Painted Lady
Norfolk, VA 23517-2318
Phone: (757) 623-8872
06/21/2008 Posted by restaurantreviewerwannabe
There were only two other tables being served when we got there at 7:00. It is interesting to note that when I called to make a 7:30 reservation, I was told that time was not available. We asked to sit in the wine cellar for the "ambience." We waited over ten minutes before my husband got up to look for a server. The manager came in first. There were two cardboard boxes on the buffet table in the room. We mentioned this to him. He said they were from a delivery earlier that day and agreed that they were an eyesore, but did not remove them. He offered to buy us drinks. Next the server came in. She said that no one told her we were there. Good PR move, throw the manager under the bus. She was nice, but inexperienced and not pro-active. We had to ask for butter, more water, and after she poured the first glass of wine, she did not refill our glasses. We ordered red wine and she started to pour it in the small wine glasses that were already on the table. We asked for red wine glasses. The food is good, not great and when you spend $100 for dinner for two, you expect better service. We have had wonderful dining experiences there in the past, but we will never go back. Also, dining in an empty restaurant with low energy on a Saturday night isn't fun. There are many other restaurants in the area that are consistently good with no surprises or sub-standard service. The Painted Lady should pick up the pace and provide basic training for the staff and customer service skills for management. We agreed that we wished we had eaten at a different restaurant. You shouldn't feel that way after eating at a "fine dining" establishment. I will say that the piano player was excellent. If not for his music, the deafening silence would have only made an unfortunate dining experience seem even more bleak. It is also interesting to note when we left at about 8:30 there was one occupied table. It made us wonder why a 7:30 reservation was not possible.
Pros: Parking
Cons: Poor service
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