Happy Friday 13th!
Here’s why you’ll never find a review of On The Rocks (Blouberg) on my page.
You’ve come to know my reviews for being unbiased and honest, never bitchy or unkind. Just honest. So you’ll never find a review of On The Rocks on my page because I refuse to go there again. You know I’m all about second chances, but not when an establishment makes you feel like you’re the privileged one for being given the opportunity to spend your money there.
My son visited SA earlier this year and I wanted to treat him to the best view in Blouberg, so I called up On The Rocks months in advance and I booked a table outside, one with a view. I remember telling the person on the phone I wanted to show off their beautiful view. So table booked, we arrived for breakfast at about 9am. It was a beautifully clear morning. Perfect day. Only, we arrived to find that outside was full and they wanted to seat us inside – we were the only party inside, we may as well have been in an echoey warehouse. There was no ambiance, just a feeling of dull, emptiness devoid of character. I think I would have felt happier at a funeral. I complained about having made a booking outside months ago only to be told by the manager that they don’t take bookings for outside, it’s first come first served. I told the manager that they’d failed to mention this when I made my booking. There was no apology, no attempt to appease my let-down expectations. The staff are young, I don’t think any of them are older than twenty five. The only way I can describe the attitude of the staff was plain and simple arrogance.
I’m not apologizing. I don’t do arrogance. You’re a restaurant, you’re not royalty. There are others who would be more than happy to take my money and give me value in return, along with a little respect.
So now, every day, Annie and I take our walks which end right next door to On The Rocks at the Illy Cafe and Lighthouse garden where the there’s no air of prentiousness. The staff greet us with genuine smiles, we get the best panini and coffee on the strip, the croissants are perfect, light and crisp, and we happily spend our money there 5 days a week. We enjoy the same view literally right next to the tables at On The Rocks, but without the attitude.
All it takes is a smile.
Not that I’m counting but On The Rocks would have made a fortune from us in the last 12 months.
So, you’ll never get an honest review of On The Rocks from me because I haven’t been there in over a year, and it’s going to take a lot of free 5-star wine and groveling to get me to even consider going back. There are so many other places I still want to visit.
