We came to this cafe restaurant as a result of what seemed like an irresistible offer from Groupon, a company that send me a barrage of offers from companies willing to supply discounted services for almost anything.from exfoliating socks to wire screen doors It's the food offers that interest me. This one came up as too good to believe.The Terrace Bistro Bar
Meat and Seafood Platter for Four People Plus One Bottle of Wine
Voucher value: $265.00
Voucher code: 16/5748 Security Code: 65AD1380A1
Valid from 20.01.2012 to 20.05.2012
REF: 715929436
The merchant: The Terrace Bistro Bar
162-164 Commercial Road, 3181 Prahran, Tel. (03) 9098 1155
http://www.terracebistro.com.au, Opening times: Mon-Sun: 7am-late
Fine print
Purchase multiple vouchers, 2 vouchers per table, Subject to availability, 48-hour cancellation policy or
voucher is void, How to Redeem, Valid from 20 Jan 2012, Valid to 20 Apr 2012, Phone to book: (03) 9098
1155, Present voucher on arrival.
The photo reproduced above just looked like a promotional cafe picture but in fact it was the $265 dinner for four.
It consisted of the following seafood: A couple of slices of smoked salmon, a few lightly crumbed calamari rings on a bed of dandelions and three or four salmon croquettes which tasted more like potato than anything else. The meat was three bland small meatballs, two tiny pieces of pork belly, not at all crisp and three or four slender slices of sausage in a tomato sauce. In addition there were a couple of slices of fried egg plant and a corn fritter with a spicy avocado paste on top. They also served some very nice bread.
At most restaurants each of these serves would be described as a taste and would not be more than a maximum of $9 and possibly as little as $5 or $6 at a cafeteria like this. Call it what you like it was no more than a meal for two people. Everything had to be cut into four making each thing only a mouth full. The wine was the best part of the meal and that was nothing special.
Before we were served, and not knowing what was coming, we asked that the dishes be served separately rather than all at once. That's fine our waitress said. a few minutes later the two platter arrived. We were astonished. the person who seemed to be in charge was totally inflexible. That's how we serve it and that's what you get - you saw the picture!!! Yep, just like the photo.
Even if you take off $20 for the wine, I saw it on line for $18.95 a bottle, that leaves $245 or say $120 for each platter so this was $120!
From the restaurants point of view I think this represents a sad misjudgement. They probably pay Groupon at least $20 Their wine probably cost about $15 preparing and serving the meal must have cost at least $30 so they are making no money and may even be losing on the whole thing. As a promotion it is worse than doing nothing because, not only would we never go there again we naturally relate this misadventure to all our friends.Three tiny meat balls for four people, don't make me laugh. Two miniature pieces of pork belly, oh come on. $265 for these two little platters and a $20 bottle of wine, hysterical. The whole thing amounted to a snack. I could have eaten the lot all by myself and what's worse the food was poorly seasoned and had NOTHING to recommend it to us. We left to go and get something to eat.
Score: 12.5/20
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