tourists beware
 

Il Mulino....
Great food, fun for an occasion, but beware if you are new or come off as a tourist. You know going in that it is going to be pricey and that is not the problem. Went for birthday. Group mentioned it was my birthday...at end of meal waiters came out with cake and a candle...very nice, but bill came out to an extra $70.00 for desert for three people for three pieces of cake...that means thier deserts are priced around $20.00 each...I don't think so. Included in the price were two coffees and one cappucino. I have been to many quality and expensive restaurants...this is a new one on me. Seems to have charged for the whole cake that wasn't even ordered in the first place. They give out doggy bags, so they should have given us the cake. Felt taken advantage of because we weren't locals. This type of thing can ruin a special occassion and gives a bad rap to NYC. We didn't complain at the time because we didn't think it was appropriate...which is what we assume they were hoping for. We are going to contact the owner.

How is it ever inappropriate to complain to a business establishment, right on the spot, when you are overcharged for something or have a problem with the service or goods provided?

It's unfortunate that you had such a bad experience, but I just think it makes more sense to bring it up on the spot. Now, not only have you already paid the bill, but it's unlikely anyone there will remember your party.

Wait... let me try to understand. You paid and extra $70 for desert and coffee for three people as Il Mulino. Well, Cuisine, is IS one of the most expensive restaurants in NYC!! I'm sure they certainly did not charge you that much because you are a tourist AND knowing that the restaurant was very pricey someone in your party should have thought to inquire as to cost of cake.

Something smells fishy here--and I don't mean the cake.

Typically one would expect the cake to be 'complimentary'. I would not have paid for it, pure & simple.

*Nothing* is complimentary in a restaurant like Il Mulino. Plus, anytime I have celebrated a friend's birthday at a restaurant and requested cake or other celebratory desert, we have always, without fail, been charged!

First (only?) -time poster complaining about something. Smells fishy to me, too.

I just did this for my husband in Boston. We celebrated our son's graduation at a fine restaurant, but I also wanted to acknowledge my husband's birthday since it was the first time the entire family was together. The host asked what I wanted to do, I said simply a candle in <i>his</i> dessert. That's just what they did -- no surprises.

I don't believe it has anything to do with being a tourist! Someone in your party made an assumption that an acknowledgement of your birthday would be without charge. Yes, a candle would be gratis, but not dessert.

If a cake was asked for, expect to pay for it.
(I have had many a birthday in nice restaurants all over the place! I usually get the dessert but the waiter will add the candle, a couple of times we have been given complimentary wine or champagne. But we almost always pay for the cake or dessert.
<i>They give out doggy bags, so they should have given us the cake.</i> you paid for that doggy bag, it was your dinner!

Good Rule of thumb - <b> never expect a freebie</b>

How in the world would a restaurant in New York City recognise or care if their diners were &quot;tourists&quot;..we have friends in NYC who are English and sound English and they live there..so?

I am afraid it is not the treatment that you speak of here, that would give NYC a &quot;bad rap&quot;...

Agree that no restaurant is going to serve an entire birthday cake without being specifically asked to do so. How did they know it was your birthday? (I don;t ordinarily discuss details of my personal life with wait staff unless it has something to do with the meal - like ordering something.)

Obviously someone thought they could get a freebie - and then didn't want to pay for it.

To me, it'd be inapproriate to strip to your underwear and dance on the table. Not complaining about a gross overcharge I'd qualify as being whimpy, foolish, and a display of a complete lack of backbone.

Then again, I don't buy your story. I'm highly suspect when a person who has never posted before comes here with some fairly hard to believe problem that could have easily been resolved fairly easily.

You DIDN'T say anything at the restaurant but your first inclination is to come onto a travel board where you've never been to complain.

BTW, please tell me when you're coming back to NYC. See, I own this REALLY nice old bridge on the East River and well, I'm in the market for a larger one. So, I'm willing to sell you my current bridge for a MERE fraction of it's real value.

Ryan, they might like your bridge better if it were free. :D

Ryan: :D

My guess is that when the reservation was made the clerk asked, &quot;Is this a special occasion?&quot; When the reservation maker said, &quot;Yes, a birthday,&quot; the clerk asked &quot;Would you like a birthday cake and coffee after dinner?&quot; The reservation maker, incorrectly assuming he/she was getting something for nothings said, &quot;Yes,&quot; but unwittingly added $70 to the bill and $10-$15 to the tip.

I can only see two possible scenarios to this situation:

A) what happytrailstoyou said. Someone in your party inadvertently ordered the cake and you were appropriately charged that amount for it. Il Mulino is EXPENSIVE. That's where I once had the worst rack of lamb I've ever had for $54, but I suppose it was justified since it was enough for three or more people, even though they said it was for one.

B) They brought you something you totally didn't order, and you, being a complete fool, paid for it. There is no reason to ever pay for something you are sure you didn't order!!

I can't think of any other possible scenario.

I would NEVER, EVER go ahead and pay for something I did not order! It is way too hard to *unring* that bell...... It is far better to settle these things at the time, no matter how exclusive the place or &quot;what anyone may think.&quot; ;;)

I'm sure the poster did not complain at the time because they know they did order a birthday cake - they were just hoping to get it for free - and then were aggravated when they didn't.

(After all - how does a birthday cake appar out of nowhere?)

&quot;Group mentioned it was my birthday...at end of meal waiters came out with cake and a candle&quot;

Sounds to me like bad communication. Someone says &quot;It's my friend's birthday.&quot; Waiter says &quot;Would you like us to bring cake with candles after dinner?&quot; Diners say &quot;Oh yes, that would be great!&quot;

Waiter doesn't say &quot;That will be $20 per person extra.&quot; Diner doesn't ask &quot;What is the charge for the cake?&quot;

How did anyone at the restaurant know whether you were a local or a tourist?

You should have insisted the charge be taken off your bill right then and there on the spot. Always give the establishment the option of making a wrong a right than taking that option out of their hands.

Any restauranteur worth his or her salt knows that a happy customer will tell two people but an unhappy customer will tell 20 people.

As my husband was in the restaurant business for 30 years and is still a consultant, this is my biggest grip that a customer would be unhappy and not tell anyone while they are still in the restaurant. No one can read your mind.

You never EVER leave a restaurant without the bill settled. Any disputes must be settled before you leave, as seldom are credits made afterwards.

Why should a restaurant, which people MAKE A LIVING <b>selling</b> food &amp; beverage <b>give</b> the product away? Idle time at a table costs a restaurant money ... turnover is the name of the game. Besides, birthdays are like ***holes: everyone has one! You don't assume a bottle of wine on the table is complimentary, do you? Why would any other food/services be?

This first-time-post is suspicious.

Since I've already made one vulgar reference to make my point, I'll just finish with stating that you MUST be familiar with the old saying about <b>&quot;assume&quot;</b>??

I will have to say though, that in many parts of the country, restaurants will often bring out a free dessert and candle if they know a guest is celebrating their birthday.

I have had many of them myself, in some very fancy (and some not as nice) restaurants in Hawaii, California and Oregon. Of course, if anyone else in the party ORDERS their own dessert, I expect to be charged for it.

Heck, Todai give the birthday guest a FREE dinner!

I believe that Applebee's does give a free brownie or something - along with all the chanting and clapping.

However, Il Mulino is not Applebees. And unless a restaurant specifically offers something for free it is only rational to assume that you have to pay for anything you ask for (even if the waiter suggests it.)

I am sure it is different in different locations, but several 4 star restaurants I've visited in the Carolinas and Virginia offer a tiny complimentary cake (2-3 slices) if one states that an anniversary or birthday is being celebrated at the time the reservation is made.

This restaurant is like $75 per person. Not to be rude but it's not TGI Fridays. Places like this don't usually give anything away. Sorry you had a bad experience, but maybe it is a small lesson learned. You can't be afraid to speak up if something is not right. If you had disputed it and they gave you a hard time, then it's thier fault. But, it seem's like a lack of communication to me.