Chef Bans Diners From Restaurant After They Behaved 'Abysmally' And Refused To Pay The Bill

An award-winning restaurant has banned a group of customers from ever returning after they refused to pay the majority of a hefty bill.

If you've ever worked in hospitality, you'll know the saying, 'The customer's always right,' is actually a load of s**t. They're normally always wrong...

Chef Patron Tom Robinson's Lyme Regis restaurant in Dorset has an AA rosette and is critically acclaimed for its seafood.

However, a group of 10 diners behaved 'abysmally' according to the chef when they 'deliberately' refused to pay for some of the menu's most expensive options.

Robinson reflected that if 'restaurant owners could write reviews on their customers then tonight would be [his] one star'.

He said: "Tonight a table crossed the line and went above and beyond to make my guests and team feel uncomfortable".

Robinson told Dorset Live how the group requested a larger booking right at the last minute, only an hour before they arrived at the restaurant.

After sitting down and looking at the menu, then they ordered the most expensive items including the £60 lobster surf and turf dish.

However, when it came to the end of the night, they refused to pay £350 out of their £450 bill.

Staff felt forced to let them leave despite not paying because of the disruption the group - made up of adults and children - were allegedly causing to the rest of the restaurant to feel uncomfortable and disturbed.

"We had a genuine fear that it would have escalated, and that would have substantially impacted and created a negative experience for the other diners.

"At the time was 50 other guests, we don't want people not having experience that they deserve," Robinson said.

Robinson explained how the group were telling other customers to, 'Have a go,' as well as 'hitting the back of customers heads' and 'allowing children to climb on fuse boxes and gas fire heaters'.

He also claimed the group 'knew what they were doing' by 'ordering the most expensive items on the menu'.

Robinson added that by 'refusing to pay' the group caused the restaurant to suffer a 'personal cost at a time when hospitality is struggling'.

The chef stated: "To tonight's guests, if you see this never return to my establishment, I hope you are proud of your abysmal behaviour."

However, the chef reflected that despite the negative incident, such occurrences are 'few and far between' and that he really does 'love hospitality, food and all [the restaurant's] lovely guests'.

Robinson concluded: "I just wanted to remind people that we have a zero tolerance policy in regards to abusive behaviour towards our wonderful guests and my team of absolute rock stars."

Featured Image Credit: Tom's Lyme Regis

Topics: UK News, Food And Drink

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.