Mick O'Connells — Restaurant in Utrecht

Been there 3 times and have had 2 bad experiences so would never return again. First time, people were all watching the football game and it was the last 5 or 10 mins and they decided to just switch all the channels to rugby and asked everyone who wanted to watch the football to go crowd inside a small room to watch it on that one small screen. Second time, we went for the champions league finals. Saw an empty reserved table and asked the bar staff who then told us they will check and then told us we can have the table. After ordering drinks and snack, 3 ladies returned saying it’s their table and the staff told us we had to give up the table. Apparently you can’t make bookings for sporting events (have the email from them stating so) but if it is a group booking on the day the Champions League Finals is on, it is perfectly fine. Needless to say we refunded our snack and walked out of the place. Found a much better place just 2...

Was trying to catch up with a mate and have a nice beer and a chat when they crank up the music and the speakers are unfortunately right above us. I politely ask the bar staff to turn it down a bit so i can hear my mate talking. This did so for no word of a lie 30 seconds before straight back up again. I looked over in his direction and gave him the look "what the hell man" they then turned it down again for yet again 30 seconds. Last time I checked it says Pub on the door and not a club!! I came to drink and talk to a mate and everyone else seemed to be doing the same. The loud music ruins it and clearly the bar staff are playing that for themselves as no one was dancing or vibing with the music. Would not return and would not to...

After enjoying three hours of good company and drinks, we took a break between two games. We had just watched a thrilling match between Germany and Spain, which Spain won, much to our delight. However, upon our return, we were greeted by a bouncer who seemed to have taken a crash course in unwelcoming hospitality. His refusal to let us back in was not just firm but teetering on the edge of racism.

In my 17 years in the Netherlands, moments of discrimination have been rare, but this encounter added a new chapter to my book of experiences. Perhaps the bouncer was trying to channel his inner gatekeeper of some exclusive Irish castle, but a bit more charm and a lot less prejudice would have...