"Is your baby ok?" In other words, shut her up while you're in our restaurant

[clairemgill]

My family and I (DH, DD age 4, DD aged 6 weeks) went for a meal in Tapela in Bath St at 5pm on Friday night. We didn't even finish our drinks because left after we were made to feel so unwelcome once our baby daughter started to cry. We were asked "is your daughter alright?" When we explained that, erm, 6 week old babies cry we were told "its just that we have other diners..." as he gestured around the restaurant. This is part of The Partners restaurant chain which claims to be "good for kids". Would other mumsnetters react the same as us? We felt totally uncomfortable, angry and upset.

TBH if I took DD to a restaurant and she cried, I would take her outside until she stopped. Was she hungry?

claire, the sad fact is is that if you go out for a meal in a restaurant you don't want to hear a crying baby, it ruins your meal

the reataurant you were at might be good for kids, just not good for a crying tiny baby

once your young kids are a lot older you will one day sit in a restaurant and have your night out ruined by a baby crying or a toddler running around or older kids whining and fighting

might seem impossible but its true!

I'd be raging. In times like these restuarants should be glad of all the business they can get. I'll boycott them

they don't want crying babies, surely anyone can see that?

that is outrageous, and i cant say ive ever had a meal 'ruined' by a baby.

btw i live in merchant city and ive been to a million places round here with baby in tow and had no problems. Might be a good place if you're out for dinner again.

If that happened to me I would never go back to that restaurant and I would let the owner of the restaurant know they had lost my custom.

That is ridiculous.

Babies or children being noisy, crying in a restaurant or anywhere doesn't bother me at all. If I have managed to be child free then I am just delighted to be out without mine that I don't even notice other peoples.

It never occurred to me that a baby crying would ever bother anyone else. Especially since yours is a new born. If anything you would presume the baby would get oohed and aahed at.

I'm glad you left, that was very rude of the restaurant. At 5pm I would expect families and families have noisy kids and babies. I've never had a meal ruined by a baby either, if anything I would look on and say aww how cute!

The only way I can see that might justify their behaviour is if the baby was crying and you were ignoring it. That would annoy me, by all means ignore a crying baby at home but I don't think it's acceptable to do that while out, it's just like an out of control toddler with parents doing nothing about it

Bit of a mixed reaction you've received but I think i'd be a bit at a shrieking baby in a restaurant.

I shouldn't be because i remember how bloody stressful it is and cramming myself and dd into toilet cubicles so that I could feed her in privacy.

But I still get a bit sniffy about it.

If it was tiny baby 'wahs' then that's not really anything I suppose- but full on baby mayhem is a nono.

I guess it's sometimes unavoidable, but it's just not pleasant for anyone involved- be it mum, dad or just another punter in the restaurant.

She cried while we made her bottle - that was all. In that short time we were approached and made to feel unwelcome. I could understand it if she had been crying for ages and we'd done nothing about it or if it was later in the evening when mostly couples are looking to enjoy a meal free from children but at 5pm? Come on!

I have since had an apology from the area manager who conceded that this restaurant isn't as child friendly as the otehrs in its chain.

I'd be inclined to agree with you in that case...

I'd be looking for more than an apology from the area manager tbh... reimbursement please!

It's not even a 'posh' place. Cheeky sods.