Thrown out of restaurant for bringing newborn baby

[toddlermom]

Hi all,

Just need to vent and wondering if I should complain and if so who to. We went to one of my (ex) favourite London restaurants (Amaya) last night (wearing 5 week old baby in cloth sling, as I often do).

Walked in, got to our table, I took off my jacket and went to sit down but the waitress stopped me and said I couldn't sit down and had to leave the restaurant as she could now see (that I had taken off jacket) that I had a baby and 'children aren't allowed in the restaurant". I said it was a baby - who was asleep - and unlikely to wakeup - and she said it didn't matter, they don't let any children in the restaurant.

The manager came over, said the same thing, they were really, really rude and unfriendly. Didn't say sorry or sympathise, empathise in any way.

They don't have any social media presence so I can't even tweet them and vent on social. I could write a letter to the owner? Or is there anything else I should do? Or AIBU and just not go there again? Any advice welcome!! Thank you!

@BarbaraStrozzi I really think any comparison between the LGBTQ bakery case and this nonsense is a bit too far... if not minimising the issues of the LGBTQ community a bit.

I agree - it's a shit (and demeaning) analogy. But even as an analogy it doesn't work - because the case wasn't won on the basis the person trying to make the crap analogy thinks it was.

Righteous armchair lawyers bring a whole new element of batshit amusement to threads like these

I’m wondering if there are any employees of the restaurant reading this. If a reservation was made it would be great to have a name to out this couple as the prats they are on Twitter. Even better the Daily Fail might get hold of it.

How silly. They like to make life difficult with daft rules. But then I live in Spain and people on the Continent are much less inclined towards all this anti children stances.

I hope they watched the cctv footage after end of service with a wine & had a laugh

You best believe that is all on tape & the smuggling of the infant swaddled the cloth sling is clearly on record. Amaya is just holding onto it in case Daily Mail picks this one up & the Op is going to be really embarrassed when that happens... but that’s the risk you take when you attempt to destroy businesses online it can backfire !

#ifonly

They like to make life difficult with daft rules

"Daft" according to who? Presumably they attract a clientele which doesn't want to be interrupted by other people's screaming kids when enjoying an expensive meal out. And the rules - 'daft' or otherwise - are very easy to find out. Many posters here did so in a matter of minutes. Surely what's daft is not bothering to inform yourself of those rules, and/or assuming they do not apply to you?

But then I live in Spain and people on the Continent are much less inclined towards all this anti children stances.

Ah yes, 'the Continent' and its oh-so-civilised attitudes. Actually, I doubt that an expensive, Michelin starred restaurant in a posh area of Madrid or Barcelona would welcome kids in the evening. I certainly wouldn't shell out for a posh meal in such an establishment.

But then I live in Spain and people on the Continent are much less inclined towards all this anti children stances. I love that! Have family in Spain, France, Italy. None of the upmarket restaurants allow children after a certain time. Early dinner shift and then it is adults only. Probably more definitely / stringently than here as it is part of the late dining culture.

In Spain lots of families do the summer parading (kids walk the town dressed in their finest) until 9pm ish and then off to a late dinner at a big family space. But they are very different restaurants to the upnmarket adult centred ones.

In France you haven't got a hope in hell of getting a kid passed the Maitre' D of a posh place, not a hope!

Oh yes CuriousaboutSamphire ! Just looked up Caelis Restaurant in Barcelona which has a Michelin Star and guess what - NO CHILDREN UNDER 10 ALLOWED AT ANY TIME!!!!!!! Gosh those child friendy continentals, eh?

I think all this ‘on the continent where they like children’ stuff comes from people going on holiday to places where the restaurants know they have to be family friendly.
It’s like comparing a high end restaurant to a nice family pub.

The places “on the continent” that welcome children at all times probably have pictures of the food on the menu.

But I love the "on the continent" arguments. How else are us ignorant and uncultured types to know that whole mass of Europe is some paradise of family friendly eating?

Excellent. Another restaurant to add to my list !

I cannot bear shrieking babies or children at any time, but had I paid a good whack for an excellent meal, I would be hugely annoyed.

Sensible policy.

Whats this on the continent crap?! Maybe in beach resorts or steak and chicken burger type joints but I’ve lived in two European capitals briefly as part of uni and there were definitely places where you didn’t take kids

Whats this on the continent crap?! Maybe in beach resorts or steak and chicken burger type joints

Exactly. People say this stuff because they go to family-friendly resorts once a year where - surprise! - restaurants are family friendly. It's like going to Benidorm and concluding that all Spanish restaurants must serve fish & chips .

IDK about Spain, but I have lived in France & Italy and there are plenty of places where no local would take a child, especially in the evening.

I’ve lived in Spain and France and they are much more welcoming and accepting of babies and children at restaurants. The Spanish and Catalans think nothing of having babies in restaurants at midnight and that’s definitely not just in resorts. It’s a much more family-centred culture. Also people love making babies laugh and smile in public and are always saying hello on buses. Even teenage lads do this to babies in Spain, it’s a national pastime.

Personally wouldn’t have my baby out at midnight but each to their own

What difference does it make to a newborn? My baby slept and breastfed, slept and breastfed and was held all the time. They don’t care where they are.

Hang loose.

@ferntwist not all restaurants and not all the time. The poster who started this thread was talking about a Michelin starred restaurant and subsequent posters, like you, have said that 'on the continent' children are welcomed in any and all restaurants at any time and yet when I mentioned that the Michelin starred Caelis Restaurant in Barcelona doesn't allow ANY children under 10 at ANY TIME in their restaurant there is tumbleweed from those posters. I am comparing like with like in terms of restaurants - there are thousands of child friendly restaurants in the UK and Spain and there are also those high end restaurants in both countries that do not allow children, so both the same and yet the UK hates children and Spain doesn't, illogical and false.

Yes but an 10 month old is still a baby. I’d want my 10 month old in bed tbh.

Also congrats for velcroing baby to your hand for how ever many weeks but not everyone’s into that 👌

@RedDogsBeg there’s also plenty of Fancy restaurants in Bilbao where you would be seriously frowned upon for taking a baby or child outside of lunch hours. Maybe those pesky Basques are kid haters too 😂

Footiefan nice hand gesture!

Yep I’m one of those boring mommas who has baby ‘velcroed’ to me for nine months of gestation and then a year of ebf. Loved almost every minute and wouldn’t have it any other way. Went to more restaurants than I can count too, in France and Spain.

Well done you, here’s your mummy martyr medal and your medal for being rich enough to not work !