Harriet's Rooftop — Restaurant in Toronto

We recently had a very disappointing experience here

Overall I had the feeling that the restaurant and the staff just wants to take advantage of the client - An 'out to get you' of sorts.

First - They don't tell you they can't accommodate large groups - We were celebrating a birthday and made a reservation for 10 people weeks prior. We weren't told they could not accommodate a group of 10, and when we got there the day of they tried to sit us in 2 separate tables and told us they couldn't move any tables. Had they communicated that to us when we made the reservation, we would have gone elsewhere.

Second - Check you bill - If you're in a larger group, a 20% tip will be automatically included in your service. This is not unusual for when you are in a larger group - However, in my experience servers generally let you know tip is included - In our case, they didn't mention the tip had already been added, and handed us the machine with the tipping options - as a result, some people in our party tipped close to 40% (the 20% that was already included and another 18-20% from what we were prompted by the machine). While I understand it's in the bill, and if you check the bill you can see the tip is added, you can understand how, if you're in a large group and you guys are having a good time, you just pay without necessarily checking. I took this as a very sneaky thing to do. You see there's a large group that's getting buzzed, and know they probably won't check tip is included, so you don't mention it, and get a 'little extra'. - Again this feeling of 'out to get you'

Third - Apparently they can't split bills - Which I thought was weird since I had been there before, and they were able to do split the bills for us.

Fourth - They tried to charge us $150 to cut a cake - Because we were celebrating a birthday, we had called a few days before to ask if we could bring a cake and cut it there (we had a person with a strong food allergy in our group, which is why we preferred to bring the cake). They told us over the phone that the charge would be $5 per person. When we got the bill the day of, they were charging us $15 dollars per person for cutting the cake (3 times what they had told us over the phone). We spoke to the manager and explained the situation and he was able to give us credit (though not a refund, but I was still grateful to the manager). I still don't understand why is a per person fee (why does it matter if my table has 5 or 10 people if you're cutting the same cake?), but paying more than the cost of the cake for a cutting fee, seems unreasonable to me, and again, had we been told that, we would have gone elsewhere or had not brought the cake. - Once again, this feeling of trying to take advantage of the client that I don't appreciate.

Food was just okay, drinks were also okay. So with food and drinks that are average and a feeling that service is 'out to get you', it makes for an unpleasant experience altogether.

This is disappointing because the hotel and the lobby bar are great, and previous experiences at Harriet's were also good, however it will take me a while to recommend this place to anyone or to give it another try (although I have to use that credit since they couldn't' give us a refund haha)... There are other rooftops in the city with better drinks, better food, a better atmosphere and...

I must express my deep disappointment with the experience I had at this restaurant, especially considering my high regard for exceptional customer service. As a business professional in the weddings and event industry, I value the importance of delivering a positive experience to patrons, and unfortunately, this establishment fell far short of my expectations.

My visit to this restaurant, which took place on my birthday, quickly turned into a regrettable ordeal. I arrived with a group of friends and fellow event and wedding planners, hoping to enjoy a pleasant afternoon on a Thursday. Initially, things seemed promising, but they rapidly took a turn for the worse midway through our dining experience. To our surprise and dismay, we were informed that we could no longer order any more food nor would they bring out the rest of our ordered food and were being asked to vacate our table to accommodate a corporate party that was about to arrive. This information had not been communicated to us when we were seated, and given the empty state of the restaurant at the time, we had expected to leisurely enjoy our time and make our orders accordingly. If we had been informed earlier, we could have planned accordingly or been seated in an area where such disruptions could have been avoided.

To make matters worse, the "table" we were relocated to hardly deserved the name. It was nothing more than a minuscule tree stump that could barely accommodate our six drinks, leaving us with no place to put the rest of our food that came out after we moved. Their solution was to drag another little tree stump along. Additionally, we were not provided with any cutlery to enjoy our meal until a staggering 7 minutes after the food had been served.

Moreover, we were initially asked if we preferred one consolidated bill or separate bills, only to be later informed by our new server that separate bills were not permitted. When we requested some time to review the bill and calculate individual shares, we were continuously pressured to settle the payment promptly.

While the food itself was great, it was grossly overpriced. Considering the significant amount of money we spent, I had expected the establishment to treat its patrons with much more respect and attentiveness. I must acknowledge the wonderful service provided by our initial server, who unfortunately had to cease attending to our table under the pretext of his shift ending. It was disheartening to witness him continuing to serve other tables on the floor as we departed, exposing the dishonesty behind the claim.

Allow me to offer some advice to the management: it would greatly benefit your establishment to inform guests upon seating that their table will be required at a specific time or consider seating them in areas where such inconveniences can be avoided. This simple communication would prevent frustration among guests and enhance their overall experience.

Lastly, as we left the restaurant approximately 45 minutes later, the area where we had initially been seated remained unoccupied, further perplexing me about the rationale behind disrupting our meal in the first place. It is truly disheartening when a restaurant fails to prioritize its customers and neglects to deliver the level of service that is expected, particularly from a business professional who values exceptional...

Dear Harriet's Rooftop Manager,

I am writing to express my disappointment and frustration regarding an unpleasant incident that occurred during my recent visit to Harriet's Rooftop. I believe it is essential to bring this matter to your attention so that you can address it appropriately and ensure that other patrons do not have to endure a similar experience. My party and I had been looking forward to dining at your restaurant, having heard excellent reviews about the beautiful environment and good service. However, our visit took an unexpected turn due to the behavior of one of your waitstaff members.

Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated promptly, which initially set a positive tone for our dining experience. My friend and I came to have afternoon tea, but something very dramatic happened - my friend and I because I was rudely kicked away while taking photos in a restaurant!

First of all, I want to clarify that there were very few people in the restaurant when we went there, so it didn’t disturb anyone else’s dining experience at all. We used a camera to take pictures at first, but the waiter had no objection. About an hour later, the waiter saw that we had been taking pictures, and she said we were not allowed to use the camera or we would be charged. Then we left politely. We walked through the elevator to take pictures outside. We thought it was not part of the restaurant. But this time the waiter was very rude and asked us to go out directly, with a very bad attitude. She evicted us without even listening to our explanation. First of all, we didn't know that this place was also a restaurant and we weren't allowed to take pictures. Secondly, even if we really violated the rules, why should we use such a mean tone to the guests? I paid for the meal and tipped well, I spoke to the waiter in a polite manner, and I got kicked out?

This incident significantly marred what was supposed to be an enjoyable evening for my party and me. We believe that every customer deserves to be treated with respect, courtesy, and professionalism, regardless of the circumstances.

I understand that everyone has off days, and it is possible that the waiter was having a difficult time. However, it is crucial to maintain a certain level of professionalism in the hospitality industry, where customer service is paramount.

Hoping that you will take appropriate action to address the issue. I believe that your restaurant has the potential to offer an outstanding dining experience, and it is my sincere hope that you will use this feedback to improve the quality of service and ensure that no other customers have to endure such a negative encounter.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I look forward to hearing from you and hope that you will take the necessary steps to address this...