Amaryllis — Restaurant in Providence

My friend and I were in Providence for the day on a day trip from NY and were looking to get something to drink after walking for several hours around the city center and marina (non-alcoholic). Walking in, we simply asked for some water to drink and to sit and enjoy them. Unfortunately, the two women were very rude and didn't communicate in a respectful manner- making it seem that we had to purchase a whole meal in order to get drinks. They also dismissed us curtly before we could explain ourselves and get an understanding of what we wanted. As we were leaving, the owner/manager rudely yelled "BYE!" at us, and then proceeded to tell her co-worker that if we wanted drinks so bad, "We should find a cafe instead."

I always support local businesses and celebrate all forms of diversity equity and inclusion across businesses, but people don't deserve to be treated that way- it sets any progress backward and will hurt in the long run. They need to be better. Simple communication with proper respect and understanding go a long way- every other business we visited on the day in question treated us with friendship, kindness, patience, and respect. These women could learn from those other businesses. Our hope is that they do- but that's...

I have been so looking forward to this spot for many reasons. 1) The location is adorable and has been many awesome things over the past decade. 2) Providence is lacking a small plate/byob spot. And 3) the reputation of the amaryllis girls proceeds them. And they did not disappoint. Started next door at ENO, where they have a curated shelf specifically recommended for the current Amaryllis menu. Then we headed next door with our bottle(s). Our spare bottle was kept chilled, while we dug into the first and reviewed them menu. We ordered nearly everything. My absolute favorite was the anchovy dish, the kohlrabi was also incredible (watch out Oberlin). My husband had the chicken entree and it was melt in your mouth. The only thing that fell short for me was my entree, I had the pasta. The idea was there, and it was FULL of flavor. It was just rather dry. The pasta + crispy breadcrumps without any sauce or noticeable oil was just lacking a lubricant as it were. But 10/10 will visit again, and honestly I’d probably order that pasta again and just ask...

Food was good however will never return due to the incredible rudeness of the staff. They made degrading comments about our table in front of us. When we questioned the point of the $5 “cork fee” when we brought all the necessary equipment to serve and store our byob wine ourselves, the 2 waitresses were deeply bothered and called us cheap. They continued to talk about us under their breath which we heard and they made the whole dining experience quite uncomfortable. The waitress also slammed the wine glass on the table. They had extremely hostile and petty attitudes while we racked up a $200+ tab. The ambiance was also very sad and quiet, and their dingy plug-in fan circulated serval bugs and debris into our food and drinks. I suggest the 2 women running this restaurant learn proper customer service etiquette as their behavior is no way to treat patrons. I was excited to support a woman-owned business, but sadly these women are very undeserving and nothing more...