Extraordinary
Having served presidents, Hollywood names, politicians and TV stars, the
UK’s best waiter has been named after being praised in more online reviews than any other member of restaurant staff.
Dubbed the “maestro of the dessert trolley”, 71-year-old Neil Heshmat has been serving delicious puddings at classic French restaurant, Oslo Court, in North London, for 45 years since he arrived in England from Egypt.
To celebrate the unsung heroes of the restaurant industry, many of whom have been without work during the pandemic, guest experience management platform superbexperience. com crunched the numbers to reveal the UK’s top waiter.
It’s not hard to discover what makes Neil the best at his job.
The smooth-talking chap says, “Who can be angry when I arrive with a tray of beautiful cakes? If people are aggressive or rude to me, I never take it to heart, I smile.” And despite having accidentally set fire to the dining room 30 years ago after flambéing a crêpes suzette, Neil is still serving the classic restaurant’s famous desserts, even though the trolley had to be parked temporarily because of Covid rules. He says proudly, “I have served so many famous people from Michael Winner, Matt Lucas, David Cameron, and even the late President Johnson. But I look after all customers as if they are my own family.” The happy waiter also has a sweet philosophy. He says, “Desserts are like life, people do not want to just eat, they want to feel loved and hear the gossip. I will carry on serving them as long as I can do it.”
Ł ' ç½ÕĢ ³¦± Ò½ ̦¸ ̽·½¸ĢÌ praises, email siobhan.mcnally@ mirror.co.uk