Dogs in Restaurants

[whyaredogseverywhere]

I'm so annoyed still. We are on holiday at the moment and asked the cottage owner for a recommendation on where to go for lunch. They recommended a pub, but said to see if we could we should sit in the conservatory for the best views of the bay.

I subsequently booked a table for Sunday lunch and asked to be in the conservatory by the window, but mentioned that we don't like dogs so could they make sure there were none on the surrounding tables. It wasn't mentioned at this point it would be a problem.

Anyway we were sat at our table, drinks arrived and then a woman came in by herself (wasnt shown in or anything) and sat at the next door table with a labrador or something. Not nice when you are going to eat! Anyway I mentioned to the waitress that I had specifically said we hadn't wanted dogs nearby, and could they be moved. I was told that the consevatory was dog friendly, and we could have a table in the main dining room, but we had specifically come for the views so I said that wasnt going to work.

I then asked to speak with the manager, who basically told me the same thing. Anyway Dog-lady then calls the manger over, they exchange a few words laughing and she moves to a table down the other end of the room.

A few minutes later our waitress comes in with a cup of biscuits for the dog and a bottle of wine for the lady, I think they knew each other. Que more laughter and her saying in a braying voice (like something out of a Jilly Cooper book) that it wasn't needed and basically making a big song and dance out of how kind they were.

They all made us feel really awkward through the whole meal and like we were the butt of a big joke. We hurried our meal, and when the bill came I asked the manager to take off our drinks for the disruption we'd had at the start. He refused- even though I'd seen him give drinks to the other table.

It's really ruined the rest of my afternoon and morning today. We spent a lot of money with them, and were treated with less hospitality than a dog! I'm just sick of dogs being given better treatment than people all the damn time.

Dogs shouldn't be where food is served, it's gross and antisocial

Dogs should not be where food is prepared, but where it is served is totally different. Do you think dog owners expel their hounds to the garden whilst they eat? I eat my food on the sofa. My dog being in the same room has no bearing at all on germs or anything.
Can we see some stats on how unhealthy dog owners are compared to people without dogs?

@Didimum
I also don’t think she should have made a song and dance about moving, having already agreed to move – she should have either agreed and accepted or not agreed

It didn’t say she made a song and dance about moving? It says she offered, presumably to make things easier for the staff because the OP was kicking off, and then that she just said that a bottle of wine was unnecessary- and to be honest I’d be thrilled but slightly overwhelmed by a bottle of wine as compensation for moving tables as well.

It was the laughing and joking that upset me, making it seem like I was being sillyBut you were OP. You can't sit in a dog friendly section of a pub / restaurant and say no dogs.

It seems the OP spent most of her time watching "dog lady" and her interactions with the staff and how much fun she seemed to be having. Despite insisting on staying in the conservatory for the view the view was kind of wasted on the OP.

I'll take the gross point (I don't agree but I can see some people don't want to eat with animals) but antisocial? How?

I personally don't like dogs in a restaurant, but I think you were in the wrong, you were sat in a dog friendly area and refused to move. Yes you'd made the request, but we all know those requests are not guaranteed.to ask for free drinks is cheeky.

YABVU

It quite literally said she made a song and dance. I am referring to:

“they exchange a few words laughing and she moves to a table down the other end of the room … A few minutes later our waitress comes in … Que more laughter and her saying in a braying voice (like something out of a Jilly Cooper book) that it wasn't needed and basically making a big song and dance out of how kind they were … They all made us feel really awkward through the whole meal and like we were the butt of a big joke.”

It’s impossible for any of us to know how exactly the woman and the staff acted. It could have been deliberately obvious in order to make a point, or it could have been the OP’s perception. I am saying that if she DID react in a way to obviously make the OP feel bad about it, then I disagree with that.

We got really perfunctory service through the meal, no real chat or interaction from the staff (the kind of thing you expect), whereas they were noticibly chatty with the other tables- that's why I wasn't happy to pay the whole bill. The fact that I'd seen them give someone else free drinks made me aware they 'could' do it, they were just choosing not to with us.

You were very unreasonable, and also sound impossible to please. Plus, foolish to eat there, because from what I’ve read, sometimes staff do horrid things to food to be served to annoying customers.🤮

You sat in the dog friendly area ...the owner of the dog kindly agreed to moved and you then rudely asked for drinks to removed. Honestly you the difficult customer here...they offered to move you to the area that has no dogs, kindly moved the dog from the dog friendly area and then you demand free drinks....yabu and very rude.

You sound unbearable OP. I would have asked - told - you to leave.

My dog sleeps in the kitchen
We're perfectly healthy
I've had dogs for the last 17 years. Always had them in the kitchen
We're still alive. Rarely ill

And they say that it's dog owners who have an issue with acting entitled!