Sunny Sunday Glass of Wine, Browns Bay, Take 2

I tried to shake off the mood post my first attempt to find a glass of wine in the sun, and wandered down the road looking for a better option.  I didn't go far. The first bar I came to was Tropicana Bar and Bistro.

Imagine eight or so rickety tables with chairs. No sun. A building site next door. One woman on her own, two older couples. Very quiet. Of course, my confidence-wilted brain only processed "quiet", "older" and "table" and promptly settled for what was to be a fully lacklustre experience.

I put my bag on the seat and walked into the totally empty bar.  The first wine I ordered (bog standard Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc yet the menu's most exclusive offering), wasn't available. Confidence flagging further, I accepted a glass of Sav of which I had never heard. $8.  I asked what was being built next door. "Some shops I think" came the reply. So back outside I went with glass in hand.

I  sipped my wine and looked around me.  Then I opened my book.  The wine was ok.  The quiet relentless.  At one point I looked up thinking everyone else must have left, only to spot a new, younger couple at the next table, and the others still there. We exchanged smiles.  I went back to my book.

Recommendation: Really not worth $8, even for the quiet. I could have sat at home in the sun with a decent glass of wine and my book, and enjoyed it more.

Rating: 2 stars (out of 5)

1 for actually serving me. 1 for the absence of louts.

Lessons Learned: Don't let what you don't want, dictate what you settle for.  My confidence got knocked and I realised that I let one bar with poor service and a spotty punk affect my judgement. On my way home, I walked past a much nicer looking bar with sun, seats and people enjoying themselves.  So next time, I'm going to keep walking until I find something that actually looks like an experience I'll enjoy.

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.