Cinco Bistro — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I was having a farewell dinner for one of my friends who is going to depart from Australia very soon. This restaurant was recommended by one of the friends. The food is alright but not really worth it when the location of restaurant is very inconvenient.☹️ HOWEVER, I am completely disappointed and angry regarding the service. 😡The waiter was very impatient and seems like doesn't want to serve us at all. I have no idea what he kept rushing us the whole night, no matter when we are waiting the arrival for my friends, ordering the food, clearing the table, getting the desserts. 🤯I was expecting a quiet and relaxing environment to enjoy the farewell dinner with my friends who I may not able to see her in a long time. The service completely ruined my night and my mood 💔and I was very stressed because I was kept rushing by the waiter for no reason.🤯 The restaurant closed at 10pm and could I please ask what is the reason to keep rushing us and tried to pull us out of the restaurant?? He approached me 3 times if everyone is coming, and then he kept asking if my order is like a final order, as in I can't add anymore food if I finish my meal and want to order something else? If you don't want to help us with our order, then just put a QR code like those fast food restaurants.👎🏻 I have my booking since 6pm and I won't sit until 10pm, and clearly I don't see the restaurant was full BECAUSE it is a WEEKDAY and another half of the restaurant is EMPTY. I understand the waiter maybe can finish his shift earlier if we left earlier, but we left at 8pm ish and the restaurant finishes at 10pm, I mean seriously???? If your staff want to finish 2 HOURS EARLIER THAN YOUR CLOSING TIME, JUST CHANGE YOUR CLOSING TIME. Don't rush the customers and tried to kick them out of the restaurant. I paid for this experience! Not to mention we are not 'karen' and demanding everything, we are just having a normal dinner and a gathering with my friends, how dare him kept rushing up and delivering a really bad hospitality? I wish you guys can train your staff in terms of delivering a good customer service experience, especially I reckon you guys are classifying yourself as a fine dining restaurant, but the service is even worse than a street fast food. Not to mention the table cloth on my table is not clean (I can see a food sauce spot on my side of the table) and they tried to use paper to cover the dirt of the table cloth (there was hair underneath the paper on the table cloth) 🤢 VERY DISSAPPOINTED AND NEVER COME...

17-minute invisibility cloak.

Surprise Valentine’s Day dinner organised for my Bride arriving right on time at 7.30pm to a 3/ 4 full restaurant having booked weeks in advance for our local bistro style restaurant reserved for special occasions. It was the first dine out for us after lockdowns here in Brisbane supporting local business and Chef Stubbs having enjoyed this quaint well-run establishment offering up white linen tablecloths, splendid food and service for many years having lived in Camp Hill and now Carindale.

Greeted and not seated, being pointed to a few tables down the back by the Matre’d so we had to sort of ‘choose’… Took the one that looked most prepared (no wine glasses though) being the end of a six-seater with another couple occupying the first two covers having completed their sitting leaving shortly after. The initial welcoming and ‘non-seating’ got us off to a poor start as did the lack of a full setting, paper tablecloths and poor-quality photocopied menus. Staff were there but cleared tables around us and a Waterboy wandered around seemingly directionless and confused past us with our water glasses at the ready. 8-minute mark. No wine or beverage list as yet or even an acknowledgement that we were in attendance. I still had hope knowing the food that Peter usually produces could resurrect the strange start to the evening. Fifteen minutes in and no change, then what we could only assume was the Sommelier, strangely arrived with a bottle of red and two glasses, obviously for another table and then just walked off… By this point I was very concerned how the evening would evolve. I am usually quite patient but with the expense I knew was about to be outlaid and having experienced superior service at other dining establishments lately charging similar coin, couldn’t bare it past the 17-minute mark with no transformation in approach from the floor.

I thought Candid Camera had returned and we were the main attraction – unfortunately we had to leave and with local competition increasing, will be...

Mums filled a table of twenty and mostly enjoyed friendly service and delicious food.

POSITIVE Friendly greeting upon arrival Well presented table and menu Delicious food I had Grilled Market Fish Green Masala Curry, Potato Fondant, Carrot, Cherry Tomato

Which I must say was extremely fresh, the green madala curry mild and delicious. The fish crisp on the exterior and moist inside. Perfect

Dessert Chocolate Mousse with Mandarin Sorbet Amazing! Presentation excellent Fresh citris flavors and Lemon thyme Exquisite

NEGATIVE In this day and age of technology, I find it both lazy and down right rude for any restaurant to enforce a one table, one bill policey.

Our organiser had the stress and strain of ensuring everyone paid cash.

She had given us the menu by text and kindly asked us to bring change.

After all that effort, our table was overcharged for corkage, because they put an empty wine glass down. $8.50 corkage per glass x 18 ladies. (Really??)

Not all drank alcohol/wine so one of the mums had to get up and request the bill to be revised.

Wire One of the mums found scourer pad wire in her meal..... The meal was refunded in full along with an apology. How did a scourer wire get in her meal?

Water Although the staff initially provided bottles of water, these were not replaced when empty. Nor did staff ask if anyone needed the water pouredinto our glasses. We did our own.

OVERALL Open area looking into the kitchen enabled you to see the chef and kitchen staff in action, a bit like looking at a goldfish in a bowl. Nice quiet, intimate atmosphere

WOULD I GO BACK? Nice to experience once Lacking in personalised service I do not frequent a restaurant where they...