THEY TRIED TO CON ME WITH FAKE MONEY!!! BEWARE!!!
I've been a regular for years at that place and have always paid by card.
Last time I went, I happened to have cash on me, fresh from the bank. I paid with a 50£ note. The waiter took it to the till without me paying too much attention. At one point, I glanced at the woman (I guess, the owner) going through the till and I thought she was preparing my change.
But lo and behold, the bill came back to me, FAKE, which was now VERY obvious. I found myself a bit dumbfounded and I even felt stupid for not realizing I had given them such an obvious fake. I felt there and then that something was wrong, I hesitated but what could I do, so ended up paying by card. I clearly remember everyone looking at me from behind the till, especially the woman.
But after thinking about it, it just didn't make any sense. The bill came from the bank and being a very observant person, I knew I couldn't have been fooled by a fake so different than the other ones. It was crumpled, while my other bills where flat, it was badly printed, it had pinkish colour and a very different feel than a regular bill. By chance I also happened to have a photo of the bill on my phone from a few days earlier! So I knew at that point they had swapped it. But then it was my word against theirs.
I came back to ask to have a look at the cctv and they made me come back an hour later saying only the manager had access to it and was away. I came back an hour later only to be told the manager had came back in the meantime and already left and I had to come back the next day. At that point they made me feel like I was annoying and the waiter looked pissed. Nice.
When I did come back the next day they were all super awkward, the manager instantly apologized, and tried to minimise it and justify it telling me a story that didn't really make sense. The lady at the till didn't dare to look at me and felt clearly uncomfortable. He refunded me and gave me a voucher on top. Apparently the cctv showed the "mistake" swap at the till but of course I didn't get to have a look at it for myself.
They clearly tried to con me, and this is totally unacceptable. What a shame...
It makes you wonder how many times they got away with it when people are less sure of it or don't live around and can't come back to make things straight.
On the food side, it won't be a great loss not to come back as it's pretty average to be honest.
Stay away from that place and don't pay cash if you go. read more