Auberge De Savoie — Restaurant in Albertville

Come here to witness the legendary rudeness of French staff - and flashbacks of "This is Spinal Tap".

On a night when place was 1/5 occupied we were directed to a table for 2 in the back, wedged between a large (300lb) guest and desert display. (My recollection of business-driving seat assignments in an emply restaurant is to fill the front first, but I digress). Instead of interrrupting that guest's dinner by asking him to move so we can squeeze in, we took the adjacent larger table which would require no disruption of fellow patrons. Considering the usher had disappeared, I thought "no harm - no foul"? Well, not at the Auberge de Savoie, where that's an admonishable move. Usher returned to say two guest were only allowed to sit at tables with 2 chairs, regardless of the 4/5ths emptiness of the place. (Absurdity of dialog reminded me of the "this goes to 11" scene in Spinal Tap). But wait, there is more! Another staff came over to tell me only they, not guests; decide who sits where. I must have shown too little empathy, so he repeated. I asked if we must leave but his business sense (perhaps because we were going to be a measurable chunk of thier revenue that night?) took over and we dined at the larger table. In the end, if you like decent food (as others attest) while being told to squeeze into a corner of an empty restaurant, this is the place to go. Also, they don't serve pizza despite large "pizzeria" signage on the facade - another oddity on which someone else...

I think the meal was perhaps the disappointing meal that I have had in France ever. I ordered a vegetable risotto which arrived within 10 minutes so was clearly not freshly prepared. On putting my fork into the middle of it, it proved to be congealed rice. The waitress blamed it on the Savoie cheese added but there was no mention of this on the menu. I had the Green salad which accompanied it. My wife had a burger ordered in the medium condition but arrived rare. She left 85% of it. The bottle of Morgan ordered was pure vinegar and did not resemble anything near the Gamay grape. We left it on the table 85% full.|We retreated to the bar and ordered a mixed charcuterie which was good but we did not do it justice as we were by that stage a bit past it.|I ordered a bottle of Mercury and once again nowhere near a Burgundy wine I know so well. I handed it back to the bar as we went to bed with one glass consumed out of it. |We were charged in full for everything with no reduction for anything. |I think this might be summed as taking the...

I think the meal was perhaps the disappointing meal that I have had in France ever. I ordered a vegetable risotto which arrived within 10 minutes so was clearly not freshly prepared. On putting my fork into the middle of it, it proved to be congealed rice. The waitress blamed it on the Savoie cheese added but there was no mention of this on the menu. I had the Green salad which accompanied it. My wife had a burger ordered in the medium condition but arrived rare. She left 85% of it. The bottle of Morgan ordered was pure vinegar and did not resemble anything near the Gamay grape. We left it on the table 85% full.|We retreated to the bar and ordered a mixed charcuterie which was good but we did not do it justice as we were by that stage a bit past it.|I ordered a bottle of Mercury and once again nowhere near a Burgundy wine I know so well. I handed it back to the bar as we went to bed with one glass consumed out of it. |We were charged in full for everything with no reduction for anything. |I think this might be summed as taking the...