A lot of people prefer visiting a restaurant solo to explore the menu the place has to offer and spend some time with themselves. One such incident of a woman who recently visited a restaurant in Delhi by herself has surfaced online where she alleged she wasn’t treated in a welcoming manner. Identified as a journalist associated with a leading news media, Aditi Shah was at Fig at Malcha on Saturday evening when she mentioned about having a disappointing experience.
Not allowed to work for long…
Ignoring the restaurant’s ambience, she pulled out her laptop for work until her order arrived on the table. However, working there seemed prohibited and the restaurant probably wanted the customers to only enjoy the vibe, the food and stay out of office chores when dining here. This made Shah confront a staff asking her to keep her laptop aside.
“He told me not very nicely, that I will not be allowed to work here for long…So I asked him what is expected of solo diners – what should they do while they wait for their food, stare at the table?” the journalist wrote on X narrating her disappointing experience from the eatery. “Who is anyone to dictate what I get to do with my time while I wait for my food as long as I’m not disturbing anyone,” she added.
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Delhi’s restaurant scene is vibrant. We have some great restaurants serving delicious food. But serving good, clean food doesn’t cut it if the service is shoddy. Fig at Malcha in Chanakyapuri is one such. Recounting a disappointing and humiliating experience from last evening pic.twitter.com/MM2XLl7Lkn
— Aditi Shah (@aditishahsays) September 1, 2024
She also alleged that the service was delayed and it took at least 20 minutes to get her order served. She wrote, “Good food takes time but the service is allowed to be sub-standard. When I told him I had just placed an order and waiting for my food he only went on to say he understands, but I cant sit here and work for long.”
In her long note, Shah pointed out that she dropped a feedback of her visit to the manager. “They have gotten in touch to apologise and make it right,” she said in this regard.
Netizens stand by the restaurant
Most netizens stood by what the restaurant said and wrote, “Not endorsing the resturant, but requesting patrons to not use the place as a working place – more so during peak hours that too on weekends.” “20 mins to get the table for you. Think it was a 2 hour wait because someone was designing an ad on their ipad and laptop. You would leave right? Or wait 2 hours” another wrote trying to make her understand the scenario from the restaurant’s point of view.
“Mostly solo diners are only for the time. Not every of them order more than a drink or what. The best place would be to book a co working space for a day. Do whatever you want, wat or work,” one of the X users replied trying to find a way out to the issue raised.
