Australia, New Zealand & the South Pacific - Not a good choice to go in Brisbane

Went to Michael`s and was very disappointed.
We ordered lunch platter for two. It was supposed to be filet (the only type of meat my SO eats) with veggies and chips.
The meat was crap. The rest looked like some kids wooden bricks to play with, very chunky.
We complained and were told that "the filet during lunch is not the one during dinner". Do you like anything else??"
I had them take away this "insult to filet" and ordered the seafood platter instead.
A very good choice, any other place would be capable to prepare that, too.
At the end she asked if anything else and we declined as my SO just wanted to get out and as far away from the arrogant and incompetent staff.
The check came and $ 30, 00 were charged for food we didn`t eat. Asked for the manager who didn`t care to come and was told that" you pay this no matter what you say". As a non-local I did to avoid giving my SO further inconvenience. Well, she then wanted to give us free coffee or pralines after having my Centurion card in the hands. I declined.

In short, this place is way over rated and not worth the money. BTW I know what I am talking about as I have shares in a few restaurants which have high Gault Millau or Michelin status.

Went to Michael`s and was very disappointed.
We ordered lunch platter for two. It was supposed to be filet (the only type of meat my SO eats) with veggies and chips.

Well, she then wanted to give us free coffee or pralines after having my Centurion card in the hands. I declined.

In short, this place is way over rated and not worth the money. BTW I know what I am talking about as I have shares in a few restaurants which have high Gault Millau or Michelin status.

Did you check how long the meal took by glancing at your Rolex watch?


I must remember to avoid driving there in my Mercedes-Benz and paying with my Citibank Platinum Visa or CBA Platinum Mastercard. :D

Deleted catty post.

You expect gourmet food from a place that charged 30 bucks for two?

I think it's your expectations that may need changing

BTW..just out of curiosity..what was the point in you mentioning your centurion card?

Now I am thinkng maybe the OP was meant tongue in cheek.

BTW..just out of curiosity..what was the point in you mentioning your centurion card?I read it as the wait staff recognized the missed opportunity for a big tip and was slipping the freebees in at the end to try and save said tip.

I’m surprised this wasn’t read this way by others.

We're a pretty cynical lot around here......I'm surprised I was first in with a cheap shot.

NO Rolex here at all.
They charged the 30.00 for the so called filet which we didn`t eat at all. I hhave never had this happen anywhere but there.
The total bill was around 150.00 for the seafoodplatter and the wine with it.
Normally if a customer complains at places with such a "reputation" the manager would be apologetic and offer some "compensation" in form of coffe / free desert.
Neither was done.
The Centurion I just pulled out to see how they would react seeing that one. It`s disgusting to see how people treat others based on so called status symbols. :mad:

The Centurion I just pulled out to see how they would react seeing that one. It`s disgusting to see how people treat others based on so called status symbols. :mad:

If it disgusts you don't pull it out then...

I find others get disgusted when I pull it out.......oh, that's right, we're talking about credit cards. (Boom Boom!)

Where's a Basil Brush emoticon when you need one??????

Who thought whipping out a Centurion could cause such hilarity. :p
Cheers everyone; I hope Swiss Toni has better luck in future fine dining visits. :)

Cheers everyone; I hope Swiss Toni has better luck in future fine dining visits. :)

And by Swiss Toni you do of course mean SwissCircle;)

And SwissCircle is not SwissToni. ;)

the arrogant and incompetent staff.

BTW I know what I am talking about as I have shares in a few restaurants which have high Gault Millau or Michelin status.

As a former restaurant server of European tourists, I find that they are often the arrogant ones. If I had to make a guess from the tone of your post, I would have to guess that this is the case with you as well. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm just going off of what you have written in your post (bragging about special credit cards and shares in restaurants, and the "insult to filet" and "the only type of meat my SO eats" comments).

At what point am I arrogant?
That I think paying for inedible food, that was not the kind of quality one might expect is not right? Expecting a filet to be a filet; that´s arrogant??
In saying that, do you even know what fine dining or even lunch at this level restaurants is about?
If you think that having certain expectations if eating at places with a so-called reputation and then being unhappy if those were not met is arrogant, I don`t know whom you ave catered to.
If you would have worked at a place which entertains fine dining you would not think that.

I read it as the wait staff recognized the missed opportunity for a big tip and was slipping the freebees in at the end to try and save said tip.

I’m surprised this wasn’t read this way by others.


They tip there???

I agree with SwissCircle the food is overated and overpriced.

There are only a few Brisbane Restaurants worth trying and this is not one of them.

And SwissCircle is not SwissToni. ;)

I couldn't resist (:eek: hoping to hear how fine dining is very much like...). :cool:

:rolleyes: Better luck in sydney, should you travel here.

Yeah, Micheals is overrated to a small degree... there are better places in Brisbane for lunch. Trip advisor is good for an idea or two.

But I am pretty sure that none of the staff are that concerned about Centurion Cards and/or tips....

I have several different credit cards, including Amex. I usually pay for my meals with a card with a limit less than $1k. This has no bearing on my tip.

As far as tips go, us folk here in Oz are just not geared that way.
There is no "mandatory" 10 percent. If I got good service/food then I will tip. If it is just ordinary, then I am under no compulsion.
Most service staff don't care how you pay, just as long as you do.

As far as tips go, us folk here in Oz are just not geared that way.
There is no "mandatory" 10 percent. If I got good service/food then I will tip. If it is just ordinary, then I am under no compulsion. Since Australians do not ordinarily tip, if the service has been bad, I will add a tip of something like 5 cents - leaving no tip does not send a message, you will just be written off as someone who does not tip.

Making the tip ridiculously small will send a message "Hey, I tip, but your service was so bad that this is all it is worth!"

Dave

SwissCircle,

Despite the fact that some people here seem to want to make you wrong, personally, I'm happy for your post and I thank you for it.

We're thinking of going back to Oz this winter and visiting Brisbane. I appreciate that you took the time to let us know of your experience. At $150. for lunch for two, I expect great food and not a casual "we serve inferior food at lunch than at dinner and you should have known that" attitude.

Thanks.

You are very welcome. Here is alink which has the supposedly top 10 places in Brisbane listed:
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/dining/bites/top10/

or go from here:
http://www.bestrestaurants.com.au/restaurants/QLD-Brisbane-songbirds.aspx

Having had a terrible experience at a local restaurant last night, I again commiserate with Swiss Circle and everyone else who has a poor experience.

In our case it was not a fine dining establishment but a case of extremely poor communication, waitressing and lost/forgotten orders! I'd read reviews of the place from a whjle ago but it now is terrible.

You are very welcome. Here is alink which has the supposedly top 10 places in Brisbane listed:
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/dining/bites/top10/


I don't believe that list is representative of the top 10, although some of the top 10 restaurants are in there.

For your lunchtime steak, I would have recommended Cha Cha Char http://www.chachachar.com.au/