Some Bars Make You Tend For Yourself

(My mum and I are tourists in London. We have stopped at a pub for lunch which has multiple levels, bars and restaurants in it. There is no table service, and not knowing where to go exactly, I approach the nearest bar.)

Me: “Hi, could I get two glasses of wine and a couple menus please? Also, is this where we order food from?”

Bartender: “We don’t have menus here.”

Me: “Oh, sorry. In that case, just the drinks, please. Where can I go to get menus and order food?”

Bartender: “I told you, we don’t do menus here. There is one there I guess…”

(The bartender points to a lone menu on the bar.)

Me: “Umm, that menu is covered in spilled beer and coke and is sticky and unreadable. I am happy to pick up menus elsewhere. I just need to be told where, please.”

Bartender: “I don’t have menus! It’s not my job!”

(Hearing this, the duty manager comes over and asks what the problem is. After I explain…)

Duty Manager: “For god’s sake, [Bartenders’ name], if a customer wants a menu, get your lazy a** out from behind the bar, walk two meters and get her one!”

(The duty manager and the cashier actually argue for five minutes, making me and all the other customers nearby feel very uncomfortable. However, we finally get our menus and drinks. When we’re finished, I go to pay for the two drinks.)

Bartender: *obliviously* “That’s [amount]. Would you like to add a tip today?”

(Needless to say, I didn’t tip. Furthermore, when we did finally order and get our food, they messed up the order and the bread was burnt.)