I have just returned from my first visit to Arrillas and consider I have had a brilliant holiday.
The walks were fantastic. I started a thread some months ago on walking in May and I would like to thank all those who contibuted advice etc, it was truly the best activity hol I've had.
My partner and I eat twice in Brouklis and were disappointed with our meals each time; what a let down after all I've read here. eg the spit roasted lamb was too tough to cut. The boss told us that's the way we cook it! We didn't bother to go back, instead went to Kostas and were very happy. You can't please 'em all eh?
On another point can anyone suggest a way of avoiding the worst excesses of the Corfu airport and still arrive at a reasonable time?
regards C
Charlie T
You're right in that you can't please 'em all and Kostas equally has it's supporters. We eat, not only, at both but also many others. At Brouklis, I love to munch, not only on the spit lamb but also the chops and they do a very mean steak.
Equally Kostas and all the local Tavernas etc, have their regulars and, for whatever reason, a disappointment of anyone will bring in, I'm sure, bags of support for someone else's favourite.
But, you enjoyed your holiday and that's the name of the game.
It would be good if maybe you shared your activity Holiday with all as it may give other Forum members ideas of where to explore.
( We live here and are still finding places!)
I'm sure you will get a lot of advice on Corfu Airport. I would suggest that if you are flight only then pre-book the seat or, if with a package deal, get a taxi back, not forgetting to let your Rep know.
Cheers
Negg
I have to agree with Charlietoosey. We have been going to Arillas for 11 years and have only eaten at the Brouklis once, on numerous recommedations, but found it very disappointing and have never been back. However, there are loads of other places which are excellent. Perhaps we just caught them on a bad night. Who knows? Anyway, glad that didn't mar the rest of the Arillas experience for them.
Charlie T,Ann K
I suppose that we all have our favourite restaurants, and one bad meal will be enough to put you off. Unlike yourselves we had a terrible meal at Kostas on our first visit and have never been back. We have enjoyed every meal at Brouklis and other restaurants. Really should go back to Kostas and try again, of course if we all liked the same place then the queue would be half way round Arillas. Glad you still had a good time.
Paul
I think there is only one thing worse than having a poor meal in a restaurant, and that is for someone to complain about about a meal, in public, and without having made a complaint to the restaurant manager. How can any business improve if it doesn't have feed back, either good or bad. Food can vary in many ways and no restaurant is ever going to have a 100% success rate.
My mum is a pensioner and she would always complain about the food that Helen and I eat. She likes soggy veg, extra well done meat that is tough, she won't anything "fancy" (as she calls it), and nothing that she has never had before.
Lastly I think the subject of this topic is rather sad, and rather deliberate.
Charlie, are you related to the donut man?
TerryW
Charlie, you say you are into walking, we have a short pier, please take a long straight walk or talk constructively. Mick (an Arillas lover of 18 years).
Charlie...you could always drive and do the ferry if you don't like the airport.....but I can assure you it is much better than it was a few years ago! All part of the holiday I say.....and all part of what makes Corfu what it is.
I would have to say Charlie, that yes you are more than welcome to your opinions but you are a very brave person to come onto this forum and basically give negative reviews from from the accomm to the restaurants to the airport!! Although you say you enjoyed your holiday it is hard for all us other Arillas lovers to see what you actually enjoyed! Perhaps it would have been a much better option to tell us all why you enjoyed your holiday. I for one, think it is very disrespectful to come on this website and slate the Owner's restaurant. You have to ask yourself what good these negative comments do. I think there is something quite endearing about finding a tiny space on the chaotic Corfu airport floor and sighing a wonderful sigh that my two weeks of bliss are about to begin!
Well said, Jo, couldn't have put it better myself.
Charlie, I was very surprised to read that you didn't enjoy your meals at the Brouklis - I thought that was unheard of! We have never had a bad meal in Arillas, but even if we had, personally, we would not slate it in public.
It seems the quality of Brouklis` food has been brought into question. Believe it or not, Heather and I have spent in total seven weeks in Arillas but have yet to eat there. That`s not for any particular reason except to say we found other places to eat. However, every person we have talked to highly recommends the taverna and we can`t wait to try it out. I have been in the restaurant business myself and know how fickle people can be. Everybody`s entitled to a bad day!!!!
I so agree with Jo and Lynn.
Quoteit would have been a much better option to tell us all why you enjoyed your holiday
QuoteWe have never had a bad meal in Arillas
The point is that hospitality, served genuinely and honestly, tastes better than all the Michelin Star food, the 5 star hotels or the airports money can buy. And it is on offer in bucketloads in Arillas.
Having read this forum, you might have guessed that's what we are all saying. Opinions are valuable and heaven forbid that anyone is stopped from expressing them. But where, when and how you do so is just as important. We want to hear constructive and useful ideas. But so far I haven't read many.
(PS well done Sandy - you managed to produce exactly that, which I haven't. Sorry)
Phil
charlietoosey
I have just caught up with this post and having replied to the post you made Re:- Tria-Adelphia.
Bad smell in Room, Complaints about being asked why you did not eat there.
Now you are complaining about Brooklis & Corfu Airport , You say you had a brilliant holiday
Are you sure about that
I have never had cause to complain on this site; simply because if I do have cause to make remarks to hoteliers or restaurant proprietors, I would do it person and not in Public.
Please be constructive and not destructive
Quote from: M n M on June 04, 2008, 10:03:26 PM
Charlie, you say you are into walking, we have a short pier, please take a long straight walk or talk constructively. Mick (an Arillas lover of 18 years).
Nice one Mick and well said Jo and Lynn.
Charlie, i've stayed at Tria and it was perfect from the rooms to the hosts. Brouklis we eat at regularly and have never had cause to complain, the food is delicious.
I must say I enjoy all my food, I did have a meal once in Arillas in a tervena that a special meal had been recommended to me and was very dissapointed so I tried the next holiday and had a different meal and loved it. Go's to show you can't please them all, all the time. Viv
Some people spend their lives nursing a half empty glass whilst others drink from a half full one.
Quote from: garythebike on June 05, 2008, 11:53:02 AM
Some people spend their lives nursing a half empty glass whilst others drink from a half full one.
Well said garythebike!
I have never eaten bad food in Arillas and that is all I have to say about that :)
In nearly 20 years of visiting Arillas, I can honestly say that I have never had a bad meal.
There have been occasions ( - very rarely) when the food has been 'average' ( - I'm not talking about any specific restaurant here), but never has a meal been bad enough to prevent me from going back.
I would rather have an 'average' meal, with excellant service, surroundings, and general ambience, than a good meal, in a 'sterile', pretentious setting where the customers are treated like just another number. For me, it is the whole 'package' that attracts me back.
And , as for staying at the Tria, all I can say is, that if there was a problem that Philip didn't sort out immediately, then it can only have been something that was out of his control.
Quote from: angiem on June 05, 2008, 12:58:37 PM
I would rather have an 'average' meal, with excellant service, surroundings, and general ambience, than a good meal, in a 'sterile', pretentious setting where the customers are treated like just another number. For me, it is the whole 'package' that attracts me back.
Well put, Angie, I'm sure that's how lots of us feel.........
lynn x
QuoteFor me, it is the whole 'package' that attracts me back.
Well said Angie. most of us identify with that.
Phil
I know of several people who have been to the Brouklis very resently and have raved about the service and excellent food espically as one of the people were vegetarian.
I have never had a bad meal and my children olve the food and beleive me they can be hard to please. I only wish i could eat there sooner than October!!!!!!!!!!!!
mandy
I have to say, that I agree with you Mandy about kids loving the Brouklis. We have a very 'picky' (when it comes to food) 12 year old daughter , but she just loves anything that is put infront of her at the Brouklis, and anywhere else in Arillas for that matter. Last year, she was into fish soup (Graziella), grilled prawns (Marina), sardines/cheese pies/courgette keftedes/all vegetables (Brouklis), tuna salad (Tria) etc,etc - couldn't believe it, can't get her to touch anything like this at home!!
We love to see kids enjoying their food and tucking in especially when its something they dont normally eat at home. The whole experience of holidays is trying out new things and food is top of the list for us. I think as you can tell from the replies of everyone that the meals in Arillas are something everyone looks forward to every evening and are only too happy to share their experiences. We would get into the habit of discussing with others where we were going and what we had eaten afterwards... Not something we would do in the UK really.
Greek food is so healthy too for kids and adults alike and not to be missed. Brilliant to hear your young ones enjoyed their meals - thats what we like to hear!
Sometimes though I wished I had ordered something else when my meal arrived once, but that was because I didnt know how it was going to be served... I had a freshly grilled squid once...it was whole and still a bit inky... I thought it would be sliced... needless to say the cat hiding under the table got most of it! (I must add that wasnt in the Brouklis though and not in Arillas at all).
I agree Garythebike....
Like pauld , this year will be our 7th visit to Arillas and we have never eaten at the Brouklis but I am sure we will this year especially after the rant by charlie . And as for the Tria Adelphia we have stayed ther 5 times and if we had a problem ( 1 at some point ) Phil and Helen could not do enough to get things sorted and are the perfect hosts , I think Charlie needs a reality check ( sorry was that a moan )
Yammas
Dave
I do not post here very often despite being a total addict (2 visits already this year and Christmas!!) but I feel I have to comment on this. We visit Arillas often and always eat at Brouklis, in our opinion it is one of the best restaurants in the world. The food is excellent, the service friendly and relaxed and the people are the best!!
Maybe next year Charlie you should go to Sidari and eat egg & chips and roast beef.In fact you could just stay in the UK.
Please do not use this forum to criticise individuals it is not what it is there for.
Keep up the good work Dimitris - We love it!!!
Any of you guys ever see the "Monty Python" sketch about two diners sat in a restaurant?
The male diner asks for another fork as his is dirty. The waiter apologises, and apologises and apologises, and then gets the head waiter who decides to fire all the kitchen staff. After a big apology he then shoots himself whereupon the Chef ( John Cleese) comes out, complete with meat cleaver, and abuses the diners with all manner of things before being dragged off by two men in white coats.
It finishes with the male diner saying: "Good job I didn't ask for a clean spoon as well"
Poor Charlie T ! - I bet he feels like that diner right now being bombarded from all directions! - ( He only said the lamb was tough after all! )
Lets not forget that he did tell the boss about the lamb. But also let's not forget that Dimitris, being Dimitris, I'm sure would have done something about it.
Did he offer to replace the meal? - Did he not charge for the meal? We don't know but if either of these 2 options were offered then, maybe, the responses to Charlie T's posting would have been different. ( Charlie T didn't tell us )
So, we just don't know, do we???
Full credit to Dimitris though for keeping this post open because, as Administrator, he could have deleted the post. But he kept it open for feedback. None of us forget that the Arlllas website is for all of Arillas so although he could have "bent the rules" he respected any feedback given.
Now, maybe, it could be time to knock this post on the head as I'm sure everything to be said has been said.
One mans meat..... and all that.
Stay well and keep happy all
Negg
I wonder if I have allowed sufficient time to elapse to make a final observation on this thread?
I wonder how many of the intemperate respondents actually read what I said about the food?
When you have a meal that you cannot eat doesn't it spoil your evening too? The answer from the owner was "That's the way we cook it here", which added insult to that injury.
The other meals we had there were simply poor and naturally we felt we should go elsewhere. My reason for mentioning this in this way was simply to do what so many others do here and express an honestly held opinion and to inform those many guests and new members that all is clearly not perfect at that restaurant.
It's often referred to as enabling a balanced view to be aired.
One of you referred to it as a rant. Someone else felt I should take a long walk from that short pier.
This is by many people's standards I'm sure, is a sad way to respond.
To Jo who asked what I enjoyed about my holiday let me just say that in my world, no poor food, or smelly room, or chaotic airport could ever spoil my two weeks as there is so much else to enjoy in Arillas at this time of year. Should you not experience such things yourself please let me know and I'll explain some of them to you.
Let me finish by saying that I confidently expect that when I return to Arillas in the near future my holiday will be even better than this last one, which you may note I described as brilliant.
Happy hols
Charlie
I don't think you realise Charlie, how much Arillas means to some of us, and I know that I for one, am certainly guilty sometimes of over-reacting when someone levels criticism at it. However, I think you could have chosen your words a little more carefully as regards Dimitris, given that this is HIS website, and HIS forum - not very diplomatic or tactful!
Hi Charle T.
Arillas will welcome you back, I'm sure of that, and locals will do their best once again to ensure your stay is good.
But... Hopefully we can all, as I have said, "Knock this post on the head" and look forward to a rosy future and further good holiday breaks.
I ,for one, would love to know about the walks you enjoyed.
( Well . not for me but for Mrs Egg who has a pair of hiking boots rotting away......... )
And............. When you return please feel free to buy me an ouzo. I will still be here.
Best Wishes to you both
Negg
i dont think that everyone was having a go, just giving their thoughts on the subject, as we all do on other restuarant reviews.
mandy
I agree Mandy what may suit some doesn't always suit others, we all have our tastes and likes/dislikes, this is what makes arillas an ideal place to stay. There is such a choice there that most people if not all will find something to suit. Sorry to hear of your bad times in arillas charlie T but it can only get better when you decide to visit again it's not as if you,ve washed your hands of the place is it? x
Now we are intemperate , maybe we should all choose our words a little better eh charlie . And yes Eggy I think this thread should be Knocked on the head .
Yammas
Dave
Hopefully this post will be the last on this topic. However this forum is all about peoples` opinions whether they be positive or negative comments. As was said before it`s about freedom of expression to enable people to learn all they can about our favourite resort. Are we to regulate what is posted here??????
Dear Mr Charlie,
I'm writing this post to tell you that I have the opinion that you did the right think to post your view in our forum there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
A complain is always good as it can be used for the good and betterment of the actual problem. In fact I have been self educated in order to run our business, the website, languages etc. my biggest source of knowledge has been through the feedback of our customers, which can be a compliment or complain.
I' was very sorry to hear that you did not enjoy your meals in our taverna.
In the 35 years of its existence you are not the first and definitely not the last customer with a complain.
Having been a tourist several times my self, I know how awful and disappointing it can be to have your evening spoiled by a highly recommended establishment.
I remember you quite well (as I always do in such cases) I also recall the conversation we had about the lamb. I probably did not use the right word to apologize by just saying "this how we make it here" it just came out of my voice as we had already served a dozen of portions of the lamb and everyone else I asked (like I did with you) said it was delicious. So I presumed that you have had an unlucky portion (and your wife said that she cooks lamb some times with the same result) so at this point I did ask you about offering you something else and as you did not accept it I understood how offended you were and decided not to charge you for that portion in the end.
What makes me feel very worry is that you are not referring about the above, as it was, but you have just edited it and kept the worse part of our conversation?
I suppose you did this because the second visit in our Taverna a couple of days later was either not good enough and that has made you very upset. I must say I feel very bad that it did not come in to my attention. If it would, then I would have not accepted that you pay at all, as this is my policy. I would really appreciate if you could remind me what exactly you had and what was wrong with it. This is for me very important in order to improve our service and quality or even the way of communicating with our customers.
As a website administrator I feel very bad that all these has happened as the "brouklis Addicts" have all tried to support the Taverna by insulting you in a very unfair way with some of their posts, this shouldn't be happening but it is my fault that I allowed it to continue.
What also worries me is that when people do reviews about other tavernas where their owners have no access or knowledge of the internet which can bring my self in to a difficult position as a web administrator AND taverna owner. This the only reason why I do not officialy have "food reviews" in our website in order to avoid this kind of "forum wars".
Never the less, the most important thing is that you have had a nice holiday and hopefully you have the wish to come back in Arillas .
This is the reason why I have created the website and forum of Arillas, and this is the reason why I always say to our customers " if you like something about Arillas, You can tell anyone else. If there is something you don't like please be welcome to tell US".
Yours sincerely
Dimitris
I m so proud of you Dimitri ,having " free space" for a negative opinion concerning your restaurant in a site that
you created yourself!!!
Your principals and ethos wouldn t ever allow you to permit somebody s point of view ,as it would kill the sense
of freedom of expression and objectivity of the specific site.
On the other hand i wouldn t ever have exposed somebody in public in such a way,no matter how disapointed i would feel about him, without
giving a second,or even a third chance!
I always believed that "client is always right" ...
Now i realise that there are people as clients who for some reason like to accuse the others for nothing giving this way a meaning to
a "brilliant holiday!!!"
The hall matter made me really smile!!!
Yours
eleni
Dimitris thank you for filling in the holes in the conversation . Explains a lot to us all . Need we say more .
Yammas
Dave n Anne
Yes thankyou Dimitris. And Eleni.
Many holes filled in.
See you soon, hopefullly.
yammas.
riggers.......................
Dear Dimitris,
As Eleni said we are so proud of you, you are such a fair person and always willing to listen to any side of a story as long as everybody involed knows the whole of what is being said.
Im not quite sure if I would have deleted the complant from the forum if it was me
I like to believe like you I would have shown the strength of character and honestey that we know you have.
Love Viv& Pete
Well said Viv.
Whole heartedly agree, Viv
Love Lynn & Colin
I am sure we all agree.
The world would be a much poorer place if we didn't have people with as much humanity and integrity as our Dimitris and Eleni.
phil
Well done Dimitris! I agree with these last few comments, Arillas is a better for place for having you in it Dimiitris.
I really hope this will be my final word on this subject.
Well done Dimitris from me too.
What a contrast with your attitude and that of some of the others who have made a "contribution". I won't refer to the detail of their posts and hope that the damage they may have done to the accepted concept of freedom to express honestly held views has been repaired by your intelligent, cogent and measured response.
Guests who have been looking on and new members who might have become intimidated by the responses of a minority of people will hopefully now feel more confident of a fairer hearing thanks to you.
When I next return to Arillas I look forward to meeting you again and shaking your hand.
Good luck
Charlie
Thank you Mr Charlie,
I think I can now lock this thread if you don't mind.