"My daughter has eaten here and thought the food was good, so I booked, weeks in advance, for my husband and I to dine here as part of his birthday treat. On the night, the staff looked disbelieving when I told them why we had arrived, but eventually found our booking. They had just cleaned up after a very large party, but said that if we waited at the bar they would set up a table. No-one thought to offer us a complimentary drink for the inconvenience. Anyway, we looked at our sole, laid table adrift in an ocean of bare ones and decided it lacked something. When I thanked the manager and explained why we thought we would go elsewhere, (for ambience,not feeling that we were on display and,in our own minds, not really 'irritating ' the chef who 'd just processed 80 covers), we were offered a table in the middle of the busy,noisy bar area. We declined gracefully, and perhaps the manager has realised why that didn 't really appeal, and had a good meal at Brasserie Blanc. So,the warning is to confirm any booking made a few weeks in advance and, perhaps, even to check that no large party has been booked in subsequently, if only to avoid that 'runt of the litter ' feeling."
