Bridges

This was my first visit as I heard it was great for gluten-intolerant diners. Unfortunately, it will also be my last. The atmosphere initially looked inviting, and we were excited to dine. However, the experience quickly turned sour due to the staff’s attitude. Our waitress, a dark-haired woman, seated us. While she wasn’t outright rude, she didn’t smile once and looked visibly unhappy. We brushed it off and placed our order: 1 sticky chicken tapas, 1 halloumi bites, 1 Coca-Cola, and 1 pink lemonade. The young blonde-haired girl who took our drink order was shockingly rude—avoiding eye contact and barely engaging with us. Worse, we noticed her being blatantly unprofessional with the table next to us, repeatedly snapping “what” at them when they asked about menu items (and they spoke with a slight accent). If staff can’t understand a customer, a professional response is to politely clarify, not bark “what.” On the plus side, the food arrived quickly and was delicious. Unfortunately, that was the only positive aspect of our visit. When we went to pay, we encountered the same blonde-haired girl at the counter. Behind the bar, three staff members stood around looking equally miserable, none of them smiling or creating a welcoming environment. When she processed our payment, the total came to $77, which was clearly wrong. I pointed this out, but she just stared at me, completely silent. My husband asked if the total was correct, and all she said was “yes.” I asked her to read back the order to confirm the charges. Again, she stared at me and rudely responded, “what?” After asking a third time, she sighed dramatically and finally read back the order. Sure enough, it included a pizza we hadn’t ordered. I corrected her and she adjusted the total to $44 without so much as an apology or acknowledgment of the mistake, in fact, we were met with complete silence and no eye contact yet again. My husband paid, and she didn’t say a single word throughout the transaction, not even a goodbye. I have never experienced such rude and dismissive behaviour in a restaurant. As a business owner myself, I find this completely unacceptable. If any of my staff treated customers this way, they’d be retrained and warned immediately. How dare someone treat friendly customers like this! While the food was excellent, the atrocious customer service ruined what could have been a new favorite spot for me, as someone with gluten intolerance. Instead of leaving happy, my husband and I left feeling disrespected and undervalued. Management seriously needs to address this girl’s behaviour and overall team morale. This girl will drive loyal customers away if something isn’t done about her attitude and customer service. If she doesn’t like a customer facing role, then she should not work in that environment..

Always good quality and excellent service. Always happy to cater to my needs as a CELIAC SAFE restaurant.