I have no words. Has anyone been? Knows someone who has?
It featured on an episode of Masterchef - The Professionals in 2023. Deffo not my sort of place.
Dunno if this link will work for folk outside the UK but here it is
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Mos def not mine, either — apart from the hefty price tag, I’m not sure I need a lecture while dining on performance pieces.
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I hate:-
Them - “Have you eaten here before?”
Us - “No. It’s the first time”
Them - Let me explain our concept…
Us - “…Concept? Just fuck off and come back with some food”
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This happens more regularly than I can fathom. Servers at even the most basic restaurants asking whether we’ve “dined with them before.”
I usually say something along the lines of “no, but let me guess that you offer prepared food in various sizes to share or not, drinks to choose from, and in the end we pay, right?”
Well, maybe not at verbatim… 
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To me, that question is completely nonsensical. They are told to ask. What’s the reason for the question? Even people who have “dined with them before” may not recall or understand the menu in its current form, might still have questions, etc. We always say yes whether we’ve been there before or not just to end the conversation, and it always ends after we say yes.
We do sometimes mention that we’d love to see certain menu items reappear, but that happens later in the meal.
Most restaurants tell their servers how they should introduce themselves at the table and so they don’t have much choice. In addition, in the US many customers have the expectation that they get “helped” by the server - you hear so often questions around recommendations (which at least in my opinion should never be asked), substitutions (luckily more and more restaurants write that they don’t allow any substitutions) etc. And you often hear them ask for the name of the server like it is a new family member
Honestly the 5-6 hours is the biggest turn-off for me. Otherwise, sounds a little heavy-handed but if someone else was paying, I’d consider it.
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Sounds like a punishment.
Only worth asking if happy with the recommendation being whatever chef has over-ordered and must be used today before it goes off. Or the high priced special that will bump up the tip amount.
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