Bernadette's Cafe - Ainslie - Walk out Award!

It was a Friday night - and Ant thought it might be an idea to go to Bernadette's Cafe in Ainslie, a vegetarian cafe/restaurant (and probably the only vegetarian café in Canberra.

We called up in advance to book a table for 2 at 7pm (not hard to remember or organise peoples!).

As we got there – we said to the bewildered old lady who runs Bernadette’s (hell – she could be Bernadette!) that we had a booking for two. She looked at us like we were a bunch of idiots, looked bewildered for a bit and got a girl to get us a table. This was giving me “alarm bells” where we have booked a table – and they haven’t even organised one for you.

Usually when you book a table – you usually get prime real estate (you know – tables on windows, etc). However at Bernadette's, we walked pass two empty tables for four on the window and were shown to our claustrophobic seats in the corner. It was a table set up for three (naturally!).

We sat there for a while, with a bottle of white wine (bought from the local Supermarket) which was getting warmer by the second and twiddled our thumbs a bit.

Thinking to myself – isn’t there something missing here…. Menus perhaps?! I’m not in the position to use psychic abilities to read the menu from across the room – so we both needed two hard copy, physical menus.

Both of us began to stare at Bernadette (the sort of Sharon Stone Sliver stalker – you like to watch, don’t you? – sort of look). She made eye contact with us for about four seconds – both of us were doing our “death stare – I want service!” look. After looking at us, then looking a bit more bewildered, she then rushed off to another table to give them cutlery and food or something.

As this was happening, a two new groups of two entered the restaurant wanting service. This made Bernadette look even more lost and confused. After glancing at us for a second time (second death stare at her) – she left not only us waiting but also the people who came into the restaurant. We were still menu-less.

After a while, and thinking outside of the box – she sat both of the new parties down at a table for four (whilst dragging the two tables apart). Bernadette then proceeded to give them cutlery and glass ware.

For the third time – she made eye contact with us – where both were trying to tell her psychically “We want menus now or else we are leaving!!”. Again the eye contact was prolonged and again – she looked bewildered and went over, got some menus and planted them on the new tables.

I was saying to Ant – “F### this for a joke” and I leaped up out of the table, grabbed the bottle of wine and made a bum-rush for the door. On Ant’s way out – he made eye contact with Bernadette for a final time – she still looked bewildered and confused.

Of note – it wasn’t like Bernadette’s was that busy. There were empty tables here there and everywhere – I just don’t think Bernadette can cut it when it comes to customer service or even basic food and beverage attendant duties such as “giving out menus in the space of 10 minutes). Although most people in Canberra would probably tolerate this sort of crud, I’m a strong believer of “If you don’t serve me menus in 10 minutes, then you don’t deserve my business”.

Thus Bernadette’s wins our first “Walk Out Award” for 2006. Previous winners of this includes the now non-existent “La Porchetta” in Woden (where, like Bernadette’s, they two failed to provide menus in the space of 10 minutes) and “Gus’s Café” in Garema Place in Civic (whereby we got the menus, but didn’t get any service after that). And how could I forget “My Café” in Manuka – where we got service and menus, but the chicken focaccia came with maggots!

So instead of getting nukes and dynamite – I’m giving it a “Walk Out” score.