The Terrace — Restaurant in Melbourne

They refunded and canceled my event! My encounter with the event manager, Alex Langfield at the Terrace Royal Botanical Gardens was an absolute disaster. From the very beginning, communication was problematic with delayed responses and a complete lack of professionalism.

When I asked Alex Langfield basic questions about what we could expect for our event, she seemed unable to provide clear answers. Instead, she grew increasingly frustrated, which made an already stressful situation even worse.

We initially inquired about having balloons for our daughter's 1st birthday, only to be told it violated RBG regulations and not a choice of their own. They even advised me the RBG had taken balloons down from a event in the past. Yet, just 4 weeks prior, the venue had shared Instagram photos featuring balloons. When I reached out to RBG for clarification, they confirmed that balloons were allowed and they laughed as to why the Terrace was saying this. I also received a phone call from the lease manager who said she would contact Alex letting her know it was ok, we thought our concerns were resolved.

However, the ordeal didn't end there. They still did not allow the balloons. There is significant discrepancy between the information she provides. The final straw came when she abruptly canceled and refunded our event, stating, "it has been determined that we are unable to meet your expectations for the event." This entire experience was marred by incompetence, rudeness, and a complete lack of professionalism. It is clear that the event management team at the Terrace Royal Botanical Gardens needs serious improvement in both customer service and communication.

I was informed that Alex had a meeting scheduled with the Director and the Group Operations Manager, to discuss the situation further. However, instead of receiving the expected phone call or direct communication, I received an email informing me of the event's cancellation and refund.

It's truly disappointing that the Darling Group opted for an impersonal email instead of reaching out directly. This experience has left me with the firm belief that your event managers will let you down.

As a reputable organization, one would expect better. Ignoring the customer's point of view is a significant letdown and will undoubtedly tarnish your reputation.

Adding to the disappointment, I sent an email expressing how sentimental it was to have our daughter's birthday at the garden, but it went unanswered. Planning our daughter's 1st birthday here was our heartfelt wish, and the fact that it ended in such disappointment is truly disheartening.

We are still yet to find a venue, and the disappointment lingers. Her birthday falls during the busiest time of the year, and finding a suitable venue in December is already a daunting task. The cancellation by the Terrace Royal Botanical Gardens not only left us disappointed but also added unnecessary stress during an already crazy season.

Very...

Unfortunately, the overall experience was far from satisfactory, and I feel compelled to share my concerns.

As the organiser of the event, I had high hopes for a successful gathering, and we had meticulously planned every detail. However, our experience was marred by a series of issues, particularly with Alex Langford, who was responsible for overseeing the event.

To begin with, upon our arrival at the venue at the agreed-upon time, we were informed that none of the facilities or equipment we had reserved were available due to a previous event running late.

This last-minute change disrupted our plans, and we were left in disbelief as we observed areas, equipment, and even glassware outside the scope of the previous event, yet we were told not to touch or use any of it. Despite numerous attempts to resolve the situation through communication, Alex seemed ill-prepared and repeatedly stated that she didn't know how to proceed, which was both surprising and concerning.

What was even more frustrating was that the previous event did not conclude at the specified time, as we were told it would end by 5:15 PM. In reality, it continued until 5:35 PM. Consequently, our team was forced to rush through the setup process, lacking sufficient time and support from the restaurant staff. We received no assistance or apologies from the restaurant team, which left us extremely agitated.

Based on these experiences, I have valid reasons to question whether there were racial biases involved in the way the previous event and our event were handled. Why was there no urgency when the previous event's guests were primarily Caucasian? Why did the overrun affect us disproportionately? Why were we not offered any compensation or remedies for the blunder?

I sincerely hope that guests considering dining or hosting events here will take some advice from our failures and not choose them.

As an Asian, I have always been satisfied with the Australian service, they are friendly and meticulous, but this experience, I think the service of this restaurant has lowered the standard of Australian service, which is a pity.

Their employees, after we finally started the event, gathered in the area of the bar, whispering, completely disrespecting the guests, and even when there were important guests to make presentations, they were chatting and not giving respect. They stand in a funny way, looking very casual and unprofessional. It is recommended that restaurants strengthen training, at least from the management level, to be aware of the needs of the guests, rather than evasion and indifference.

Based on the above, I reasonably give a low score, even want to lower, the botched restaurant, let us should be wonderful event, delayed nearly half an hour, let a team's efforts in vain, The Terrace should be held accountable! Should take...

We were there for a hens afternoon and we were all very disappointed. The function was from 1pm until 3pm and when we mentioned that three people were running late they said they would hold the food back which was okay but the high tea came with a welcoming glass of champers and then tea, coffee and juice. When they said they would hold the food back it was the last time we saw the servers. We had received the wine but there was never any offer of any other refreshment. At just before 2pm we asked for the food, the server came back and said they’d put the order in with the chef but there would be a 15 minute wait because of the hot foods. This was also acceptable but once again there was no offer of beverages. The food came out about 30 minutes later and the lady was quite rude calling out to the table “listen to me, I have to explain this.” We got two vegetarian stands which was for two vegetarians and five stands for 15 other people. The quantity of food was less than expected as there was definitely not 15 servings of each type of food. It was when the food was delivered, by now it was about 2:30, I specifically asked for a pot of green tea and my sister in law asked for a English breakfast. It wasnt until they were brought out that the waitress decided to ask the table if anyone else wanted a drink, mainly because some one else claimed the pot of English breakfast and then when they finally brought out some pots for the table we had to request milk. Considering this event had to be pre-paid at $55 a head it was thoroughly...