We visited this restaurant near Hotel Avra and had one of the most disappointing dining experiences of our lives. Upon arrival, we specifically asked if they served cocktails, and were enthusiastically told there were “plenty to choose from” – yet they couldn’t even prepare a simple mojito. Not a single cocktail was actually available.
They sat us at a half-prepared table, which we didn’t mind initially, but it took 10 minutes before someone came to properly set it. Despite there being few other guests, service was extremely chaotic. They brought only 4 menus for a group of 6. Within 5 minutes, a waiter came to take our order, but we hadn’t even had time to read the menu and not everyone had one. He left. Then a second waiter came, but was incredibly distracted – constantly looking away, not listening, making us repeat ourselves several times.
We clearly informed him that one of our friends has an onion allergy, and he confirmed it would be no problem. But that’s where the real mess began.
Dishes started arriving one by one over the span of more than 40 minutes. The first meal came quickly, then two others followed 20 minutes later, and some didn’t arrive until much later – including my appetizer, which came after my main course.
The burgers came without buns, and when we asked about it, the server casually said, “We ran out.” They served just the patty with a few fries and some tarhana (a strange combo), without prior notice.
When we asked which burger was onion-free, no one knew. One of the five different waiters told us, “Nobody informed me.” We asked him to check, and the sixth waiter eventually told us they couldn’t remove the onions because the burgers were pre-prepared. He asked if we wanted to order something else – but by then we had been waiting nearly an hour.
We ordered a second dish for our allergic friend, but it never came. After another 40 minutes of waiting, we gave up and told him to eat somewhere else. Despite asking for an English-speaking waiter multiple times, no one came to assist – we even had to interrupt a staff member who was sitting with friends at a nearby table.
When we finally asked to pay, one staff member literally ran away and disappeared. We waited 10 more minutes until someone brought the card reader. We wanted to split the bill three ways, but the waiter didn’t know how to do the math, so we gave him a phone with a calculator. We had to fetch the menu ourselves and calculate each person’s share, as he had no idea what anything cost.
When we noticed an incorrect amount, we were told it included bread – even though we never ordered any. He insisted it must be paid because we “touched it.” At that point we were just eager to leave.
The only positive note: during the third payment attempt, one waiter finally apologized for the inconvenience – the first and only apology we received.
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Summary: Uncoordinated service, chaotic ordering, long delays, food served cold or incomplete, untrained staff, and complete disregard for dietary restrictions. The experience was so uncomfortable, it honestly felt like a prank.
Even a street food stand would offer better service than this place. I cannot recommend it to anyone, under any...
Read moreThis evening, after a long walk around Thessaloniki, I went to this taverna on the recommendation of friends. Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing.
From the very beginning, the waiter created a negative impression. As soon as I ordered (grilled octopus, shrimp pasta, and wine), he immediately asked whether I would pay by card or in cash. It felt as though tips were more important to him than providing proper service.
When the food was brought, they also placed bread on the table without asking, and later it appeared on the bill as an extra charge. At the end of the meal, when I asked for the check, the waiter ignored me and passed the task to another colleague. This second waiter brought two ice creams, saying they were "free," although we had never ordered them.
The bill in the end did not match the expected total. Perhaps it included water (which I have always received free of charge in other restaurants), or maybe the ice creams were added despite being presented as complimentary. In any case, the final sum clearly did not correspond to what we actually ordered.
The most unpleasant part was the overall feeling that the staff were working according to a well-practiced scheme to confuse customers and add hidden costs. Each waiter kept asking again and again about the method of payment, and in the end, a third staff member came just to process the bill.
This was my first visit to Greece, and I truly regret that my experience of local hospitality started this way. I had expected warmth and transparency, but instead I left with a sense of mistrust and disappointment. I sincerely hope the management addresses these issues with...
Read moreRead the hyped reviews and as a true seafood lover i thought i'd give this a try. The place is huge and you'd think you're at a greek wedding venue by the looks of it. There is a lot of staff but they are all over the place and very disorganized unfortunately. There is not a flow in the order & serving process and all feels very non attentive. That is the risk with very large restaurants and serving's areas and that is why myself prefere small tavernas where i know i'll get the undivided attention and service. The food was average.I ordered Red Florina peppers filled with cheese,a greek sallad without Feta and fresh grilled calamari was seriously undercooked on the bottom side and completely tasteless. Luckily it was fresh according to the menu. The peppers tasted funky and the only good thing was the sallad. See photos: Unfortunately i forgot to photograph the calamari but it was 3 plain ones and not much to display. I even ordered something to drink that i never received. The waiters pass by and see you've finished the food but nobody takes the empty dishes. One did 15-20 minutes later when i asked for the bill. To sum up,i cannot blame solely the waiters. It is difficult to handle such an inflow of customers.It needs better...
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