Caffe Uno Reviews

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Mike Shenton - 12th February 2007

Rating: (Not rated - review added before star ratings introduced.)

Incredible experience at this restaurant February 11th 2007.

I have been a regular customer at Cafe Uno restaurants and, in particular, at this restaurant on Ecclesall Road, Sheffield, which is within a mile of my home.

That evening, with two of my three children away from home, we decided to eat out at this restaurant and booked a table for 5:30PM. We arrived on time and were seated reasonably quickly, ordered drinks and enjoyed the experience. The starter we shared, a basket of garlic pizza bread, was excellent.

My daughter ordered an Americana Pizza, I ordered a burger and my wife ordered the Merluzzo Con Risotto. Everything was fine except the risotto, which we pointed out to the waiter shortly after it was put on the table; the fish was good, but the rice was dry and was certainly not a risotto more like something out of a packet. The waiter asked if my wife would like something to replace it, but she said she would eat the fish but not the rice and the waiter said that he had noted our comment and would sort something out.

We called for the bill after the meal, presented our Cafe Uno loyalty card, and the waiter brought along a bill, which he said had discounted the whole of the food bill by 25% instead of the usual 15%. I said I was sorry, but I was not prepared to pay for the risotto, which would have been £11.95 - and frankly, I had expected that the item would not have appeared on the bill in any case.

The assistant manager, name of James, came along at this point to explain that he had reduced the bill and that we were better off doing this than trying to take the item off the bill. I said I was not prepared to pay for the risotto and asked him to take it off the bill at which point he came back with another bill, this time without the risotto and I gave him my debit card for payment. Whilst this was going through the machine, I noticed that he had now forgotten to discount the rest of my food for the discount card and asked him to do it again.

He came back to the table with a new bill, asked me if I had booked a table for this meal which I confirmed I had; he asked what name I had booked the table under and I said "Shenton, same as on the debit card". He then said, to my utter disbelief, "I suggest you don't come back to this restaurant". I then unfortunately, raised my voice a little as I was astounded that I could be treated with such disrespect. My wife recalled that this gentleman, James, served us the last time we were at the Cafe Uno and noted that he had a "bit of an attitude". I replied to James that I had no intention of coming back to his restaurant, but that this was due to my personal choice and nothing to do with his invitation. I then asked to speak with the restaurant manager, whom I was told is called Tim, but James said that he was too busy to speak with me. He did explain that it was Tim, the manager, who had cooked the risotto for my wife.

I have returned from the restaurant, still a little shocked from the experience, but determined to see this put right and have written to head office to explain to them in as full and honest terms as is possible.

We eat out frequently, at least twice a week, and often at restaurants on Ecclesall Road and the Cafe Uno has always been a favourite of ours and a good place in particular to bring our children. I am completely at a loss of words to understand what could bring a waiter around to treat a customer with such an attitude - this man James, when I said I would write to head office, said "you can write to who you like".

Be warned.