With a lot of free time and a little money in our pockets, Ax and I decided to venture to some yet-to-be-explored corners of our new city. Our journey led us to Bridge Rd (Richmond) just as a heavy downpour began to ease. With grumbling tummy's we paced the steaming footpath, keeping our eyes peeled for a chic eatery offering brunch and some much needed cafe au lait. We landed on the doorstep of the Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder (a large cafe with deli and fromagerie), and being pleasantly surprised by the prices posted on the menu in the window, decided to head in. I asked the waitress for a table for two, and she glanced at the reservation book with a furrowed brow then looked around the half empty cafe with an expression of concern on her face. The floor manager was called over and he too studied the reservation book and the 10-15 empty tables, and then proceeded to offer us a place at the bar and a booking for the next available table. "Um...there seems to be quite a lot of available tables, so I think we'll just go somewhere else" I said, totally perplexed. According to the manager, those tables were reserved for people arriving in 15-30 minutes. "There are a couple of tables who will be finished shortly, if you'd like to wait at the bar for one of those tables", he said. To which we replied, "No thankyou!" and left.
Is this a new phenomenon, the mysterious empty yet "fully booked" restaurant? Why could he not have given us a table and assigned one of the bookings to the next table to be vacated? As this cafe is partly owned by renowned Australian chef Stephanie Alexander, I am still curious to sample the fare, but this incident has left a sour taste in my mouth. I won't be going again anytime soon, but next time I'll book a table!
Image from www.melbourne.breakfastout.com.au/richmondhillcafelarder
No comments:
Post a Comment