Calvià
Flanigan

Flanigan

Puerto Portals Local 16, 07181, Calvià, Spain

Tapas • Carne • Pescado • Mariscos


"We have been dining at Flanigan for over 20 years. However our experience this evening took the biscuit. We booked about 2 months ago for a 7pm table knowing that it would be busy in August. We arrived at Reception about 7.15 and waited in a queue to be seated. When I introduced myself at 7.20 the Hostess said you were booked at 7pm I explained that the the traffic getting into the port was backed up to the motorway (and took about 15 minutes to clear and park). She said we know about the traffic and I explained that I myself (the customer) was not previously aware of such queues (in previous years access to the port was always fairly smooth flowing but a new barrier system has slowed this down). She stormed off to show another lady (who had been given the same response as I had) to a table in a tent at the back. The other customer was told that she should have telephoned to explain that they would be late.....but how can you if you are driving? Don 't carry their number with you? Have no foreign mobile data to look it up? Another lady appeared and gain muttered to me that we had booked for 7pm! The two women then progressed to discuss which table they would give to me (in Spanish) and clearly in a poorer position than the table I would have been given at 7pm. I understand enough Spanish to appertain their tone....and the gist of what was said. We were then seated at the front of the restaurant on the path, with the sun in our eyes, a wobbly table and every man and his dog (literally) looking at us as they walked past. We had an ample 15 minutes of time to look at the menus and as no one approached us to offer drinks or take orders it became clear that these tables at the front were certainly the 'poor relations ' of the seating plan ... and it did not bode well with us. I noticed that gazpacho as a starter was an extortionate 18 Euros per person (with possibly the cheapest ingredients available in Spain and a cost price of pence) so a meal for 4 would soon reach the 200 Euro mark and would not at all be worthwhile considering the WELCOME that we had received, the POSITION OF THE TABLE and the LACK OF SERVICE. Never before in my life have I experienced such bad manners and attitude at a restaurant. I was not comfortable then spending all that money there so we got up and left......(and were welcomed warmly (with no booking) at another restaurant further along the walkway.... I have eaten in some of the best restaurants in Europe and am an ex hotel/Restaurant Manager myself. I also own a house in the Port so am not a 'tourist ' who they seem to want to treat so badly. If Flanigans treat customers like this they will not return to the restaurant, the port and maybe even the island. I did not check Tripadvisor before I made my booking as we have eaten there before and it has been fine but looking at recent reviews, my experience was clearly not a one off. Flanigans may get away with this over summer, when demand is high, but when the restaurant is quiet over winter they will miss customers like me and my neighbours who dine year round in the Port. Treat customers like this at your peril as they simply won 't come back....and they will let others know about their experiences. If the manager would care to contact me for further information, please do so."