The Dixboro Project

This was supposed to be an elevated dining experience that we were genuinely looking forward to, especially as we were celebrating a special occasion with friends. Unfortunately, the seating arrangement completely ruined the experience. When making the reservation, we specifically noted that we would prefer a quiet corner away from children. Despite this, we were seated right in the middle of the main dining hall, directly next to a group with 3 young children who were screaming, crying and constantly moving around. What made this even more frustrating was that there were plenty of other tables available throughout our entire visit. We were simply told that this was the “last table available,” which was difficult to understand given what we could clearly see. The food was excellent and the staff serving us were friendly, but unfortunately, the environment made it almost impossible to enjoy either. With kids crying constantly right behind us, we could barely hold a conversation and ended up wanting to finish our meal as quickly as possible just to escape the noise. When guests are paying a premium price for an elevated dining experience, they expect the environment to reflect that. If you are catering to large groups with young children, it would be much better to place them in a more private or suitable area rather than in the middle of the restaurant allowing them to disrupt the experience of other diners. The restaurant really needs to pay closer attention to reservation notes and make better use of available tables, in particular large groups with children. Being more agile with seating arrangements could have made a huge difference. Great food alone cannot compensate for an environment that makes the dining experience feel more like a kindergarten canteen than an elegant restaurant.