Hamptons City Beach — Restaurant in City Beach

The old saying “never judge a book by it’s cover!” Was never more apt that our experience today! We have been in Australia for 8 weeks Touring from the UK on route to see our girl in Sydney (Bali tour & Singapore before Oz) We’ve been in 5 star restaurants and shacks on beaches But this place really shook us both! I don’t normally do mean reviews, I’m a positive outlook person but I’m making an exception this time; We had cycled from Fremantle to City Beach, looking forward to a morning coffee & some food approx 11am The welcome was far from friendly, Yes we weren’t dressed up but we weren’t looking homeless either, We had caps on & trainers, cycling attire. The place was empty apart from a group of mummies & babies When we asked for a table, the woman in questioned if there was availability, the huge place & balcony was practically empty. At first I thought she clearly doesn’t understand our northern UK accent but no, she was reluctant to let us in. She asked what we would be having? My husband chipped in cheerily as the air was v hostile “oh a few coffees and some food please” She was so very unfriendly, I’m in hospitality, I have a 2 coffee shops & 2 well being centres so I’m in the game. She finally allowed us a table outside on the balcony(our preferred choice) she added “there’s no service out here, you have to go in and order your own!” Why We didn’t just turn around and leave is still beyond us but the location on the beach is just delightful and we wanted a sit down and a coffee. The girls who’s brought us our coffees and banana breads which weren’t warm as I’d requested were absolutely delightful, the looked like scared rabbits in headlights. As chatted with one particular girl, asking who the woman was who checked us in and I nearly fell off my seat when she said she was the owner! She must be mistaken I thought, no owner of a restaurant would ever treat customers in the way we were treated? Surely not! We had 3 coffees and 2 bananas breads as I went to pay at the desk on the way out as instructed, the owner was also stood at this high desk with her head down looking at something on the computer. I actually thought she would redeem herself by acknowledging her customers paying their $40, offer some pleasantries as we do, and wish us a ‘good day’ or whatever her snooty attitude would say! BUT no! not a lift of an eyebrow, smile, or raise of of a hand, she totally ignored our presence Wow how very rude, I was really close to giving her a piece of my mind and staying the obvious! Your restaurant is empty lady because you’re disgusting and rude JUST DONT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER also anyone can have anything these days on credit! & She clearly didn’t see the name on the top of my payment card The queen RIP bless her Banked with me!! I can’t imagine this place being open on our next visit to City Beach! And Manners...

This is the most appalling place I have ever entered in my life. We sat down, looked at the menu and got up to order, we ordered a pizza to share and a few drinks, while we are at the counter we tap our card and make the payment, on my device I immediately got the notification from my bank that $$ amount was spent at this venue which confirmed the money was taken from my account. The server ask me to return to the bar and tap my card again which I did and again the eftpos machine claimed “network error” the server then also claimed the payment did not go through yet we had the funds removed from the bank account and got the notification… so apon the food arriving at our table i then told the waitress the situation and that we were not going to tap the card for the 3rd time because I was 100% sure the money was taken from the account. The server “Anya” took my friend away from our table minutes after I explained we will not be tapping the card again and again pressured my friend into tapping her card. The manager was bought to deal with the situation and he went onto the system and confirmed that we were NOW CHARGED 2x ($130) For this 1 pizza that has now sat on the table for 15 minutes while we were trying to deal with the problem.

The manager was utterly disgusting, Daniel had no manners and infact treated us like a burden… he refunded us 1x the amount and given the experience we no longer wanted to sit and have lunch in their venue so I requested a full refund so we could be on our way, compensate for ruining our lunch out. He then raised his voice saying “you want a full refund, fine” and turning to his stafff to say “go clear the table, clear the pizza I’ll give a full refund” while glen the bartender behind the bar was pleading with Daniel (the manager) for us to keep the pizza and encourage us to stay and eat our lunch.

I am horrified at this experience and I have never ever once had to deal with such unprofessionalism, oh and to add not ONE time were we met with a single apology, not once! When I addressed the fact no one was apologetic, glen stepped in to say he was sorry which was now not useful as I had to ask for it.

Leaving the venue I asked for the 3 names of the persons I had encountered and again Daniel (the manager) stepping in to say “we have issued you a full refund why do you want our name” and I responded with “ofc I will be following this up with “the Hamptons” corporate.

Just save your time, money, oh the pizza was absolutely horrible, the lemon lime and bitter was simply just lemonade and the whole experience itself was one I WOULD...

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS! There are PLENTY of restaurants with beach views. Do yourself a favour and GO ELSEWHERE..

3 MONTHS AFTER original complaint/emails repeated calls AND promises of returned calls , I HAD to call AGAIN. Spoke with Fiona, one of the owners apparently.

She was rude, impatient,lacked any empathy, tried to make excuses, then put the phone down on me! Basically everything a "hospitality expert" SHOULDNT BE..

I FEEL particularly for her staff. Work somewhere else - she doesn't deserve your passion, time and expertise.

I've patronised this venue around TWENTY TIMES but will NEVER go near it again.

Fiona - PLEASE LEARN how to address customers valid complaints properly , reply to emails (rather than ignore them in the hope patrons think it too much trouble to follow up). I ALWAYS FOLLOW UP (WITH COMPLIMENTS, not just COMPLAINTS!) Take responsibilty for constructive criticism and don't lose your temper with patrons when they want to discuss valid issues.

Your venue "dropped the ball" horrendously on this visit, and you subsequently failed to follow up to address our disappointment.

You conducted yourself appallingly, and give hospitality operators (of which I am one), a TERRIBLE reputation.

FIONA REFUSED OUTRIGHT to give us a VOUCHER for the cost of the meal, but INSISTED on putting the cost back on my card - a CLEAR example of NO DESIRE to rectify an awful experience with a pleasant return visit. I think we've essentially been BANNED FOR HAVING THE TEMERITY TO COMPLAIN!!

JUST AWFUL

Very poor service ( felt invisible, possibly due to large groups behind us). Red Emporer was tough and tiny fillets ( I buy these fillets from my fishmonger twice weekly and have never seen them this tiny).

No follow up from staff. Had to get up to order a dessert and coffee menu.

We visit once to twice monthly and generally love it, but were extremely disappointed last visit on Saturday night. Have written an email Sunday and still no reponse from Management.

As a Hospitality Business owner, this is unnacceptable.

Think twice before spending $150 for a dinner for 2 at this restaurant.

Simply not...