Very bad attitude at Elle and Ellas

[dkc]

Just posting a note to mention how disappointed I was when I went into Elle and Ellas a couple of nights back. I have always found this to be a really good quality place and have enjoyed all my previous visits there.
I have no doubt that the food is as good as ever and judging from what people who I've sent there have told me this seems to be the case.

However my issue is not with the food but of the absolute dismissive and bad attitude of the lady who was working there and who took the initial booking from me.
I booked a few days beforehand for 5 people plus baby and arrived to be told that there was no high chair available ( they just have one which is obviously because they don't really want babies there which is their choice ).
It was pointed out that I didn't ask for a hign chair but I made a presumption when booking in this day and age that they would have anticipated this requirement and not expect a baby who needs to be fed to sit in a buggy all night. Anyway when I asked about it the lady told me they didn't have one but her tone and manner really was what bothered me and my family who have been there many times and sends lots of people there who we meet and who stay in our home in CVO. When I asked if there was some way we could get a baby chair ( trying to suggest maybe borrowing one ) the lady walked off and proceeded to ignore us leaving one of the waiters to deal with us. He gave us the same dismissive attitude and was just interested in getting us out the door once it became obvious we couldn't stay and leave our child sitting in his pram. I felt it was very ignorant and unprofessional that she just walked off and refused to deal with the problem - it showed a total lack of respect for us and the other staff there and she refused to deal with the problem

What also bothered me was that I had somebody with me who we wanted to treat to a nice night and instead of going to maximes we picked elle and ellas ( what a mistake ). I don't think it bothered elle and ellas as the table was probably taken within 5 mins when we left. However I have no doubt if it was a quieter time they would have been bending over backwards trying to get us to part with our cash there. I'm sure they were working on the basis that we were just another set of tourists who would prob not be back in CVO again.

As a result of this incident and the rudeness and dismissive attitude, we will absolutely not darken their door again and will never make a recommendation to any of the Irish people we know who always ask us given that we are out there a few times each year. What is their loss will be someone else's gain. For the record we are not serial complainers but feel very strongly about how badly we were treated in this instance. To finish a restaurant is about a lot of things including good food and ambience - but it is also about making the customer feel valued and treating them well ( even ones with babies ). I'm happy for anyone to pass this note onto Elle and Ellas if you think this feedback would be of benefi to them.

[HampshireRich]

Taking on one of the sacred institutions here dkc - but I have to say we had similar experiences there - to which I have commented in the Restaurant section. The thing is, its so popular at the moment you and I don't matter - but like you, I don't expect I'll go back.

[Lesley Jean]

yep...... I have never been back since I was turned away, during the Autumn so not a busy time, as I was a lone diner (out on a quick trip to the house) I asked if there was a table for one and told they were full, only to be passed by a couple who asked if there would be a table for two, they were shown to a table inside straight away, when I pointed this out I was very rudely dismissed..... in fact I was totally blanked...... have never recommended this place to anyone since.
Now Maximes, I have always been welcomed there either on my own, with my OH or with our family and friends.... now that is how it is done properly....

[fmm]

Me too - ate there once and the food was only "ok" and the service indifferent. We were also in an area which was really cold and my mother was uncomfortable.
Next time we went (on recommendation from here) I asked for a specific table and explained why. When we arrivied we were shown to the same table as last time. I was then told take it or leave it. So we left it.
Went back to Maximes where we are always well treated and the food is consistently good.

[EMM]

We too have tried it and will probably not go back. the worst house wine we have ever tasted and the food was OK but nothing like the quality and service we had been told to expect.
We did not like sitting in a plastic enclosure either. It is just one of the better places ( by reputation ) it is certainly NOT the best.

[bruce]

As this restaurant seemed so popular on here I thought it was just me who thought it was pretty average with dire service - we got the impression that they were doing us a favour allowing us to dine there. We would never go back.

[Lesley Jean]

After all the pro reviews it is nice to have some others who have given this place a thumbs down.... I know others who have gone expecting something quiet amazing after reading all the 'wow' reviews on here only to be very disappointed....

[tjthedj]

I wonder who's been writing the 'Wow' reviews then!? Certainly not me, similare experience to the rest of you and guess what, we won't eat there again either.

[shanagarry]

We've never been and now never will. We've never had bad advice/recommendation on here - and have no intention of trying my luck on this one. Thank you all

[Rossi's idol]

My Wife and I went once, last summer, and wondered why it had received all the hype. I wouldn't claim to be a gourmet expert but felt that this was 'average'. Needless to say, we haven't been back.

[fmm]

how bizarre - where have all the E and E lovers gone?
At least I no longer feel that there is something wrong with me because I don't rate it, for which I thank all of you!!

[Alison]

Hmmm - interesting one this......We go to Ele and Ela's because we like the food. Since we have been going for many years now the staff know us and treat us accordingly (ie, well!) but we have had instances in the past when their attitude was bordering on the rude and arrogant so I can imagine the sort of scenarios that others have mentioned in the previous posts. Once when I was out on my own many years ago I got a version of the Lesley Jean treatment although I did get a meal there as it wasn't particularly busy. On one of our very first meals there (when we didn't realise that lots of restaurants didn't take credit cards) Kim was extremely unhelpful when we tried to offer a credit card to pay - the implication being that we were stupid not to have seen the sign about 'no credit cards'. We were made to feel very uncomfortable and as a result it was many years before we ventured back there again. Contrast this with another (Portuguese run) restaurant where we had the same situation (Sul Mar, near Benagil, with no nearby cash machine) - the owner just said it was fine to bring the money the next day. I know Kim and Harald have moved up the road and Theresa and Claudio have been running the front of house now for many years, but some of the attitudes mentioned still prevail - there is a fine line between good natured banter and rudeness which they don't always get right.(eg, me jovially asking why my curry didn't come with rice as I'd really like some rice with it - to be told, albeit with a smile, Oh it doesn't come with rice, or the equivalent of 'the chef doesn't do rice' - cue offer to do some for me ? ........No! just a sort of you're lucky to get whatever comes with it attitude.)
It is a shame, as I do think the food is a bit different and very nice. But it doesn't take much for word to get around that customers are being treated badly - no business can afford to ignore that.

[shanagarry]

Fmm - like you we are avid Maximes fans and are looking forward to the party in September when John brings Gerry and Belinda back - for what should be a great night - if the last one is anything to go by

[Canada]

We have only eaten there once. Guess we expected too much after all of the "hipe" on here. It maybe a little like Julio's -if you are a regular you are treated differnently. We ate in doors luckily - because that plastic enclosure looks suffocating to me.

[Bristle Si]

Hmm, interesting.
When i questioned the overall value for money of E&Es last summer i was jumped on! How times have changed!

We've ate here on a number of occasions over the past 9 years and have found the food and service fine, but i actually think it is overpriced - hence no visit in last couple of years. I think there's better value for money for what one pays, elsewhere in CVO. However, i wouldn't go as far as some on this current thread - we never had a problem with the service.
Whether we give it a go this Sept we haven't decided.