Taste of Happiness — Restaurant in Penal-Debe

The ambience and layout of the restaurant were pretty but unfortunately that was the only thing good to me. I was really disappointed with the customer service, food and most importantly the drinks.

Firstly, Our reservation was at 1pm. When we arrived we had to knock a few times on the glass for someone to open the doors for us. It had nobody waiting by the door or by the entrance inside. -Our table was not ready and it had two other reservations waiting to be seated which was not a problem at first because we used that time to take pictures. -After taking a few pictures we realized that time was just going by and we were not asked to be seated. After waiting 15-20 minutes we had to ask if our table was ready and it wasn't 100% put together but they still had us seated. -After being seated we were served warmed tap water on an extremely hot day. We asked a few times for ice but none of the waiters/ waitresses brought any.

Secondly, We decided to order drinks first because we were hoping to receive something cold and refreshing but instead we got sour lime juice with mint leaves and no we didn't order a mojito drink and know where the ingredients stated that it included lime or lemon of any sort. Personally, the drink was too sour for me so I asked if I could change my drink but I was told that in order to do that I had to order a new drink but still pay for the drink that I only tasted. This was the first time I ever experienced anything like this . -I asked for some ice thinking that the drink just needed to be cold but it was still sour. They took it back and added more juice but unfortunately that made it worse. -A few minutes later they made the same drink over but it still didn't do anything so I just accepted the fact that I wasn't supposed to drink anything and I just left it there. That really disappointed me because for a non-alcoholic drink I expected better.

Thirdly, After all of that mishap it was already 2pm and I was no longer in the mood for breakfast food. I decided to order something more filling so I was looking at the side menu. -While calling out the sides that I wanted, the waitress mentioned that I can have a mashed potatoes, shrimp and vegetables combo. -I opted for that thinking it was going to be one flat price but instead everything was priced separately. -Our food came out one by one and each dish was served cold. The mashed potatoes were really bland. It had no salt and seasoning of any kind. The shrimp smelled fresh and was extremely salty and we weren't given any type of sauce or condiments.

Lastly, the manager's attitude really surprised me. She was nowhere accommodating or friendly but rather very hostile.

This experience really broke my heart because I had such high expectations and I really wanted to have a good time with my girl-friends but it ended up being a disaster.

Question: Will...

Would return, hopefully the gaps are closed and could easily give here 5 out of 5. For 2 persons with an ap, 2 entrees and 2 soft drinks, the bill was approximately $300TT.

Pros: Ambience: incredibly modern, chic, green, asthetically pleasing

Service, pleasant and genuinely so. I cannot express how important this is and rare in this country. Very much appreciated the servers here.

Food: Chicken Alfredo (finally, an actual creamy pasta) Grilled Sandwich (cibatta bread, adequate sauces and veggies fillings) Fries Wontons (crispy, very well seasoned meat) Taste was flavourful, portion size was adequate at price point.

Instead of mints with the bill, they gave sweets.

Their menu is on their social media, not posted properly or fully, can improve by a more technology proficient user.

Cons: Service charge added, not stated in print in menu. This is the biggest problem. Be clear in communication and honest in business.

VAT (at the moment) not added at all. One would hope that if ever they do, it is already included in price or more importantly, stated in print on menu.

Cash only at the moment, only found out upon arrival. Such information should be broacasted and not scribbled on a flyer outside their door.

Conflicting information (e.g. opening hours and contact number) on Instagram and Google (unfortunately a rampant problem in this country).

Food: the meat portions could have been bigger. Considering the pasta, if adding chicken to the pasta is $25, a full chicken breast is expected. There were a few large, uneven chunks buried somewhere in the fettuccine

I'm not sure how kid friendly it is with all a couple profanities from uncensored songs dropping in here and there. The music does not match the ambience. Severly impacts the vibe, in a negative way. Some contemporary r&b is understandable. But there should be a mix of genres, even if they want to keep the bpm on the lower end. More importantly, censored or...

I had my birthday 🥳 brunch at this restaurant. It was absolutely amazing and a memorable experience. ❤️The restaurant is beautiful decorated, extremely aesthetically 🍃 pleasing even the washroom. The place is bright with natural light coming through the large windows🪟. It’s a very good location for breakfast/brunch.

As for the food, it was beautifully plated and some dishes were absolutely delicious and others were okay. The french toast 🍞, grilled chicken 🐓 , creamy mash potatoes 🥔 and vegetables were delicious. The burger 🍔 was just okay it was very over cooked and the pasta was was just okay. In terms of the drinks, they were also beautifully presented with latte art ☕️ and other garnishes for the drinks. The drinks were good 3 out of 5 in my opinion.

The staff were okay and the dishes did not take long to arrive. They kind of just left all the cutlery at the head of the table in a pile. I did receive a cupcake with a candle for my birthday and they played very softly in the background a sort of happy birthday song. There is parking at the back of the building close to the restaurant however the space is a bit cramped and therefore somewhat difficult to park. I visited on a Saturday and there were lots of other persons enjoying...