Special Service in London, New York and San Francisco
I thought the service at Incanto restaurant in Harrow-on-the Hill, NW London was excellent.
Napkins
When I dropped my napkin on the floor, one of the servers approached and I thought, 'That's nice. They've noticed and they're going to pick it up for me.'
They did better still. They removed the white cloth napkin which had dropped on the floor under my feet and brought a new one.
Later, when either of us left the table, in our absence the server picked up the crumpled napkin from the table and folded it neatly into a triangular shape.
Here is one of the smiling staff, David, the director.
Another time I had such wonderful service was in a hotel in San Francisco. When I abandoned my scrambled egg to take a phone call (from the tourist board) my plate was whisked away. I returned and was horrified. The staff assured me that a new egg would be cooked, not re-heated, cooked fresh. Afterwards I thanked them for cooking me another egg after my egg had been removed, as I thought, by mistake. It was explained that there had been no mistake, it was their practice to re-cook the breakfast egg when a diner was called away so the food went cold.
Incanto.co.uk
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer and speaker.
I thought the service at Incanto restaurant in Harrow-on-the Hill, NW London was excellent.
Napkins
When I dropped my napkin on the floor, one of the servers approached and I thought, 'That's nice. They've noticed and they're going to pick it up for me.'
They did better still. They removed the white cloth napkin which had dropped on the floor under my feet and brought a new one.
Later, when either of us left the table, in our absence the server picked up the crumpled napkin from the table and folded it neatly into a triangular shape.
Here is one of the smiling staff, David, the director.
Bustling about keeping an eye on everything are your servers.
***
New York
When I arrived in New York for a two-year stay, I was in the Helmsley hotel briefly. Breakfast was amazing. First I dropped a piece of cutlery. The maitre d was standing at the front of the restaurant with his back to a pillar or wall, watching the entrance to his left and the aisle down the centre of the long restaurant in front of him. As I dipped my fork on the floor I looked up, open-mouthed in distress, and saw the restaurant manager looking towards me. I looked backwards, wondering if I could grab a fork from the table behind, without waiting for service nor troubling staff who were far away. The young waiter serving coffees was on his continuous tour around the restaurant and a few steps behind my table. The head waiter or manager signalled to the nearer member of staff who grabbed the nearest fork, handed it to me - by the handle, of course, not the prongs, and then picked up the fork from the floor and removed it. Time elapsed under a minute.
I continued eating and our son aged about seven took a small jam pot and clutched it possessively.
"Put it back!" I hissed.
"They are being very nice to us and we must be very nice to them. They are watching us. You must not take anything. You must be well behaved and whisper and not should and not touch anything and not run out. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING! Daddy is here doing an important job and you are on holiday and if you get us in trouble Daddy will lose his job and you will lose your holiday."
He put the jam back
On the way out the manager smiled and beckoned to our son. I thought, 'Oh, my God, he's going to warm my son about not taking the little jam pot."
The manager gave a big grin and handed my son a jam pot, and then a second one.
We left, all smiles.
Service in San FranciscoNew York
When I arrived in New York for a two-year stay, I was in the Helmsley hotel briefly. Breakfast was amazing. First I dropped a piece of cutlery. The maitre d was standing at the front of the restaurant with his back to a pillar or wall, watching the entrance to his left and the aisle down the centre of the long restaurant in front of him. As I dipped my fork on the floor I looked up, open-mouthed in distress, and saw the restaurant manager looking towards me. I looked backwards, wondering if I could grab a fork from the table behind, without waiting for service nor troubling staff who were far away. The young waiter serving coffees was on his continuous tour around the restaurant and a few steps behind my table. The head waiter or manager signalled to the nearer member of staff who grabbed the nearest fork, handed it to me - by the handle, of course, not the prongs, and then picked up the fork from the floor and removed it. Time elapsed under a minute.
I continued eating and our son aged about seven took a small jam pot and clutched it possessively.
"Put it back!" I hissed.
"They are being very nice to us and we must be very nice to them. They are watching us. You must not take anything. You must be well behaved and whisper and not should and not touch anything and not run out. DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING! Daddy is here doing an important job and you are on holiday and if you get us in trouble Daddy will lose his job and you will lose your holiday."
He put the jam back
On the way out the manager smiled and beckoned to our son. I thought, 'Oh, my God, he's going to warm my son about not taking the little jam pot."
The manager gave a big grin and handed my son a jam pot, and then a second one.
We left, all smiles.
Another time I had such wonderful service was in a hotel in San Francisco. When I abandoned my scrambled egg to take a phone call (from the tourist board) my plate was whisked away. I returned and was horrified. The staff assured me that a new egg would be cooked, not re-heated, cooked fresh. Afterwards I thanked them for cooking me another egg after my egg had been removed, as I thought, by mistake. It was explained that there had been no mistake, it was their practice to re-cook the breakfast egg when a diner was called away so the food went cold.
Incanto.co.uk
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer and speaker.
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