, just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean I should get poor service. In fact I am finding, since I started my blog, that it’s the moderate price range were I get bad service. I recently went to Hix, Lutyens and the service was average at best. La Maoir, pizza express, wagamamas and I get great service, even my local greasy spoon gave me better service than Hix and Luytens.
At the end of the day you are paying for a nice time, which means food and service, no matter the price, in my honest opinion (imho)
Service and food in a restaurants are linked, if the food is good and the service is bad, the food somehow tastes bad too……good for you trying this restaurant a second time.
Karen
I usually only give a restaurant one chance. First impressions are so important with me – there are too many other restaurants in our city to waste time in one that can’t deliver on the first try.
Great post and something to think about. I normally don’t eat out much because the price and quality don’t live up to my expectations. But when I do eat out and the food isn’t good then I just don’t come back. To me the service is not the important part, but the food is. Even if the service is bad, but the food is great, I’ll come back.
Yeah I mean I love food but to me, service and quality of food are equally important. Bad service can ruin your day and a friendly smile can brighten it up IMO.
There is a trend in Australia, probably for the last 10 years or so where certain establishments have really blatantly rude, sulky staff, like it’s a really cool, edgy thing. I guess I’m neither because it either annoys me or hurts my feelings.
I guess you could say I hold a grudge when it comes to bad service 😉 because I never go back, however I will give an establishment another go if the food was a bit sub par.
Service has to be good, even if the food is fantastic if the service is crap then it be highly unlikely I return there.
I remember eating at a rather expensive Italian and the food was superb and so was the service right up until the bill, then all downhill from there. Really spoiled what should have been a special meal out and I doubt I would return.
great points altogether, you just gained a new reader. What would you suggest in regards to your post that you made some days ago? Any positive?
Just found your blog through Domestic Executive. Enjoyed your writing and thoughts.