A Gastro Pub I visited recently charges £19.95 for a wine that is available from Amazon for £7.49
Is it worth it?
Let's simplify the thought process.
£12.26 for a rude and uncaring waitress to deliver it from point A to point B. Delivery is free from Amazon and 1st class in every way.
OK, I know I am stretching the point but when prices are set at such levels then there is a serious challenge : the experience on offer had better be worth it. In this case, it was most certainly not. Every interaction with the team arose only when we had reached the point of irritation prompting us to force a waitress to step into the sinking-sand zone the team seemed to imagine circled our table.
The whole "experience" was epitomised by the entire bill-settling process. Ten minutes to attract a waitress to bring our bill then a further 25 minutes it took for her to process the payment and finalise the transaction.When we expressed our irritation it was clear from her behaviour she felt she was the one wronged by our insistence on paying! She is in the WRONG JOB or her bosses are providing the wrong vision and measuring the wrong things.
If the pub had given me a wonderful experience then £19.95 for a bottle of wine would not be a problem. I'd be happy to pay. However, given that the only feelings experienced during our visit were of irritation, feeling undervalued, uncared for and wound-up then the price is simply unjustifiable - unless of course the food and drink come free with the bottle of wine in question (they didn't and were not cheap either)
Location : great
Design : nice
Nothing wrong with the goods on offer
The kitchen and bar team were efficient
BUT :
Experience? NIL points!
Recommendation? No chance!
Hospitality venues are in the business of providing experiences - offering repose from the burdens of life, exploration of exciting food and beverage goods and an opportunity to socialise unfettered by a hectic world. Please avoid adding to my frustrations and think you can charge me unjustifiable amounts for the privilege. You can't, and I will not let you do it to my friends and colleagues either.
