Restaurant Beba

Karim

3.0

I recently dined at Restaurant Beba & had a mixed experience. The food was pretty good with decent flavors & presentation, but I felt it was a bit too expensive for what it offered. On a positive note, the service was nice - the staff were attentive & friendly. However, there were moments when the staff engaged in conversation a bit too much, which some diners might find excessive. I didn't try the drinks myself, but my friends who did were quite impressed. They mentioned that the drinks were one of the highlights of their evening. So, if you're into cocktails or specialty beverages, this might be a great place for you. Overall, the staff were friendly & the atmosphere was welcoming. While I appreciated the quality of the food, I believe it could be priced more appropriately. Would recommend for a nice evening out, especially if you're keen on trying some unique drinks.

WE

2.0

I was treated poorly by the hostess (glasses; dark brown hair) at Beba. I called Beba to tell them I was running late as they ask you to do on Resy & I was told about an hour before leaving for the restaurant that I no longer had my reservation.

I had made my reservation a month ago.. I do not appreciate being told the Day Of that my reservation has been cancelled. I had a friend from Winnipeg visiting so this was a major disappointment.

In comparison the reservation I made at Mon Lapin also a month ago on Resy there were no issues. I was not called/ emailed & asked to confirm in advance. When I got to Mon Lapin I got a table inside as I had expected. I didn't have the Rules changed on me.

Beba called & emailed the day of with no prior notice or indication of policy. I do not have a smartphone so I did not get any of these messages.

I was then offered over the phone as consolation seats at the bar with stools (with no backs). I am a senior so this is not ideal but I took it grudgingly.

Before I left I checked my email & saw that "after" my phone call with the hostess I got an email that my reservation was cancelled. This was disconcerting but I went anyways since I just spoke to the hostess.

When I got to Beba the hostess was not welcoming & certainly she gave me no apologies. In fact this hostess looked over at me several times during the evening with indifference or as if she was looking at a wall. When I saw there were tables available inside & out she said they were taken. So I guess I can be bumped but others can't.

I didn't enjoy sitting at the bar. The other servers spent their time behind the bar talking amongst themselves while one of them (hopefully the Sommelier) constantly drank wine. It was annoying to watch. Only the bartender Evan made an effort to engage.

As for the food the empanada was good & sweetbread also. I found the salad to be overly acidic which is not pleasant.

The sweetbread dish had a fair bit of sauce & this same hostess to add insult to injury offered me bread after I completed the whole dish. Too little too late...

It was so noisy in this tiny restaurant that I didn't have the strength or energy to shout out my complaints although I am pretty sure if I tried with this hostess it would have fallen on deaf ears.

When we were leaving my friend went to the washroom i sat outside at an empty table to wait (yes there were still empty tables) & various waitresses came out & stared at me. I had just been in this tiny restaurant for a couple of hours & paid my bill but I still got looks then they brought out the hostess to have a look at me too! That was unbelievable.

Bumping customers on the day of their reservation is not a good way to run a business. By doing this it feels like you are showing preference for certain customers over others. This is not fair & also insulting.

Beba owners should take some lessons from Mon Lapin on how to treat customers without prejudice or disdain & certainly with respect. Every single person I encountered at Mon Lapin (& there were about 5) was attentive; courteous; friendly & focused on making us happy from beginning to end. They treated every customer as if they were wanted. Most importantly they didn't unexpectedly & unfairly cancel our reservation.

The hostess in particular being snooty; rude & unfair reflects on the owners; the team as a whole & the reputation of the restaurant itself.

I read a few other reviewers who had a similar experience to mine. So in the era of being "woke" to prejudice whether it be race; age or class I just want to say if you have a feeling you are not being treated well at Beba you are right to feel this way & you are not alone.