Fish

This is the content of a letter that I have sent to Fish Restaurant in the Village. Perhaps you have a comment.\r \r Dear Sirs,\r \r \r I am writing to you in the first instance so that you may check the facts.\r \r We visit New York once a year. We live in Malta.\r \r Last month we dined at your establishment. We were celebrating my wife’s birthday and we had 2 guests who were on their first visit to New York. We chose Fish because we had been there a number of times before and enjoyed the atmosphere and the food, especially soft shelled crab when in season. Our visit was no exception; the lobster was divine as were the oysters and the shrimp.\r \r When the bill arrived our guest high jacked it and paid. He added an approximate 10% gratuity, which in our culture is considered to be generous. In most Mediterranean countries the finer restaurants often refuse to allow tipping and any gratuity, if offered, is accepted in good grace.\r \r Unfortunately, as we about to leave, the young lady who had served us approached and directed a line of questioning at my wife, who had had nothing whatsoever to do with settling the bill. With fists on hips and head thrust forward the conversation went something like this.\r \r Waitress: Excuse me Mam, was anything wrong with the meal?\r “No it was delightful”\r Waitress: I just wanted to check because there is an error on the bill.\r “I’m sorry – why?”\r Waitress: Are you aware that I do not get paid a daily wage?\r “No”\r Waitress: I rely on my tips you know. In New York you must tip between 15 and 20%\r “I am sorry but you see I didn’t……………..”\r Waitress: We don’t get paid you see.\r “Look (now a little confused and embarrassed because an oasis of silence had descended on the neighboring tables) we are visitors and where we come from we are often asked not to tip, so I am sorry”\r Waitress: So are you going to make any changes?\r “No”\r Waitress: Was anything wrong with the meal?\r “No”\r Waitress: So, you not going to make any changes then?\r “I am sorry – No”\r \r We left.\r \r Sadly, our friends remember that exchange over and above all the wonderful sight seeing and entertainment that they had experienced whilst in New York.\r \r We are all old and wise enough to realize that the young lady was perhaps acting out of gross inexperience and we were not quick to anger, but it raises a few interesting points.\r \r Is it normal for staff to be unpaid? How does that square with things like public liability insurance and taxes and pensions.\r \r Is the level of, and indeed the function of, tipping enshrined in a law in New York?\r \r In writing to you I would like to point out that it is my intention to forward a copy of this letter to the Mayor’s Office and to a prominent New York newspaper and local printed and online entertainment guides, for their comment.\r \r Yours sincerely\r \r \r Clive Murphy\r Malta\r \r \r Since writing this review we have learned that Fish has recently changed ownership - perhaps this offers an explaination. Pros: great food Cons: poor service more