There is a restaurant that we used to go to regularly and thoroughly enjoy when we wanted something a bit more special. It’s changed hands a couple of times in recent years - covid hasn’t helped - and we’ve been wary of going, but its reviews seemed to be good and so we went last night.
In fact, we were disappointed (the menu was no more than average) and wont be going back. One of the reasons we won’t be going back is that they had the radio playing as background throughout the evening - presumably some form of attempt at “white noise”? The radio was tuned to a traffic report station!!! And this in a restaurant with pretentions to be that bit special.
Would you have asked them to turn it off? We didn’t. Or would it not have bothered you? It did us and seemed so at odds with the (attempted) ambience.
I don’t do trip advisor, but I think I might have said something such as asking to change channels. So much depends on circumstance, as if there were few people there they might not have noticed.
As the old saying goes, ‘feedback is a gift’, so think I may have said something, as it does sound rather odd playing traffic reports in what purports to be a ‘nice’ restaurant. I think if the food wasn’t up to it as well, I would probably just not go back, but if the food was good and the ambience suffered due to the radio I would give feedback - then up to them if choose to do anything or not. For the food, if it isn’t any good, the owners will probably soon get the message when folks go elsewhere.
There was a restaurant we went to when meeting friends in Castelnaudary - loved the food and the ambience but one course I had, the octopus was tough - yes I know it can be - but this was somewhere special. I sent them an email suggesting sous vide and got a lovely reply - we would definitely go back there. Last night - probably won’t bother. Just seemed such an odd choice of background sound.
I now do give honest feedback whenever asked - it is difficult to get honest feedback as most people are too polite but without honest feedback the place will not improve.
It’s quite hard to write casual/informal French that native speakers don’t consider a bit foreign even if grammatically correct. I can think of several people whose English is pretty perfect in most speech and formal writing, but very slightly wrong choice of words and phrasing points to this being a second language especially in more casual emails and the like. .
I obviously can’t spot it myself, but have been told the same applies in French.
We went to a local resto for midday meal. Food excellent but the tv was on a news channel but quite loud. I politely asked if the volume could be be turned down a bit. The serving chappie apologized and we enjoyed a lovely nosh.
We went to a restaurant for Valentine’s night once and ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ came on over the speakers. I did point it out, but mostly to see the look of horror on the manager’s face. And yes, I have asked a restaurant to turn the music down in the past if it’s been particularly ear splitting.
Not a tune I was familiar with Pete. However after some light research it seems to be an anthem for the drug fuelled modern equivalent of a Nuremberg rally
A comment on YouTube from one of the faithful…
“Man, I remember walking up the stairs of Berghain into the main room and this song was just starting. It was one of the highlights of my entire life I cannot even describe the atmosphere in that place when this was playing. Ended up pulling a ligament in my groin from dancing too hard and couldn’t walk or more importantly dance for the following 3 months. Gotta say it was worth it though lmao.”
