This was honestly one of the most disappointing hospitality experiences we’ve had during my time in Japan.
We booked a reservation at Godaime Hanayama Udon Nihonbashi and arrived only 3 minutes after the reservation time. When we entered, the male staff member with glasses waved us in and asked for our reservation time. The moment we told him, he abruptly said “late, canceled” and walked away without offering any explanation. Our reservation clearly sated that there was a 15 minute grace period but he just kept ignoring when we said that and said it was canceled.
What made the experience especially upsetting was how we were treated afterward. We stood there confused for around 10 minutes while the same staff member repeatedly avoided us, ignored attempts to politely ask questions, rolled his eyes contantly, and acted as though we were inconveniencing him simply by trying to understand what had happened. When he finally did speak to us, the explanation changed multiple times.
I have never in my life been treated with this level of coldness and dismissiveness that felt genuinely disrespectful by a restaurant worker before. I have been in the service industry before and understand complaining to your peers about annoying customers but you don't treat them like this. Ever.
What made this even worse is that we had also paid a reservation fee of about $30 through the booking platform, so I do not think it was unreasonable to politely ask for clarification regarding the cancellation.
The restaurant may be famous for its udon, but the customer service we experienced completely overshadowed everything else. It left us feeling embarrassed, frustrated, and unwelcome.
by FatSalad9844