Two Edinburgh customers have slammed a restaurant after being asked to sit outside to finish their drinks from plastic cups because the restaurant needed the table back.
After a 'disappointing' trip to the Old Chain Pier in Newhaven, the customer who goes by the name Patsy fumed in an online review. The mother and daughter duo who have been frequently visiting the restaurant over the last couple of months were horrified to be moved to outdoor tables after finishing their meal and ordering another drink.
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They also slammed the gluten free menu claiming that there weren't enough options and were angry that the restaurant couldn’t guarantee any food would be gluten free due to the small kitchen size.
Hitting out the customer wrote: "I’ve visited twice over the last couple of months. The location is amazing and the staff are trying so hard to do their best but the first visit with my mum her only gluten free option was a salmon starter and no bread.
"The restaurant manager explained that this was because they only have a small kitchen so can’t guarantee gluten free. My mum isn’t gluten free by choice and therefore it’s dangerous for her to eat somewhere claiming to offer gluten free alternatives and saying thinks like ‘maybe it is’.
"The vegetarian options consist of a meat alternative burger or halloumi salad (neither options have changed in over a year).
"Our last and most recent trip started out lovely. We arrived and got a seat at the window. We had the table for an hour and 15 minutes and had just ordered more drinks when 5 minutes later we were told we would need to vacate the table and sit outside."
They continued: "We explained that we weren’t given a time to return the table and had we known we simply wouldn’t have ordered more drinks.
"The waitress left and the manager who had given us this table tried to blame the “new staff” which was ridiculous as it was her that sat us at that table and mentioned absolutely no time limit."
She added: "The biggest joke is that there was no one waiting for the table - they clearly just wanted to keep it free. In sharing my experience with others since they too have had this issue.
"So unless you want to eat your food at speed and are happy to finish your drinks outside in the cold from plastic cups I wouldn’t recommend this place."
Manager Michael responded on behalf of the seaside restaurant writing: "I’m really sorry that on your last visit you were rushed and told you had to finish your drinks outside that is very disappointing and confusing to me and everyone else here who saw your review tonight we were all very upset to see this review.
"We can’t think who the “manager” who was rude could be - I am the manager and I promise it wasn’t me who served you! If you could - and it would be appreciated please send some more info to us directly so we can look into it."
He explained: "With regards to your comments on Gluten Free however I have to say for your information and that of others reading this: We can do gluten free options BUT if someone has a SERIOUS allergy or coeliac we will not be able to serve anything fried as we only have 2 small friers and we can’t keep one exclusively gluten free. I would rather be completely honest with customers about that as I wouldn’t want an allergic reaction on my or anyone else’s conscience as I’m sure you can understand.
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He added: "We do have gluten free bread (maybe we had sold out last time you were in?) but the bottom line here is if someone has a serious allergy we will always state we “cannot guarantee anything free from traces” and will continue to be responsible with that - I am sorry if this was not communicated to you properly on your previous visits."
Finally he wrote: "Please be mindful of other restaurants you visit with your mother if they proclaim “GLUTEN FREE!” - the ingredients may be gluten free but there could be cross contamination issues ie. The gluten free item has been cooked in the same frier as battered fish before hand. As you say in your review “the staff are trying their best” and we are. Please be kind and look after your mother."
The Newhaven restaurant is well-loved by locals and serves a fantastic range of fresh seafood with wonderful staff. They have received a four star rating on Tripadvisor with customers praising the "Mesmerizing view with food."
Others have said: "The staff are very friendly and the atmosphere is very relaxing. Menu is good with a mix of dishes."
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