Pacini Hull

Overall impression of the food quality was pretty positive, lasagna was authentic tasting.
However - there was pesto sauce at the bread bar that used dried basil, and the parasan cheese topping was artificial and salty.
Good ambience, friendly service, more expensive compared to similar places in Ottawa.

Dear Pacini

I am like most of your other clients. I am a male with a job. This year I will pay taxes like everybody else. Above all I am a student. I work hard so I can have money to put gas in my car so I can drive to school to get a better education. That is something that I personally believe should be admired and respected. Today, Friday, November 26, 2010 was my good friend’s 17’Th birthday. We decided that we would go out to a nice restaurant. Someone brought up “Pacini’s” and we made a reservation at 5:30 pm. As it turns out, I guess not everybody thinks that students should be treated equally.

When four of us arrived there, we were quickly ushered to our seats. After, what appeared to be receiving a dirty look from every waiter in the restaurant, one very nice one came to take our order. We informed her that we actually had a reservation for ten people and that we we’re missing some more people. She seemed fine with that and we ordered appetizers and drinks. Although, to the owner’s dismay, we had chosen not to drink and drive. Which I also think should be applauded. However, another waitress who we were later informed was the owner, didn’t like to have students who weren’t going to drink in her “fine” establishment. She ran over as soon as she found out we weren’t drinking and slyly said “are your friends coming?” to which we responded yes. She went on to say “ Well what time is your reservation 5? I’m giving away the table in 5 minutes.” My friend reminded her that our reservation was actually at 5: 30 to which she snarled, “Well it doesn’t make a difference.”

We phoned our friends, all of which we’re trying to get parked in the extremely thickly iced parking lot. May I add, there was no room in it either. The parking attendant yelled at them to go to another parking lot. Meanwhile, the “owner” came back and said, “Where are your friends? I’m seconds away from giving away the whole table”. My well-spoken friend, who perhaps ironically is a business student, politely reminder her that we do have a reservation. She piped up and responded, “ I know! I am the owner!” I told her that our friends were all in the parking lot but were having trouble parking with the bad weather. She violently thrusted her hand towards our table and snarled “ Don’t even go there! The weather was bad this morning but it certainly isn’t now!”

I have to laugh at the kid who was probably about twelve years old sitting
beside us. He was shocked that the waitress that had been so kind to his parents was being so rude to us. My friends ran through the door to sit down before our table was given away to someone else. Two of them in tears because the weather had been so bad and the parking lot so icy and overcrowded. Before they had finished taking off their coats, the “owner” came back and asked them what they wanted to order. For the life of me I cannot figure out how she expected them to know what they wanted since she had only supplied us students with one menu for every fourth person. She said well you guys have two minutes. My friends and I were so completely disgusted that what appears to be a classy restaurant would discriminate based on the sole fact that we were students. So much in fact that none of us even felt like eating. So we got up and left, and thanked our real waitress. When she asked why we were departing I informed her how the “owner” of the establishment treated us like she treats the parking lot. Though unlike many adults I know that would have left without paying for the drink and appetizer, I felt like I needed to pay the bill. Even if it was just to show what real class is, something that the restaurant lacked.

I am saddened to say that I will never eat there ever again. As either a student or a much preferred adult. I actually know what real service is supposed to be like, since I’ve worked at a restaurant for three years. As a member of the hard working team at a world-renowned restaurant a little bit north of Hull, I’ve learned how outstanding service can actually be. Never have I been so disappointed in a “family” restaurant.