Sella
- Thread starter shihadehs
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Jim Kelly-Evans
Senior Insider
We did not enjoy the experience.
shihadehs
Senior Insider
Please tell us why??
Nor have I been there. There, however, have been reviews on the Forum. (I suggest doing a search for Sella.) The consensus, as I recall -- and from first hand experiences related to me by others -- is that the food is good-to-quite-good . . . the wine list prices are ridiculously high . . . quality of service is mixed . . . some people have complained of being pressured to leave a large tip . . . and 8:30 - 9 PM is a "witching hour" when the decibel level of music is pumped-up to a very loud volume. If these factors sound like an attractive package, then go for it!
shihadehs
Senior Insider
Not going for it..
Jim Kelly-Evans
Senior Insider
We thought it just too expensive generally, and the service was overbearing, we did not appreciate the pressure to order more than we wanted.
Jeanette
Senior Insider
Sella was my single worst dining experience in 20 years of visiting the island. I still feel upset when I think about how they ruined one of our precious family evenings together over our Thanksgiving holiday.
To start, the wine and food prices are ridiculous for what you get and the wine list is the most expensive I've seen on SBH. My family started with cocktails and I ordered a glass of rose' (22 euros and the lowest wine by the glass price). I received a splash of wine no more than 2-3 ounces and half of a typical pour. To make it worse, they never came back to ask if we wanted wine with dinner or another round of cocktails for my family. My daughter and her husband had to walk to the bar for more drinks. We were the last seating of the night, so it's not like the restaurant was crowded, yet we waited more than 30 minutes to order food. The staff was catering to a table ordering bottles of Dom Perignon and trying to get people up to dance. The staff joined in with the dancing at the expense of ignoring tables, including ours.
The noise level when we arrived at 9:45 mid-week was louder than Bagatelle or Petit Plage on the weekends. The only way to communicate with each other about what we wanted to order was by texting and we literally had to scream our order to the waiter.
Some of our food was inedible and not replaced or taken off the bill. For example, we ordered roasted cauliflower (28 euros) as one of our appetizers and received a HARD undercooked head of cauliflower that we couldn't cut or eat. We politely let our waiter know and he left it there and walked away. We waited well over an hour between appetizers and main courses without an update. The waiter blamed it on the kitchen, but there were no other tables waiting for food at that point. I think he forgot to place our order or it was left in the kitchen since the food arrived lukewarm. The 42 euro chicken main course was a small crepe with a few ounces of shredded chicken that should have been on the menu as an appetizer. We left hungry despite ordering multiple appetizers and main courses.
At the end of our evening, our waiter brought over a round of shots, but when he saw my kids walking to the bar he took the shots away until they paid for their drinks (shots of tequila) and then brought back the round of free shots to our table.
Since my experience, I've read multiple complaints about Sella's poor food handling standards, the manager fighting with customers to leave a tip, and the hostess refusing to refund 160 euro/person deposit for customers who couldn't dine because of a stomach virus. We will never go back.
To start, the wine and food prices are ridiculous for what you get and the wine list is the most expensive I've seen on SBH. My family started with cocktails and I ordered a glass of rose' (22 euros and the lowest wine by the glass price). I received a splash of wine no more than 2-3 ounces and half of a typical pour. To make it worse, they never came back to ask if we wanted wine with dinner or another round of cocktails for my family. My daughter and her husband had to walk to the bar for more drinks. We were the last seating of the night, so it's not like the restaurant was crowded, yet we waited more than 30 minutes to order food. The staff was catering to a table ordering bottles of Dom Perignon and trying to get people up to dance. The staff joined in with the dancing at the expense of ignoring tables, including ours.
The noise level when we arrived at 9:45 mid-week was louder than Bagatelle or Petit Plage on the weekends. The only way to communicate with each other about what we wanted to order was by texting and we literally had to scream our order to the waiter.
Some of our food was inedible and not replaced or taken off the bill. For example, we ordered roasted cauliflower (28 euros) as one of our appetizers and received a HARD undercooked head of cauliflower that we couldn't cut or eat. We politely let our waiter know and he left it there and walked away. We waited well over an hour between appetizers and main courses without an update. The waiter blamed it on the kitchen, but there were no other tables waiting for food at that point. I think he forgot to place our order or it was left in the kitchen since the food arrived lukewarm. The 42 euro chicken main course was a small crepe with a few ounces of shredded chicken that should have been on the menu as an appetizer. We left hungry despite ordering multiple appetizers and main courses.
At the end of our evening, our waiter brought over a round of shots, but when he saw my kids walking to the bar he took the shots away until they paid for their drinks (shots of tequila) and then brought back the round of free shots to our table.
Since my experience, I've read multiple complaints about Sella's poor food handling standards, the manager fighting with customers to leave a tip, and the hostess refusing to refund 160 euro/person deposit for customers who couldn't dine because of a stomach virus. We will never go back.
Thanks for the “review,” Jeanette! You’ve confirmed what I’ve heard from others & read. It’s a tragedy!
Jeanette
Senior Insider
At one point I considered walking out, but it was after 11 and we were hungry with limited food options at that time of night.
Fortunately, our island dining experiences ended on a high note with the most splendid Thanksgiving dinner at the Sand Bar. The setting, food, wine and service were perfection.
Fortunately, our island dining experiences ended on a high note with the most splendid Thanksgiving dinner at the Sand Bar. The setting, food, wine and service were perfection.
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cassidain
Senior Insider
wow ! not a tasteful experience at all
JEK
Senior Insider
We have good friends who attended a wedding on the island and did most of their dining at Stella. They think this is what island culture/cuisine is all about. Luckily for them I arranged for EddyG to give them his special private tour of the real island!
We miss Maya's also. Always ate there when we were on the island. What type of food are they serving? Have you eaten there and how are the prices?
Some folks apparently are attracted by a signature “dessert gone wild” which involves bountiful quantities of ice cream & other sweet items slapped onto the table, to be consumed from its paper covering in accompaniment of particularly loud music & the sparkles of blazing Roman candles. 50 Euros per person.
