TV's in restaurants.
 

Dave, re TV's in restaurants...they nearly all installed TV's for the World Cup and it was a safe bet that they would remain. I guess we just have to hope that they are careful about when they turn them on and what they show. :rolleyes:

Interesting point Dave, this is worth a new thread, whilst sat at the Hotel bar next to the Chinese run eatery on the Pine Walk last year they whacked on the TV playing Ragga tunes at a high level, totally spoiling the ambiance, I duly approached the manager & requested a tone down which he applied most apologetically.
But he seemed to think that people wanted loud music & that it attracted buisness.
Some of you may remember a simular incident at the Lemon Bar last year, there were enough complaints about the noise to warrent immediate action , so I arranged a personal meeting with the manager who again seemed to understand our feelings & within a week this was dealt with.
I think at the end of the day Majorcan people just want to attract & please people so any help is appreciated.

This was a bit of an issue on this break I have to admit.
If I am in a bar, sportsbar or not, I would expect a TV to be on somewhere showing the latest sport - its acceptable.
BUT when I go out for a meal to a restaurant, which involves sitting down at a table and being able to talk to people, and not have to wait for the waiters to finish looking at the tv before I am served, then I am not a happy bunny.
TV's are a distraction and you find yourselve talking to someone who is constantly flicking their eyes to the tv, and the sound is not as pleasant as music being played either.

In Little Italy I stood up to say goodbye to a friends father (who is a charmer by the way cd!) and we were promptly shouted at for being in the way of a football supporter's view of the tv screen. I must admit I felt a little intimidated by him - not what I want when out for a meal.

If I am out with friends for a meal surely we are all out to talk to each other, not look at the tv, if we are all out for a drink, then bring it on by all means.
Horses for courses, but my personal opinion is that TVs are popping up in far too many restaurants.

I do appreciate that football is one addiction that cannot be cured, but I didn't notice any tvs on when it was the Big Brother final!;)

Quote "I do appreciate that football is one addiction that cannot be cured, but I didn't notice any tvs on when it was the Big Brother final!"

Now that must tell you something.

My money's not as good as a football supporter's??!!
No, I am not going to start a for and against debate, thats not what I am intending at all. I just want to say that there are far too many "restaurants" who are cashing in on the "bar" side of things.
I appreciate there are probably more football supporters than not, but its very annoying for those of us who search for a non tv restaurant for a civilised meal!! (:D)

I agree with Bella. There is nothing more annoying than trying to have a conversation with someone who is not listening and has their eye on the screen.
Having a meal is a sociable time to share small talk or debate the issues of the day. A dining room is an area usually cut off from the backdrop of a television to allow conversation to flow.
Personally I would rather eat at home and at least have the opportunity of changing the station than go to a nice restaurant to find a large screen in the background. Obviously for main events such as Royal weddings or major sports etc then rules can be changed but for good reason. This is my opinion which may differ from others.

I agree Eleanor and here it is a very major sporting event when Barcelona are playing Real Madrid. After all, it doesn't happen that often and of course customers should be warned in advance to give them the option of going elsewhere if they don't like it.;)

Agreed Sparky. If people are pre-warned that the tv will be on then they have the choice.
Certainly wasn't any need for Bella to be shouted at so rudely by someone watching tv when she was leaving the restaurant. That really was not on! People never cease to amaze!

Right guys I am all for NO TVs it kills the art of conversation, of which there's far to little theses days.

Not really sure if this thread is really about TVs or anti footie ??

As Sparky has said the el classicos are more than a game of football here , you have two cultures with loads of history between them , not of course , all good that clash a couple of times a year. As the late ,great Bill Shankly said "some people think that footba ' is a more important than life or death !, well I can assure you it is more important than that !! "

Know that sounds strange to some people but that is actually the fact and embedded in the lives of men, women and kids here. The Spanish football paper had actually no less than 40 pages dedicated to the match last Wed night between Real and Barca.

Am sure Tvs on any other night would be fairly unobtrusive and just a background light with nobody paying them any attention. We all actually went out on the Final of the World Cup last year insisting that the restaurants had their tellies on with seats near them at a premium when Spain won.

Of course you can do both i.e still have pleasant conversation and keep an eye on the Telly, just go to some of the best boxes at our finest race tracks in the UK . It's perfectly acceptable behaviour .

Bring on tomorrow's rematch !!

BonysLad :)

BL as far as i am concerned the thread title says it all, i am and always have been against TVs in restaurants but the World Cup last year changed everything, because every business was struggling, most installed TVs. Like it or not we have to accept change however the football season is almost over, hopefully the restaurants will turn their screens off and the status quo will be restored.;)

The thread is about TV's whether Coronation street or footie is on. No matter what is showing, look around and most folk will be watching the TV. It's a distraction and conversation killer. TV's belong in bars and cafe's not restaurants. If a TV program is so important, meals can be planned round these. In the case of football the atmosphere would be far better in a bar than a restaurant anyway.

In the UK, restaurants with TV are few and far between and we like our football as much as the next hombre, or are we behind the times?.
And as for waiters watching TV while working, If I was running a restaurant I would be paying my staff to serve customers not watch TV!.

I for one will not be patronising restaurants with TV's when I am out next. It will be the thin edge of the wedge when Stay or O'Lume have TV blaring out while dining. Rant over.

Adios

Dave

CD, thank you for putting it so clearly. I am not anti anything people choose as their hobby or spare time interest, I was just fed up with it being nearly everywhere we went and changing the ambience of what we had expected for evenings out. As said, hopefully it will be different next time we are out.

As the other half of one the 'perpetrators' whose eyes would have most certainly been ' flickering' towards the screen on the night in question and who unashamedly holds his hands up and says 'Guilty as charged'.

Real Madrid V Barca....C'mon give him a break ;)

Im his defense Little Italy cannot be compared to Stay or O Lume. Great pizzas but this is not the place to go for a quiet evening of uniterrupted chit chat and fine dining! The tv is always blaring...normally with cartoons for the numerous kids that go there in the Summer months, and who race around between the tables or back and forth to the beach. It's a noisy, chaotic and fun place..as you say Belladona horses for courses, but we love it and had a fun evening :)

[QUOTE=Chemical Dave;57829]The thread is about TV's whether Coronation street or footie is on. No matter what is showing, look around and most folk will be watching the TV. It's a distraction and conversation killer. TV's belong in bars and cafe's not restaurants.

Think we all agree but so far on this thread I haven't heard of one 'restaurant' being mentioned which I think is Debs point .

They are basically cafeterias , Imo, who often serve pretty good food .

BonysLad :)

Whoa there!! I am not "charging" anyone with anything here! If you have not seen friends for some time its lovely to be able to chat and catch up without having to shout or be distracted by other things surely, or am I wrong?
I am not only picking on our night out at Little Italy either.
An afternoon outside Little Italy with kiddies running around is great too and a lovely way to spend time. I had no intention of offending those friends who watch football, football players or football managers whilst in my company and would rather meet up with them in any circumstances than not. Its not them who are annoying me, its the restaurants!!
And BL, do Brisas and Casinet count as restaurants?

I think Bella is correct here. i don't personally feel it is wrong to expect to go to a restaurant and be able to have a nice intimate evening with friends without the loudness of a television invading into the atmosphere of the evening. Different places have different agendas and in my mind a restaurant which promotes itself generally as being a place to have a quiet cozy meal should not then try to cater for those wishing to watch television no matter for what reason unless they have given prior notice due to a special event such as Royal Wedding etc. Personally I don't feel they should try to be everything to everyone as it becomes confusing to all.

Ok I own up it was me in the stadium that night ! ( Oops sorry restaurant !!) and it was very difficult not watching the match which was gripping from beginning to end....regretably for the non footie fans it also went into even more gripping extra time !!!! In defense of the poor Spaniard who rather excitedly asked Bella to move, he was dressed in full Barca kit as was his girlfriend and he had asked the waiters specifically for a table with a good view so I think its pretty clear what he was there for and it wasn't the pizza's !! I don't think he was a football yobbo Eleanor he was just desperately concerned that he might miss Messi scoring the winning goal whilst staring at Bellas back as she wished CD's dad( the real CD Bella there is only one surely!! Apologies Chemical Dave) a fond farewell !!!!! As it was he got his comeuppance when Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid and he duly slunk off home. As for waiters watching TV , rather strangely in Little Italy they are all French( whilst serving italian food in a Spanish resort !!:confused:) and couldn't care a less about the footy. They were actually devastated the game went to extra time as they had to keep the restaurant open 45 minutes longer than usual.( Rather than waiters watching TV there was rather too many women watching waiters for my way of thinking but that's another story !!!;) This just goes to show however there are positive benefits to football being on the TV as it can increase your drinking time and extend a very enjoyable evening amongst friends.

Finally may I forewarn any of you in Pollensa this weekend that if anybody steps in my vision just as Didier Drogba scores the winning goal at Old Trafford, I'll be throwing Bonyslad at them not just a few well chosen words !!!!

Chelseadons

PS If anybody is starting the 'Keep TV's out of Stay pettition' , I'll be the first to sign up :)

The "poor" Spaniard was not actually staring at my back, but that of cd's (lower case) dad's, then as I caught his eye as I tried to shift us around, he had a "word" or two at me.
As I said, I am NOT having a moan at friends who watch the tv, its impossible to resist. Luckily I was facing the wall all night so avoided the temptation - mind you, I also missed out on waiter watching too!:o
Talking of waiters, it was not here that I meant when talking about them watching tv and not serving, unfortunately that was at Brisas.
Take me to a bar when England are playing and I'll shout along with the best of you!:D

Off out now to watch the final El Classico of the season ;), hasta luego amigos :D.

Força Barça, enjoy Sparky :)

Definetely off thread Sparky....should be in "Bar to Watch Football" not unless you are going to a restaurant!!:D:D

No restaurant should have TV's for any occasion/programme...plenty of Bars/Cafes for that!!:) I've enjoyed many a good atmosphere in them over the years (World Cups only) with drink in hand! Any true football fan surely wouldn't really enjoy a nice meal while watching their team playing!!?? Pint and nibbles....and biting their nails!!

That's the point favies! I can't think of any restaurant we go to where there is a tv. The ones that have been mentioned are IMO cafes/bars.Having said that I love Little Italy, Joker and Marina etc for all the noise and fun..whether or not there is a match on. I don't like football but have to except that a lot of people love it ( Chels and BL :mad:) I've never found it stopping me chatting, eating and having fun with those who, like me, aren't interested! As for the other 'alf who can't normally multi task (very convenient) but where footy's concerned can drink, eat,chat and watch the game ;)

Yes Debz - I have one of those selective multi-taskers too! Even worse though as he can watch the football, eat a meal and drink a beer as well as having his flipping earphones on listening to a book!
He actually sat in stay with me one year with those blasted headphones in his ears as he had 'got to a good bit'!! Cause for divorce I think! Therefore based on the above and the knowledge of being very aware that his eyes would not be looking into mine but glued to the screen I wouldn't go to a restaurant with a tv. I would go to a bar with a good atmosphere and tv and have a great time leaving a certain person to finish listening to his book! lol

I agree favie and I think we can go round and round defining what is a restaurant and what isn't obviously. I consider both Brisas and Casinet to be in the restaurant catagory rather than a bar, and both had a tv. Joker and Marina definitely bars and I am quite happy to have a drink there and watch tv. I obviously had the wrong impression of what Little Italy considers itself and I'm glad to have brought it up so that we can now all be aware.
This was not meant to be a rant about Little Italy in particular which it appears to have become and I still look forward to eating there again - probably outside!;)

LOL! That is so awful but very funny :D Listening to a book...at Stay!!!!!??? Now that is going a step too far...doesn't even give you the chance to read over his shoulder :p

What was the score , Guys? Have been in Trencadora , restaurant in Pollenca , with no TV tonight. Excellent as usual .

Was it as exciting as this thread ??

ChelseaDons,

Bloody cheek, what do you think I am ? A bloody prop in a midget throwing competition ??

If Torres scores a hat trick I 'll throw you all the way to Alcudia , mate !!

BonysLad :D:D

Favie,
I was not off thread at all...for the second time in a week i broke my own rule and at the request of the owner, who sees me as a good luck talisman, i ate, drank and celebrated FC Barcelona reaching the final in a restaurant. The TV will not be on in the evenings again now until the final in Wembley.

Sparky,

Corporate hospitality, eh!

Sounds fun ! Be careful though, gal don't want you joining the 'prawn sandwich brigade ' and ending up supporting Manchester Utd !

BonysLad :D:D

Lol!!! BL, the words...hell, freezes and over come to mind :eek:;).

[quote=sparky;57870]Favie,
I was not off thread at all...quote]

Just a bit of banter Sparky :D...forum is full of it of late and ...maybe we need a "Banter Thread" :) like other forums, just a thought!!:D