Blackbird Cafe, Cockle Bay Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney.
It saddens me to have to write some negativity towards anybody on these pages, but this can't go unmentioned. On Friday 6th of October, my family and I were in Sydney with some friends looking for an eatery in which to enjoy the evening. We happened upon the Blackbird Cafe, it was busy, vibrant and had a good menu and atmosphere. We sat down at a comfortable table, had a drink and ordered. From then it went nasty. A bartender leaning over the table with a tray of beers lent a little to far and dropped the contents of 2 pints of beer on my Mum, drenching her pretty much all over. The bartender turned initially and blamed another customer for bumping him, but it was plan to see, he accidentally lent to far and the glasses slipped off the tray. With Mum sitting there, wet and smelling of beer, the staff (in numbers) quickly cleaned the mess with little concern with my Mum. No apology was offered, nor any assistance to the restroom to enable her to dry off. When told we were going to leave, we were offered a discount off the meal. However, under the circumstances, there was little reason to stay. Maybe this was offered only as the meals were ready and about to be served. With us leaving, the food would have gone to waste. On further thought we thought it only reasonable to be offered the food on the house since we had travelled so far to get there and pretty much destroyed the rest of the evening for all. Well that was a mistake. The owner approached and started clearing the table of food asking us in no uncertain terms, to leave and calling us cheapskates, along with blaming Mum for the situation. With a restaurant full of patrons and the cost to the owner a few hundred dollars, it would have seemed more appropriate to not cause a scene, but the next 10mins or so turned into a shouting match. Being accused of being cheapskates and being threatened after having 2 pints of beer poured over you is not on at anytime acceptable by anyone. On the positive side, the female manager offered Mum her top, but a small offering considering the abuse we received. I'm not one to complain normally but the customer service from this establishment was SHIT!!! The bartender/waiter was also fired on the spot and blamed on us, then asked if we were 'happy now' as if to make us feel guilty. A simple apology and offer of paying the bill there and then would have been enough to elevite the situation. I hope no one else has to deal with an arrogant, selfish and abusive person such as the owner of the Blackbird Cafe. Thanks for ruining what should have been a fun evening!