Restaurante la Bodeguita — Restaurant in Antigua

Been coming here for many years and everything has always been great. However the first night we tried to get a table, we waited at the door for some time, it was busy but a fair few waiting staff past us and didn't acknowledge us, a simple 'will be with you as soon as we can' would've been nice. Last night we tried again, a lovely lady welcomed us 😊 We ordered our food, hubby ordered a diablo pizza (pepperoni and chilli), after a few mouthfuls he spotted tuna on it...he has a fish allergy...sent it back at once, the waiter reluctantly apologised and got it replaced but made us feel we were complaining for the sake of complaining, we weren't offered a discount but the main thing for us was the service, it left us feeling disappointed and could've been handled a lot better. On a good note, the waiter recommended a delicious white wine, our son enjoyed his ravioli and the starters we ate were spot on I CANNOT BELIEVE THE RESPONSE FROM THIS RESTAURANT! THE AUDACITY!! IT SIMPLY HIGHLIGHTS A DISTINCT LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM, GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMMON COURTESY! THIS RESPONSE IS DOWNRIGHT RUDE AND INSULTING. HOWEVER, HAVING LOOKED AT SOME OF THE OTHER REVIEWS ON HERE, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS BEEN SCOLDED BY WHOEVER REPLIES TO ANY REVIEWS THEY DEEM ARE NOT JUSTIFIED AND COINCIDENTALLY, THE POORER REVIEWS ARE ABOUT THE SERVICE...I BELIEVE MY ACCOUNT OF BOTH EVENINGS WERE HONEST, FAIR AND JUSTIFIED...IN RESPONSE TO THE COMMENTS MADE IN THE REPLY, MY HUSBAND HAS A 'MILD' ALLERGY, WE DO NOT USUALLY HAVE TO ADVISE IN ADVANCE, NOT ALL ALLERGIES ARE LIFE THREATENING, HENCE WHY WE DIDN'T MAKE A HUGE FUSS AT THE TIME...BESIDES, WE WOULD NEVER EXPECT A PEPPERONI PIZZA TO HAVE FISH ON IT, BUT WE APPRECIATE MISTAKES HAPPEN. MY HUSBAND, RIGHTFULLY SO, DID RAISE HIS VOICE ON DISCOVERING THE FISH, WHICH IS WHEN I TOLD HIM TO CALM DOWN, IT WAS A DISAPPOINTMENT TO HIM NATURALLY...TO SAY THAT HE TREATED THE WAITING STAFF LIKE PERSONAL SERVANTS IS A RIDICULOUS ACCUSATION! AS IS ACCUSING ME OF TELLING LIES! AND IF WE HAD WANTED A DISCOUNT, WE WOULD'VE ASKED FOR ONE! LA BODEGUITA, GET YOURSELVES SOME LESSONS IN CUSTOMER SERVICE, CURRENT AND FUTURE CUSTOMERS, I HOPE YOU DON'T EVER HAVE TO COMPLAIN, OR YOU TOO WILL FACE THIS FARCE! GOOGLE, CAN I DOWNGRADE MY REVIEW TO 1 STAR? BETTER YET, DO YOU DO A ZERO STAR RATING? AGAIN, A VALUABLE LESSON IN PROVIDING GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE, LOTS OF PEOPLE WILL BE READING THIS AND LOTS OF PEOPLE WILL BE HEARING FROM MY MOUTH WHAT A SHOCKING RESPONSE I HAVE RECEIVED FROM YOU. LOTS OF LUCK FROM 3 GOOD PAYING...

So, I felt as though I had to write my first Google review after my meal there this evening. First of all, the restaurant is lovely. The food was delicious, the staff were friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere was nice and cosy. The only thing I have to complain about are my fellow diners. My brother and I were shocked by the ignorance and arrogance of the table of women next to us. One of them ordered the pasta in white sauce, and was disappointed to find that the white sauce contained bechamel cheese, since she did not like cheese. As someone who does not like cheese myself, I can sympathise, but then again, I am not stupid enough to order a dish cooked in white sauce as, as anyone with a basic awareness of cookery would tell me, white sauce is made with bechamel cheese. No doubt life is a constant surprise to this poor daft woman, but stupidity is not a sin, and I can more or less forgive it. What I cannot forgive is what happened next. One of her companions insisted that she ask the waiter to take the food back to the kitchen, not because she had made a mistake in her ordering, but because, in her words, 'they did not advertise that it (the white sauce) had cheese it it' (presumably because they expect their customers, despite the fact that they are predominantly British tourists, to possess an ounce of sense). She convinced her friend, who no doubt by this point was experiencing some sort of brain hemorrage from having her tiny mind blown open, that she did not need to feel guilty for sending the food back because 'they (by which she either meant the wait staff, or the adorable children of one waitress who were siting at the bar) will eat it'. Now, let's give this woman the benefit of the doubt, and assume that she is blind, and had confused the wait staff and their children with a pack of stray dogs. Even then I would merrily call her a patronising t*at. They then spent the remainder of their meal talking about how they would have to complain on Facebook or Google, 'so that others will know'. Apart from serving the woman with the food she had ordered, the only other thing I witnessed their waiter doing was politely serving my brother and I with our gorgeous food, and dealing with another table of rude Brits who objected to the poor young man's very presence around their table. That is why I felt I should beat these half-brained fools to the punch. To the women who ordered the white sauce, I hope you read this. To the wait staff of this wonderful restaurant, keep up...

Food is mediocre and not much flavour. Had the lasagne and cannelloni on the chef's specials and needless to say it was very bland. Mushed meat and stodgy pasta. We hoped desert might be better but the tiramisu was watery and had been fully and over covered with coffee dust that tasted so bitter. Kids chicken nuggets portion was 4 chicken nuggets and plate filled with chips. Garlic mushrooms on starter was filled in oil and had a chilli which was not written on menu and my husband ate by accident his mouth was on fire.

They brought us the wrong bill and although we complained that the meal was bellow par the waiter only apologised and said that was the first time they had a complaint and was not willing to compensate or change to something else. Needless to say we won't be returning and do not recommend the food here. Was surprised the restaurant had good ratings as that was the reason we came for. Disappointed, wish I had read the negative reviews first before I chose to visit the restaurant. Just read the replies from restaurant to the customers to give you an idea.

Reply to the comments from restaurant: I always write reviews of places I have been and will give good ratings where is deserved. We are not looking for free food and we did pay in full our food bill, just a bit of courtesy really and to take our feedback not blackmail of our comments towards the food to make your food tastier. Oh and we did not have prawns but garlic mushrooms and on menu did not state there were chillies in it.

If we did want to get away with not paying much or free food we could have easily paid the wrong bill you first sent us that was cheaper but instead we were honest and told you that's the wrong bill and had no issue of paying the correct bill.

But instead the waiter was not willing to take feedback on board. That's their problem it's just disappointing behaviour and tells alot about them and the service...