A table for two? Not on ‘no-food Monday’!
HAVING a bad day? Let me cheer you up by relating what happened to a friend of mine who took a late summer break on the South Devon coast with his wife for their wedding anniversary, which they hoped to celebrate in a ‘tidy’ restaurant.
Their hotel was, in my friend’s words, “Classy, but very welcoming”, and a short walk from the town centre and seafront.
Although they arrived well before check-in time, their room was available, so they unpacked and went out for the afternoon.
So far. So good.
While some cafés were open, all the restaurants were closed, despite it being a busy Sunday (every car park was full), so they went back to the hotel to reserve a table for dinner – only to be told the dining room was fully booked.
Enquiring about bar meals, they were told: “We’re unable to provide them”.
With roast beef on the dinner menu and bread in the kitchen for breakfast toast, how much effort would it have taken to make a couple of sandwiches?
Both pubs recommended by other guests were booked too, so they ended up buying ‘meal deals’ and a bottle of wine from Tesco Express!
They were seeing a show at the local theatre the following evening, which clashed with the hotel’s dining hour (6.30 to 7.30pm).
Attempting to book an early dinner at one of the recommended pubs, the landlady said they were fully booked, while the landlord of another said, almost triumphantly, “It’s No Food Monday!”
How they laughed!
They eventually found a fish and chip shop where they ate lukewarm, refried chips under the gaze of the proprietor as he waited for them to finish so he could close the place…at 6.15pm!
Hardly the romantic anniversary meal they’d hoped for.
There’s a kicker to this story. After returning home, they decided to make up for their Devonian disappointment by having a celebratory bar meal and glass of vino at the Celtic Manor Hotel, Newport.
There’s lovely! When they got out of their taxi at 7.30pm, the hotel concierge who greeted them said, “I’m so sorry. They stop serving food in the bar after 6pm!”
Ah well. My friend needs to lose a few pounds anyway!