FIRST EDITION CANBERRA — Restaurant in District of Canberra Central

I am an Accor Plus member and I have been to many Accor restaurants in the past. In fact, we usually pick from the Accor restaurants as a first resort. Personally, I have hardly written anything down on Google that is overly negative, because I try to empathise as much as I can.

Our experience with the First Edition Canberra restaurant tonight had been unpleasant at best, for below reasons.

1.. When we were shown the table and seats, one of the seats was visibly dirty. It was like after a two-year-old had lunch using that couch as table. I can appreciate that she may not have known before, and fine everyone makes mistakes. But having seen the seat like that and just pretend that nothing was wrong, this is unacceptable to me.

2.. The waitress and other staff didn’t know what was going on. In our booking, we selected the ‘European Art Feast’ option; the first thing she gave us was a normal menu instead of what we had asked for in the booking.

When the first entree was served, a lovely gentleman came with a plate of two tarts and asked “does this look like something you ordered”. Didn’t know you can actually ask people this in a restaurant where we spent close to $100 a person. We explained to him that we ordered the set menu, then guess what, he came back and gave us two small plates. Each person was meant to get his / her own entree and we didn’t ask for extra plates at all. Then the entree for the second person arrived, and another waiter came to tell us that this dish was for me and that dish was for my partner. And guess what, it was actually the opposite. I felt that these people were a bit all over the place so I asked for the menu back and decided to keep an eye out myself.

Mind you, we got asked the same question later - which person is having Salmon and which person is having the pasta, then again, which person is having the Van Gogh menu when dessert was served.

In all honesty, prior to hiring someone as waiting staff, you need to make sure they can remember people’s orders and the menu. I can live with the extra plates but probably can’t make peace with people constantly asking who ordered what in a what was meant to be a decent restaurant.

3.. Someone who looked like a chef came with our dessert and a candle. I think the idea was that the chef was going to pour some liquid over the candle flame and the liquid was meant to continue burning in the plate. This failed. I’m not overly concerned with this act failing. However, the candle was dripping into my desert plate and the person presented himself in such a manner to give me the feeling that he didn’t care, and nor was he prepared or familiar with the process. Again, lack of training, if I may take a wild guess.

From where I was sitting, this was a restaurant that is either going to take some hard beating and shape up or will go out of business, just a...

Dismissive manager who always wants to argue. What a shame I’ve been here before and the service now is appalling. I’ve booked here for mums birthday. Asked for a cake for my mum to celebrate we travelled from Sydney and my parents were just visiting from overseas. Was told they don’t have cake I said what? You don’t serve cake I saw from menu? Manager said yes we do but we’re very busy we don’t do it. The restaurant is still almost empty we dine at 5:30pm. I said I’m gonna pay for it.he said I’ll see what I can do. Then I’ve asked the nice lady for the promotion if you booked dinner for 4 you’ll get wine from the website. Was told no it should be booked online I said okay there is nothing mentioned in the website about that and showed it to her. She okay I’ll check.

Manager came to me told him we’re 7 so can’t book online and I called about it. Said next time book online. I said it’s my mums birthday we travelled and we are celebrating today not next time like when I ordered the cake with happy birthday on it on the spot no we don’t have.

Then I was with my family and didn’t bother much. So this manager proceeded to disturb us when we are chatting if I can go to his desk. Showed me the screen which the reception I have spoken to entered my details when I booked as I said there is not in the TC’s I have to book online. He marched me to his screen and I said ofcourse I will only see what the person who I’ve spoken to put in there, I have told everything and even said it’s my mums birthday but the reception failed to out the notes. I am not sure why he needs to drag me there. I just said okay and left. Then came to me again when were waiting for our dessert will do something for your mum. After our dessert a chocolate brownie came and he said it’s from my family then I thanked him.

The nice wait staff taking my order said to him I’m taking order and then rolled her eye a little as this manager told her in front of me to serve people whilst she’s taking my order.

Other wait staff are very nice as well. The food that night is also great.

This comment wasn’t exactly how he wasted my time pulling me out from my chair to argue and a few time coming at our table to argue. I don’t know what he wants to prove? ...

Booked High Tea to celebrate a Birthday. Wish we had booked somewhere else. Our family group comprised, 5 Adults and 5 Children, youngest child aged 5, eldest aged 14. Service was polite but sloooow. We were the only people in the restaurant for the first 40 minutes. I paid for 5x Giggly High Tea for the Adults plus standard rate for the 14 year old and paid 4xadvertised KIDS rate for the younger children, assuming the petit fours for the younger children would be suitable for their palate. Total cost including credit card surcharge and $16.00 for 2.5 hour parking was $558.49. To be polite this High Tea was mediocre.😒 Only 3x3 Platter towers for the 10 of us, they were all the same, I queried this, and was told the chef decided to prepare each platter exactly the same with the barest minimum of appetisers. No menu on the table to advise what we were going to eat, and no menu published online. A young man and young lady served us, I expected at least 4 towers to be shared amongst the 10 of us, and expected the children's tower would be slightly different to the adults as inferred by the published rate. The square cut egg sandwiches and chicken sandwiches were dry, the smoked salmon on a mini rosti was nice as was the battered "something" (don't know what it was) the scones were also nice but were cut in half with the cream already piled on top, most High Teas provide jam and cream separately so that the diner can prepare their own, and usually there is a whole scone not a half scone. in total there were 3 halved scones per platter totaling, 1.5 scones per platter. The children naturally gravitated toward the sweets on the top platter. We liked the presentation of the Gin and Vodka in the teapots, but Staff had to be reminded to provide the drinks for the table, especially for the children, also had to be reminded to provide our regular tea and coffee, Daughter in law's coffee was forgotten by service staff. Sorry to say we won't be returning it was too expensive for what was provided, and the service could have been better. By the end of our High Tea we were very...