[Food] Restaurant 2024 thread

[Springal]

“According to a report in the Times, a secondary market is developing in hard-to-get tables, an issue which has already arisen in New York and San Francisco and has now arrived in London. Much like gig ticket touts, scalpers are using online booking platforms to grab hot reservations, which are then offered for resale. According to the Times, a table this month at the Michelin two-star Indian restaurant Gymkhana was being offered for £256, while at the Michelin three-star Core by Clare Smyth it was £408. These costs are obviously before anything has been consumed.”

Scumbags.

If people just don’t buy it - and most restaurants have a cancellation charge by taking a credit card at booking won’t that problem disappear quite quickly ?

 

[dwayne]

“According to a report in the Times, a secondary market is developing in hard-to-get tables, an issue which has already arisen in New York and San Francisco and has now arrived in London. Much like gig ticket touts, scalpers are using online booking platforms to grab hot reservations, which are then offered for resale. According to the Times, a table this month at the Michelin two-star Indian restaurant Gymkhana was being offered for £256, while at the Michelin three-star Core by Clare Smyth it was £408. These costs are obviously before anything has been consumed.”

Scumbags.

It's mostly BS, definitely in London. this service might exist but gymkhana and core are not that difficult to get a booking at so you would have to be insanely wealthy to use the service.

In the states I think it's a slightly bigger problem as yanks have more money than sense. I was banned from carbone in Miami in December as I had 2 bookings on consecutive nights (during art Basel which is one of Miamis busiest weeks) as they thought I was selling on the bookings. It's surely easy to get around though , just make the original booker show a credit card or ID with their name on, doesn't seem like rocket science.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Went to Wild Flour pizza yesterday in Ovingdean. Lovely little spot. Recommend parking at the top of the hill or getting bus up to Woodingdean and wandering down next to/through the golf course. Bit of a struggle back up the hill after a whole pizza but worth it. Good for you dog walkers

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If people just don’t buy it - and most restaurants have a cancellation charge by taking a credit card at booking won’t that problem disappear quite quickly ?

I guess so.

sadly Hospitality is a tough business as it is and this just seems another issue for them to deal with.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It's mostly BS, definitely in London. this service might exist but gymkhana and core are not that difficult to get a booking at so you would have to be insanely wealthy to use the service.

In the states I think it's a slightly bigger problem as yanks have more money than sense. I was banned from carbone in Miami in December as I had 2 bookings on consecutive nights (during art Basel which is one of Miamis busiest weeks) as they thought I was selling on the bookings. It's surely easy to get around though , just make the original booker show a credit card or ID with their name on, doesn't seem like rocket science.

There’s certainly plenty of these in London.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

It's mostly BS, definitely in London. this service might exist but gymkhana and core are not that difficult to get a booking at so you would have to be insanely wealthy to use the service.

In the states I think it's a slightly bigger problem as yanks have more money than sense. I was banned from carbone in Miami in December as I had 2 bookings on consecutive nights (during art Basel which is one of Miamis busiest weeks) as they thought I was selling on the bookings. It's surely easy to get around though , just make the original booker show a credit card or ID with their name on, doesn't seem like rocket science.

Just been looking at the Gymkhana menu, at the top of every menu it has:

Oscietra Caviar 30G £100.00 Fresh Black Truffle £25.00

Is it popular with Russians?

 

[amexer]

It's mostly BS, definitely in London. this service might exist but gymkhana and core are not that difficult to get a booking at so you would have to be insanely wealthy to use the service.

In the states I think it's a slightly bigger problem as yanks have more money than sense. I was banned from carbone in Miami in December as I had 2 bookings on consecutive nights (during art Basel which is one of Miamis busiest weeks) as they thought I was selling on the bookings. It's surely easy to get around though , just make the original booker show a credit card or ID with their name on, doesn't seem like rocket science.

Did you go to Joes Stone Crab restaurant in Miami Think it has changed but when I went there few years ago prided themselves on would not take reservations from anybody whoever you are. people queued for ages to get a table.

 

[JamesAndTheGiantHead]

Just won Best Restaurant and Best Front of House at the Brighton food awards.

Fun fact - I designed their logo, despite clearly having absolutely no idea what I’m doing.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Does anyone else follow Alexander The Guest? His YouTube channel was suggested to me by a friend and I rather like it. His presentation style can be a little one dimensional at times, but what I like is the restaurant background and history and the dining room observations that he provides at the top of each review and the clear filming and dish descriptions. Favourite reviews are L'Assiette Champenoise, Le Bernardin and Alain Ducasse at the Dorchester.

https://youtube.com/@alexandertheguest?si=uDc3HPTYDQlGSmBR

 

[Goldstone1976]

…but gymkhana and core are not that difficult to get a booking at so you would have to be insanely wealthy to use the service…

Well, quite. Easier and cheaper just to drop a text to Jyotin, Hubert, Gareth, or Rob.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Well, quite. Easier and cheaper just to drop a text to Jyotin, Hubert, Gareth, or Rob.

Jyotin, Hubert, Gareth, or Rob….sounds like an upmarket version of Trumpton

 

[dwayne]

Just been looking at the Gymkhana menu, at the top of every menu it has:

Oscietra Caviar 30G £100.00 Fresh Black Truffle £25.00

Is it popular with Russians?

Mayfair innit. Arabs lap it up .... Don't see as many Russians around these days .

 

[dwayne]

Did you go to Joes Stone Crab restaurant in Miami Think it has changed but when I went there few years ago prided themselves on would not take reservations from anybody whoever you are. people queued for ages to get a table.

Yep been a few times over the years. Not as popular as it once was as food scene has exploded in Miami and there's a lot more choice now.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Mayfair innit. Arabs lap it up .... Don't see as many Russians around these days .

Reason I asked is that I witnessed the Russian annexing of Courchevel over a ten year period; caviar and truffle on menus, came with this. They would stick it on everything. I also witnessed the Russian model girlfriends take more of an interest in a couple of my friends than the usually short pudgy men funding their lifestyle….that’s another story though.

 

[dwayne]

Reason I asked is that I witnessed the Russian annexing of Courchevel over a ten year period; caviar and truffle on menus, came with this. They would stick it on everything. I also witnessed the Russian model girlfriends take more of an interest in a couple of my friends than the usually short pudgy men funding their lifestyle….that’s another story though.

Yer russians definitely started it .... Easy money for restauranteurs from st Tropez to Monaco to London to Mykonos to make money from new money insta flexers ....

 

[dazzer6666]

Yer russians definitely started it .... Easy money for restauranteurs from st Tropez to Monaco to London to Mykonos to make money from new money insta flexers ....

Absolutely loads in Thailand now………

 

[Bakero]

I just back from there. 4 of us shared a 20" pizza which was well cooked and lovely - £28. Excellent Hophead as well. For me, the only thing that was missing was a knife and fork. I am not a savage FFS.

Who eats pizza with a knife and fork? Deviant behaviour. Worse than that though was a couple of friends of mine who ate their tacos with cutlery at a recent lunch.

 

[Springal]

Absolutely loads in Thailand now………

And Dubai - full of young ish lads / young families. They even have the Russian version of Uber available there.

 

[dazzer6666]

And Dubai - full of young ish lads / young families. They even have the Russian version of Uber available there.

….mostly escaping conscription apparently

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Who eats pizza with a knife and fork? Deviant behaviour. Worse than that though was a couple of friends of mine who ate their tacos with cutlery at a recent lunch.

From my favorite burger joint