Brenner Opengrill

This is my first negative restaurant review, a reflection of the shockingly bad experience we had on Thursday evening. We had ordered "enough steak for three people," yet received two to three small slices of meat per person, with side dishes that were scarcely sufficient for two, despite our group numbering four. Miscommunications occur in hospitality, so, no problem, we proceeded to order additional sides and a large filet steak medium-rare, which, to our dismay, arrived rare (and cold).

Upon eventually flagging down a waiter politely expressing our general disappointment with the service and the undercooked steak another staff member joins - which is when we were met with an unexpected aggressive response. He leaned over myself loudly berated a woman in our group with the claim, "I'm French, I know steak that's medium-rare," accompanied by exaggerated arm waving and shoulder shrugging. Our table was left in stunned silence by the humiliation. As a diner at Hawksmoor, L’Entrecôte and a steak fan, I can confidently say this steak was rare. Never, in countless dining experiences across the world, have I encountered such aggressive customer service. The incident caused neighbouring tables to notice, embarrassing us further, especially since we were with clients.

Smaller disappointments included a scant tomato salad served in a condiment-sized bowl, soggy lukewarm potatoes, under-seasoned beef tartare, and cold, dry bread without butter or a dish for olive oil.

Only a complimentary dessert was proposed, which only hastened our desire to depart. While we later found humor in the ordeal, it did little to alleviate the evening's overall disapointment.

The quality of the steak, salmon, atmosphere, and interior decor were the sole redeeming aspects. To add insult to injury, another waiter had the audacity to suggest we "leave a big tip." Never again.