Extrêmement unfriendly. I was in Tours on a research trip today, traveling alone, and was looking for some dinner. I was walking by Le Trattoria des Halles and checked out their menu. I thought I'd give it a go and went inside to find a restaurant full of empty tables at 8pm. I asked the woman working, in French, if she had a table for one. She looked at me as if my request for a table on a Tuesday night with an empty restaurant both inside and out was the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. Without hesitation she replied "No, désolé." And then laughed and walked away.
I fully understand that French and American restaurant service standards are vastly different from each other, but I've spent considerable time in Paris and have never been treated so poorly. I can't review the food at Le Trattoria des Halles because I wasn't given the opportunity to dine there. The proprietor apparently prefers to be a snob to foreign travelers rather than make money, or even seat one table amid a sea of empty chairs. read more