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If you go out for a luxury supper with your family and it’s ruined, you probably won’t be too impressed, especially if you spent a lot of money for the occasion. That’s what happened to a family when a family with a number of loud children took the seat next to them.
She expressed her frustration on Mumsnet about the children acting up at the table across from her, claiming they were yelling and banging utensils against the surface. She filed a complaint as a consequence and received a free bottle of wine, but she was still looking for more.
She stated: “Last night at 7.30 p.m., four of us made reservations at an expensive restaurant.”Ten minutes or so after we had seated ourselves, a couple entered the room pulling a buggy while carrying 2 extra kids. They had a seat at the table right next to us.”
The Mumsnetter continued by outlining the trouble the kids were up to in her writing, saying: “One kid kept knocking his spoon off the table, another kept crawling up the wide windowsill till he was directly behind my head, and the baby was fascinated by the dad playing peek-a-boo as she screamed. This continued forever.
“We requested a change in seating arrangements. There were none on hand. The toddler then joined in the crying after getting tired and angry, and the infant began crying loudly.”We complained on the way out since we didn’t have dessert. Our bill was reduced by the cost of a bottle of wine.
“Am I being unfair in thinking that expensive restaurants that charge a fortune ought to have a procedure for handling circumstances like this? We spent a lot of money on a meal that we were unable to enjoy.”
Photo Credits – Getty Images/iStockphoto
Many others didn’t agree that the woman should have voiced her complaint in the comments since they believed she was making a big deal out of nothing.”Sounds irritating, but it’s simply poor luck,” one person wrote. You got a free bottle of wine. I doubt the family will take the kids out late again for a while, despite their best efforts to entertain them.
Another expressed a little more understanding, writing: “A lot of nice restaurants don’t accept kids during dinner dining hours, and I believe that’s okay.
They’ll let “well-behaved children” attend lunch, which I believe is a good idea because it would discourage me from bringing a toddler or baby. However, because my children are big enough to sit still for extended periods of time, I could bring them, so that’s okay.
“I am sorry that your meal got spoiled. Given how rare such occasions are, I would have felt the same if I had gone out with my husband alone.”Some others backed the children, with one saying: “Therefore, parents shouldn’t be allowed to eat out? Toddlers may create sounds, and babies cry. You’re eating in a public restaurant.”
Someone noted that people are never content, saying: “People would have likely been complaining about it also if these kids had been glued to screens while sitting at the table in silence. For whatever reason, there is a common belief in the UK that children’s and adults’ worlds shouldn’t interact all that much.”
If I sense a “Karen” attack I’m the first to call it. I don’t think that’s what is happening. High end eateries spend major bucks creating an high quality feel. This totally undid that. If you spend more than average you deserve a more than average feeling
While the owners can’t predict who is coming they have a right to
protect their ritzy enviorment by restricting who they let in. If a drunken group of parties showed up, they wouldn’t seat them so restricting children aren’t allowed during dinner. The parents get a sitter or come for lunch.
I agree
I am a mother if 11 and if I get an opportunity to go out on a date you better believe I don’t want children around. Many people going out to dinner are getting a break from a long life of raising kids and I also have 5 special needs girls. There are many places that are acceptable to take kids and I do this as well. An expensive restaurant is not the place. I get a chance on occasion to go out and I want to relax and enjoy the night. It’s common sense which some people lack.
My husband and I were staying in a very expensive hotel in Florence, Italy with our 6 month old son. We were very tired one night and decided to go to the restaurant at the top of the hotel. When we arrived at the entrance, we hesitated as it was quite posh. The maitre d’ encouraged us to come in after we explained that we had my son with us but he insisted. He then instructed two of the waiters to put two beautiful upholstered sofas together, forming a playpen for our son. In the states, we would have been scorned. “The Ugly American” is a well deserved title for some of us.
Parents should be better about controlling their kids. If these were my kids, I would have left the restaurant as not to disturb other people.
I was once assaulted by a small child running around a high end restaurant screaming and hitting people. The adults at the child’s table did nothing. I was appalled at the adults for not doing anything and finally went up to the table and asked them to control their child. They actually complained to the staff that I was rude and demanded a free meal. I left and was followed out by the manager who thanked me and said they were not allowed to say anything to the people. He gave me his business card and I received a bottle of champagne on my next visit and top end service each time after.