Saturday, December 09, 2006

Stroppy restaurant services

Bratislava has many restaurants that offer cheap and substantial food. For about 2GBP, one can get a half-decent pizza with at least 2 toppings. In the old town, prices are slightly more expensive. However, the service in many places is still very Soviet Union as they rarely smile or say thank you never mind the Slovak phrase 'Dobrou Chut' meaning 'Have a good meal.' Instead, a grumpy but sexy looking woman will throw a menu at you and will assume that you know what you want straight away. She will then say 'Ano?' (meaning yes). It doesn't matter whether you speak Slovak or not. The waiters in some places will treat you equally - like s***. Some don't appreciate the fact you are a foreigner trying to speak their language - they'll still be grumpy with you.
After ordering, the waiter/waitress will come round again and slam a beer on your
table and just walk away. 10 minutes later, she will give you your main course and slam the plate on your table. If you're lucky, the waiter might mumble 'enjoy.'
Because of the sloppy, stroppy service, I rarely leave a tip. I sometimes pay with lots of loose change, which annoys them even more.
That said, there are some places where you can get service with a smile. Slang bar in the old town is one place where you get even more than a smile, especially from the gay waiter. Even the people working for a pittance in McDonald's can be more polite than some places.

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