Goldfinch Restaurant and Street Cafe — Restaurant in Brisbane City

I have been here many times and the service is always hit and miss. Tonight was the night of the lovely but “clueless” waitresses.

Coming to ask for our order after just a few minutes and clearly we are talking to each other…..

As to drinks: “Would you like a top up”…. asks the lovely waitress as we have full glasses of water before us. How about just asking “Csn I get you some drinks”….

When would you like your soup?? Mmmm after my dessert maybe……. don’t they know you serve soup first, always??

Repeating orders over and over….

Ask for a long black and get asked “what sort of milk”….

Coffee arrives in a MUG! A sad pool of blackness with no crema in sight. it was sent back and did come back in a cup with a cream. I’m sick of being served crèma-less long blacks!!

Music way too loud!

Constant interruptions from waiters as they take away plates, hand out menus across your face during a conversation….when patrons are deep in conversation DONT INTERRUPT! Just discreetly drop the menus and leave.

Patrons are there to talk to each other not be constantly giving feedback or reassurance to wait staff as they do the normal things they’re meant to do: clear plates, top up water, provide dessert menu.

Not once asked if we’d like another glass of wine when the glass sat there empty.

Then paying: That’s $130 thank you, without even allowing us to peruse and check the bill first! Then when we point this out we’re given “the look” as though we’re being difficult.

Seriously, what sort of training do staff receive these days.

The staff were all young and attractive but with almost no true hospitality skills.

Brisbane wait staff’s obsession with clearing tables and constant interruptions to diners’ conversations must stop. It goes on everywhere.

But the art of true, discreet, gentle attentiveness has...

Was hoping for a standard of good service and great food. 10 Nov 2024 The tables were not wiped, cleared, or managed well, 30⁰ 86% humidity no A/C. Maybe this was the sign, the little red flag, but we gave them the benefit of the doubt. After all, it was a heat wave, and everyone was feeling it.

So we cleared the table, sat on the clean side, and ordered at the counter. I order for me Egg Benedict coffee, my friend pancakes, and a pot of tea. The tea and coffee came out fast, there was a wait for the meals, which didn't come for 25 minutes, (only 4 new come in, 6 previous customers at the time in the cafe) so I asked if they forgot us, no, it's on the way now. The meals came, pancakes were great, the eggs, poached, hard yolks, and 30mins later. So I went to the server and asked to have the eggs cooked again, please. The server ask why the eggs are cooked, I said they're supposed to be poached eggs, runny yokes, not boiled eggs. She felt I was unreasonable. She reluctantly took my plate to the kitchen after serving others that came into the cafe. It sat at the counter for another 5mins.

5mins later, I decided this was not going to work. Again, I approached the server and I politely asked for my money back because we were leaving Brisbane that day and needed to leave to make the airport.

10mins later, she cracked it, looking for the receipt she purposely played on her hand then proceeded to place every other reciept she's printed that morning on top of mine, going through each one, to waste time, all the while knowing we had a time restraint. As my reciept was at the bottom of her hand. To say this experience was rude and unprofessional is an understatement.

Hense.... 1hr later, no breakfast, and...

Very unprofessional and inconsiderate wait staff, I went there for lunch this afternoon. As an Accor Plus Gold member I like to support the participating hotels & restaurants, restaurant wasn’t even busy at all, there was only me and my daughter and another couple. I got the impression that staff didn’t want to work. I was told you not going to like the soup😳 which was Blue cheese and broccoli soup, why you would tell a customer something like that and if it is not a nice soup, then why it’s on the menu????? I used to love dining there 3 years ago, as restaurant has a vibe and location is good, food used to be nice too, but wait staff are so unprofessional, I could hear them whispering about me and my order, restaurant manager Manish wasn't available to talk to. Food & beverage manager Elie came to talk to me, stated that the wait staff involved (Vsata) was working there from last 20 years apparently and normally she is not like that, that is not the way you treat a customer like that does not mean how long you been working there. I felt humiliated, I never experienced anything like that at any other Accor restaurants, Sofitel (Suzette), Novotel (Spice kitchen and Catalina Bar & restaurant Brisbane airport), Sebel (The Croft’s kitchen) all are great with their customer service and food quality. Food here is nice though as far I can remember, but staff attitude, big no no.

Also they hardly ever answer their phone, you can be ringing for 10 minutes, don’t know how is it even a standard hospitality practice ! Don’t waste your time going there please, every customer deserves respect, dignity and service without...