Sunny Sunday Glass of Wine, Browns Bay

It was a gorgeous Sunday and I thought a glass of wine in the sun would be ideal.

I went to Saints Bar, 101 Clyde Rd, Browns Bay.  Walking past I saw some empty tables out the front and a bunch of adults sitting outside enjoying the sun. Sure the empty tables were uncleared but hey, I'm not too proud to help out.  So I dropped by bag on a seat (to reserve it), smiled at the young guy at the next table,  picked up the dirty glass and took it into the bar.  Whereupon I waited... and waited... and waited!

There were about 4 people waiting at the bar, and one person serving. Over the next 15 minutes or so, a couple of other bar tenders appeared, moving around dirty glasses, serving a single person from the growing queue, then leaving. One did manage to smile at me but I remained largely ignored.

Look nobody likes waiting, and you can feel a bit self-conscious on your own, but it's infinitely worse watching people who arrive after you being served ahead of you. I've done my time in bars and the first rule I learned was to serve in order. Simply put, failing to do so put more stress on security as the inevitable grumpy, drunk, patron makes their views known.

I would have persisted but for my bag being unattended and the obnoxious young man who shoved his sweaty arm on mine in order to push into the bar. Of course, being a grown up I questioned said young man's sense of personal space, only to be met with his mate giving him a big cuddle (shoving him further up against me) and intimating that I fancied him.

Given my unexpected close proximity to bum fluff and spots, bad breath and sweat, plus the decidedly pot luck bar service, I decided to rescue my bag and head elsewhere.

Recommendation:  Do not bother.  Amateur bar service. Boorish under age drinkers. Who knows about the wine list or quality of food; it wasn't worth waiting to find out.

Rating: 1 star (out of 5)
1 for the sunshine.

Lessons learned: Take a bag, book or scarf, that you don't mind losing.  That way you can reserve a seat without worrying about your property.  This is a good general rule for all bars if you're on your own. Particularly if you think you might want a second glass or need to visit the Ladies and don't want to lose your spot while you queue again.... Note, newspapers and magazines are more likely to be construed as bar property so you could still lose your spot if you vacate it.