Arrived at 11.55am for 12pm booking yesterday, via a very reputable 'timely ' restaurant booking service I frequent often . Greeted from behind on entry by an arriving small kinda cute employee, or maybe owner, or chef informing us they didn't open till 12pm. (suddenly, a flash of confusion, incase I somehow missed the clocks going back overnight, but quick calculations informed me they go forward in March). Told this person we booked through the very reputable 'timely ' restaurant booking service I frequent often, for 12pm for 4 people. .....Now he is having the similar flash of confusion, ....he's probably thinking the clocks went forward overnight instead.
Anyway.....He instructs a younger chappie that we're here for 12pm booking. ....Now having slight worry incase i,m in some kind of weird dream, or outer limit time warp thingy, cos he tells us, 'We're early and he's not ready for us". ......(it's 11.55am our booking is for12pm , mmmh dooroodoodoo; dooroodoodoo).
A quick look at my trustie homies and we're all looking confused and baffled, so i know it's real. (Okkaaay.....staff are obviously still pissed perhaps. Hey, we've all been there, just hope none of them are the chef). But, suddently I realise it's baltic and i,m expecing a couple of penguins to be waiting on us in here. Then young chappie tells us to sit at any table thats ready, Smallish kinda cute guy gestures us to sit at table near door and window. ......Not on your Nelly mate, we opt for an oval table a few feet from the bar at the back of the restaurant, (bar a good place to be) but we need to keep our coats on, cos there's no heat there either. It's obvious staff have not long arrived. We are given menu's and let them know we're waiting for one more. Menu's look good and reasonable priced pre theatre deal.
We wait a bit longer, almost huddled together for heat. Now I was in a hot car with jacket off, which is paked accross the road just before arriving. My toes and nose are getting cold now. We,re offered our free drink. I immediatly think that brandy is what the dogs on the mountains carry on rescue missions, and i,m surprised one hasn't found us yet, but a bad experience years ago with it and cola comes into mind, and I think not, as do my homies as it's too cold. But we're all thinking it's freezing, our food will go cold, and it's a bit neothandrical eating with our winter coats on, so we nicely let the staff know it's too cold and we're planning to go elsewhere.
Smallish kinda cute guy blames the weather "It's cold outside" says he, his kinda cuteness disappearing. But then to add further insult to injury, young chappie miraculasly produces a blazing floor heater from next to the bar, which would have reached us. Speechless we leave, most disgruntled as the very reputable 'timely ' restaurant booking service I frequent often had really good reviews (aye but to start with, some similar to our experience, but in fairness more are favourable). We console ourselves that if the service and first impressions were anything to go by, we were probably saved from a totally bad experience.
We left and went to old faithful AntiPasta in Sauchiehall Street, near the Kings Theatre which we were going to see We Will Rock You. Had amazing food in warm cosy normal surroundings. So a great day/night had by all.......
.....However, woke up next day to find email from the very reputable 'timely ' restaurant booking service I frequent often, asking for feedback, as the Bold Azzurro reported no show. (this was done a couple of hours after we had left). No doubt in an attempt to prevent me from leaving any comment, which i wasn't planning to do, until NOW!!!. But they obviously do not understand how the very reputable 'timely ' restaurant booking service I frequent often, work.
So Darryl R, I think the restaurant and the date were to blame - hope you recovered from your double whamy.
Azzurro Restaurant is definately a Anogo Restaurant!! read more