Tinto, Philly - and question about my sanity

We had a Friday night 6:30 reservation for 4. First person arrives on time, I was 10 minutes late (because their web site directions are so messed up - I'm not sure how they could be more wrong - sue me, I'm from Chicago, not Philly, and was driving but the directions WERE really F%$ked up). I was supposed to bring person #3, but she was ill and couldn't make it (which I told the person who seated me). Our 4th person was going to be late - his aunt passed, and the funeral was that day.

So we also told our waiter, and he was happy for us to wait, but we 2 who were there said we'd order, and our friend would just join us for a drink or maybe one or two things. We ordered a nice bottle of wine, one thing to try, and then were planning to order more. The waiter came by, but only refilled our drinks and headed off. We actually wanted to order more food, but didn't get the chance.

At this point it was around 7:15 and our friend was stuck in traffic, but expected to be there maybe 7:30. And the manager came over. And told us that he had a reservation for the table at 8:30, and that if he'd known our friend was going to be so late he wouldn't have taken the reservation. Which I had made weeks before.

Now, it's not like we were just sitting there. Plus it's a tapas bar! It's also not like you have to be there for appetizer, entree, dessert. He essentially told us to get up and get out! NOT the way to handle it. If we were still there at 8:30, and they needed the table, they could say "you know, we need the table and were wondering if you'd mind if we reseated you at the bar?" But to tell us over an hour before they need the table that we have to hurry up?

Tinto
114 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 665-9150
http://tintorestaurant.com

Nice story - it's enough to make me avoid the place.

Certainly he could have been more polite than to say what he would have done if he knew your third friend would be late. Presumably, if you knew he would be so late when you made the reservation, you wouldn't have made it for 6:30.

But to be fair, as you've described it, he didn't really tell you to leave. He told you that he had promised the table to someone else in an hour and 15 minutes. I'd presume he knows that most people won't finish a meal in an hour and 15 minutes at this restaurant. Certainly it is better that he mention this now, rather than at 8:30. It gives you options: you can move to the bar now, you can decide to order faster, you can call your friend to check how long he is going to be, etc.

In any case, you did everything you could have been expected to do -- inform the waiter, order some food to start, etc. -- and you should have been treated better.