Cafe Sol — Restaurant in undefined

I wouldn't usually write a review but they really out did themselves therefore this is well deserved. My friends and I decided to go out just for casual celebration at Cafe Sol and though I was opposed to this due to a bad experience prior, I still decided to go (bad idea). We got there and all was well; we were seated and placed our food orders in a timely manner and the appetizers came shortly after. Everything began to go downhill when they only brought out 5/6 meals... the 6th came 30 minutes after everyone else's meal and it was incorrect ! We also had to have our meals with water because we opted to order the drinks when the food arrived however we couldn't seem to get the attention of any of the other servers. When we were able to order drinks, the person that received their food last was half way finished her meal and when they came... she was long done her meal we were ready to pay the bill and leave! It took another eternity to receive the bill and when we did, WE WERE OVER CHARGED !!! We were double charged for drinks and that took our bill to $501.22 BDS when rightfully it was $441.09 BDS. We were not compensated for the mishaps though we did ask, we also received no apology besides from our waiter (he was the only good experience of the night because he really did try his hardest however he was super busy and I believe his name was Marquise). The worst part was the food was very underwhelming and every single person woke up feeling sick the day after, 2/6 actually got to the point of throwing up. And nope, I lied... the worst part was loads of people told us not to go there due to their previous experiences and we went against it to give them a chance, well since this experience I have spoken to about 6 other people who have almost identical...

Edit (in response to the comment from the establishment): the “tactic” being employed was that the card machine was thrust in our faces even before we had the chance to review and scrutinise the bill. The bill was literally still in your waiter’s hands as we were asked to pay.

Only the most pedantic of customers would insist that the bill be thoroughly vetted in such a situation, and in doing so would have the potential to sour one’s night.

My only suggested would be to: present the bill to the customer, stand around as they go through it, and then present the card machine. This then gives the customer sufficient time to make an informed decision.

PS I see that the extra 2.5% I alluded to was a government levy… still the same to a tourist who isn’t aware of the ins and outs of your tax system.

Original review: Concerned by how easily they employ certain tactics when paying the bill!

We only had the appetiser platter and a couple of beers, and the food was definitely amazing! The atmosphere is probably what makes this place great.

However, although we were aware that it was a pricey place, the manner in which they try to get you to pay your bill was a little concerning.

When we requested for the bill, the waiter immediately showed up with the card machine that had the “tip?” screen visible. With the waiter stood right there, I thought it would be a good idea to give them the usual 10% on the final amount.

Only after taking a look at the bill did I realise that the final price already included a 12.5% (!!!) service charge.

I’m not sure if this a tactic that is widely employed, but I can see it working more often than not....

Cafe Sol Barbados( St Lawrence Gap) Visited on 8th July 24. They didn’t have any wings for starters so opted for the chicken tenders, which I don’t think is actually on the menu. We ordered a large with bbq sauce and they came quite quickly. They tasted ok but nothing special. Some of the bits were over cooked. One person ordered the coconut shrimp. They were huge but were over cooked and rubbery- not nice! For mains most of us ordered the flat-ironed sizzlers - beef. This was the toughest beef I had ever eaten & the rice was like bullets. They could definitely knock out some teeth. The refried beans. What can I say but… yuck!! I spoke to the waitress as all 4 of us were unable to eat it & left all of it on our plates. The waitress said “oh no” smiled and walked off. One person had the fajitas & ate it as she was starving but said it didn’t have much taste. One person had the enchiladas & only ate half of one before eating her friend’s fish n chips. One person had the fish n chips from the gringo menu. The fish was delicious! It was lovely and flaky. Sort of what you get in England from the fish and chip shop. It was a pleasant change from all the steak fish we had been eating on the island. The cocktails were the best thing & I would definitely return to this restaurant for drinks before going to a proper restaurant. I did love all the staff singing happy birthday to the customers whose birthdays it was. It was cute. Cafe Sol is not worth all the hype and I do not know how it has received such a good rating. I will NEVER go there to eat again. Drinks…yes! There was no reduction on our bill. We just...