Tastecard / View Card / Toptable

A question about : Tastecard / View Card / Toptable

A new thread to help identify restaurants that put out offers for food (eg, 50% off food bill, 2-4-1 meals etc) and then charge an ''optional'' Service Charge (SC) on the amount of the bill before the discount.

As an example, if the restaurant offers you a 50% discount on food and your original bill is Ј40 which then should become Ј20, by logic the SC should be on the Ј20 (if 12.5% making it Ј2.50) not on the Ј40 (which makes it a whopping Ј5).

On a Ј20 bill if you are forced to pay a Ј5 SC then there's something very very wrong. It makes it a 25% SC!?

This can be a handy guide for people wishing to eat out on these offers and knowing what to expect from restaurants based on people's experiences so please do keep adding any helpful information you may have!

I can start with a few London ones..

- The Thai Restaurant, Fulham - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Walmer Castle, Notting Hill - On discounted Bill = Saints
- Antonia's - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Delima - On discounted Bill = Saints
- Miss Q's - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Royal China, Putney - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Thai Square, Putney - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Zen China - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Dalchini Hakka - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Satori Robata - No SC
- Haozhan - On Full Bill = Sinners
- Made In China = On Full Bill = Sinners
- Thai By The River = On Full Bill = Sinners
- Pizza Expresses = No SC
- Carluccios = No SC
- Plum Valley Fine Dining - On Full Bill = Sinners

Best answers:

• What's the point - the charge is optional, so pay as much or as little as you want to. How can you be "forced" to pay an optional charge?
• OP, i think this is a great idea, and means that you are forewarned.
• What's the difference between an "optional" s/c and a tip?
  Surely you just pay it if you want to, and decide how much yourself?? Or is there a difference to do with getting 2 for 1 deals?
  If it's a tip for the waiter, then maybe you should base how much to tip on the "true" value of the bill, rather than the discounted price as the waiters don't have any say on the management's decision to accept these cards.
  But if you don't want to pay it, then don't!
• Two more for the taste list:
  Beit Eddine - Service charge on full amount (which they demand you pay otherwise they hold you hostage in the restaurant.....)
  GBK - no service change (there is a tips pot by the checkout)
• I've only used my Taste Card at 2 places when I had the trial and neither charged anything for service. Are we wanting that recorded or is this just for those that do add the charge?
  Cheshire Cheese Fusion Pub in Crewe and Faulkerner Bar and Kitchen in Chester. However, the latter did charge me for Soda water so its just as bad in my opinion!
• Great idea to list. Here are some others:
  - Pasha - On full bill
  - Strada - No SC (from what I recall)
  - Zizzi's - No SC
  - Navajo Joes - No SC
  - La Barbe - On discounted bill
• - Cafe de Thai, Notting Hill, London - On Full Bill (& very strubborn about taking it off. Dirty looks galore and under-breath-mutterings)
  - Kitchen Italias, London - NO SC!
  - Awana, London - On discounted bill
  - Mango Tree, London - On discounted bill
  - Masala Zones, London - On Full Bill
• We ate at a dirty little restaurant today. Cafe Mode in 57-59 Endel Street is a squalid, uncomfortable establishment. The food we ordered was awful and the service complacent. For example, I mistakenly ordered the 'King Prawn' spaghetti. At Ј13.95 it had a premium of Ј2 on anything else on the menu so I expected a speciality. There were certainly NO king prawns and what prawns there were, were less than half a cm in length and, of course, no shell. This description was a blatent lie and I grossly misled. Also, all starters were tiny - we paid Ј6.50 for a single slice of foccacia with goats cheese and pesto on it and Ј4.95 for 6 tiny doughballs and 10 slices of sausage.
  But I'm not as interested in complaining about the food. They have to pay something for what they prepare...
  It is the service charge I object to.
  Firstly, as ordering through Taste London, they decided to base the service charge on the pre-discount amount. This would have been circa 20%. As the service itself was shocking, and in addition to the poor food in general I refused to pay the service charge. However, short of cash I had to pay by credit card and there was no option to pay without this charge and they refused - 3 times - my objections and that I could either pay the Tastecard discount plus the service charge or the full amount without service charge. Clearly this devious business offsets the discount with their 'optional' service charge, regardless of how they treat their customers. I felt intimidated and helpless.
  I intend to chase AmEx in a few days (I spoke to them today and I cannot do anything until they 'see' tte transaction on my statement) to dispute this. In the meanwhile, does anyone have any suggestions about what I should do? Has anybody had any success with the 'paying under protest' idea as this is what I did today but it seems I have already been rendered helpless by inputting my PIN. Any ideas would be welcomed.
  Moreover, I suggest everyone avoid this horrible place and go to one of the genuine local establishments.
• sorry to hear about that lyster.. you should let taste card know, surely they'll talk to the restaurant about it. hopefully amex does something about it? good luck. i, for one, will avoid the restaurant like the plague so thanks for the heads up. this ''optional SC' business is getting out of hand and i really wish there were clearer 'rules' defining it. ideally taste card looks into this as it can ruin many a night out.
• Fire and Stone London 12.5% optional SC after discount
  Belushi's London no SC
• Lyster - I'm sorry to hear of your service charge problem - it sounds an almost exact replica of the situation I found myself in in Birt Eddine a couple of weeks ago.....though at least they didn't hold you hostage in the restaurant!!
  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...480&highlight=
  Do please phone Taste about this. They were concerned when I phoned them, and despite them saying they had to remain impartial and that they weren't going to remove the restaurant straight away, the restaurant no longer features on the site I also contacted trading standards who said they were going to investigate....
  It is unacceptable to force people to either pay their full service charge (which could be any amount!!) or say you aren't allowed the Taste discount. A service charge is optional, unless the menu states otherwise.
  Good luck with Amex on recovering some of the money back - do let us know how you get on.
• Me Love Sushi, All London branches - No SC
• Just used my taste card at Cirrik in Richmond. Charged 10% service charge on discounted bill Food was excellent and staff lovely - highly recommended!!
• Maybe change step 2:
  Simply say you do not wish to pay the charge, it's optional and you are opting out.
  This saves you getting into further argument about why the service was "unacceptable".