In case you had to be reminded changing your child's nappy in a restaurant table is not OK. SOURCE: 123RF
In case you had to be reminded changing your child's nappy in a restaurant table is not OK. SOURCE: 123RF
While the subtle etiquette of fine dining is an art lost on some adults, Auckland's best known restaurants are largely in agreement that child diners just don't belong in top establishments.
Some of Auckland's swankiest restaurants have revealed to the Herald their worst experiences with mini-diners and their parents.
While the majority of silver spoon establishments said they don't regularly get kids through their doors, those that do have some memorable horror stories.
The Grove in Auckland's CBD is regularly ranked as one of the city's top restaurants, and owner Michael Dearth says he has grown to accommodate child diners as he himself became a parent.
"Being a father myself I've always been envious of people who can bring in little babies and have them off to the side while they're doing a seven course degustation and you don't hear a peep out of the baby," Dearth said.
"I'm like 'God I'm so jealous' because I never could do that with my kids."
"It might be 9 o'clock at night and I think 'why isn't that baby in bed' or 'why isn't that 3-year-old in bed'. You know it's just the circumstance.
"There's been times, because we have a little wine bar, where they put some pillows together and make a little nest for the child. Maybe 15 years ago it would have bothered me."
Michael Dearth from The Grove restaurant in Auckland. 5 February 2018 New Zealand Herald Photo by Greg Bowker
The Grove, Cathedral Square, Auckland. Restaurant review column. 2 May 2018 New Zealand Herald Photograph by David Rowland / Getty Images.
But despite Dearth's tolerance there was one memorable moment where he had to step in.
"I've had someone just start changing a nappy, and I had to say 'please don't do that, that's nasty'. They were just like 'oh sorry' and just didn't really kind of get it."
Rebecca Jones spent 12 years immersed in the Auckland hospitality scene, and used to manage now closed Kingsland restaurant Tabou.
"Probably one of the worst things I had to deal with was the family who came into dine and they left suddenly 'my daughter's not very well' and when I went round the corner to the bathroom she had basically thrown up, projectile vomited over the entirety of the bathroom, down the door, and they hadn't told me, they'd just left," Jones said.
"That's probably the worst thing that I've had to deal with. They paid and left but they didn't say anything. I mean we had to take the door off. It was just revolting. And it was in the middle of service so it was dire, pretty foul, awful. I still have them imprinted on my brain."
Tony Astle at Antoines with a fully dressed fine dining table that dinners at the Parnell restaurant are treated to during their silver service meal. 18 October 2017 New Zealand Herald Photograph by G
Tony Astle has run Antoine's Restaurant in Parnell since 1973 and says he insists on high standards for his minor diners.
"Most of our child diners, they're usually at high school. They're all very well behaved around here, or I'd give them a smack around the ears otherwise," Astle said.
"But otherwise we just don't get kids. I mean we do but they're usually in carry cots and we have had people had their baby and had come in for dinner and gone back to the birthing ward. But no noise, they're all very quiet. We're just not that sort of restaurant. We've got a lot of geriatrics.
"I think people know me a little too well after all these years but if they actually came and the child was annoying me, I'd actually tell them to take it away.
In May 2018, Canterbury restaurant Akaroa went to the lengths of banning children from their premises entirely.
"A child ran into a waitress with a tray of glasses and she cut her arm pretty severely," Akaroa owner Richard Uttley said.
"Our child-free policy has been in place for three years, so for us it's nothing new. "We have no intentions of changing our stance on children in the restaurant."
Tony Stewart, Clooney restaurant, Auckland. 10 October 2019 New Zealand Herald Photograph by Brett Phibbs
Tony Stewart ran now closed top Auckland restaurant Clooney and said they "try to discourage" child diners.
"We try to not encourage people to bring young children but there are also going to be situations where they just show up," Steward said.
"And I would never turn someone away having made a booking but I also believe it's their responsibility to ask us if children are welcome."
