A restaurant in Bucharest, at the center of a scandal after a message sent to parents. The case of J’ai Bistrot is repeated

A restaurant in Bucharest caused controversy after drawing the attention of customers who come accompanied by children that the little ones must “remain seated at the table during the entire visit to the restaurant”. The situation is reminiscent of an episode in 2022, when the J’ai Bistrot restaurant warned parents that “the sand area is not a playground”, triggering heated debates between those who felt offended by such a message and those who supported him.

At the center of the scandal this time is the Sera Eden restaurant on CA Rosetti, which displayed the following notice: “For the safety of children: Children must remain seated at the table for the entire duration of the visit to the restaurant, running between tables and in the restaurant area presents a risk of injury, including trips, falls and collisions with furniture and other customers’.

It is also mentioned that the little ones must remain seated at all times to “ensure the solitude and efficiency of the staff” and not to “disrupt the culinary experience of other guests”.

A photo with this message was posted on Facebook by a user who complained that “locals’ crusade against children continues”.

“Besides that I find it laughable, insulting and just plain sad, I’m waiting with great interest for the day when any hip place in our area will post an ad to its customers saying that children are welcome here with open arms, that for everyone’s harmony please try to be more tolerant with them and respect their right to movement and play. And if you accidentally find a pebble in your big heart so it doesn’t ruin your whole day, we’ll give you a coffee from us if it is,” wrote the user.

While most of those who reacted to the post criticized the ad, writing things like “I’m surprised they didn’t install some leashes at the entrance” and “just a little more and we’ll tie them to the chair”, there were also people who tried to see things from the restaurant’s perspective.

“The fundamental question is who is selfish and antisocial: the parents of small children who want everything tailored to the needs of the children or the others, who do not want the same thing? We all have our bad days when we don’t want the hustle and bustle around and all we want is a coffee and a nice conversation with friends. But we don’t have days like this all the time, so we can generally live quietly on a terrace with other people’s children around. (…) I think there is room for everyone on the market (types of restaurants) and I wouldn’t throw a stone if an entrepreneur opens a kids free restaurant. I would go there when I just want to see my friends in peace after a hard night on a whim or a long day at the office,” commented a parent.

According to Sera Eden representatives, the message was misinterpreted, the rules being imposed for the safety of all customers.

“It is a regulation, not an indication, but it is strictly for the safety of customers and the children of customers who visit us. Children run around here a lot, they can get injured, they can fall, because there is a lot of gravel on the ground, they can bump into my fellow waiters who go to the tables with the trays. From my point of view, it was interpreted in a wrong way,” said Preda Marin, representative of the restaurant, according to Digi 24.

The case of J’ai Bistrot

Two years ago, the J’ai Bistrot restaurant in Bucharest divided the internet after asking parents who come with children to supervise them. “Our dears, because we love both children and puppies & cats, we also love plants and flowers, but we especially like to drink a cold beer or an adult cocktail, we want everyone in the garden to can quietly enjoy their time at J’ai. We are child friendly, but we remind you that the sand area is NOT A PLAYGROUND. Thank you for your understanding!” was the message sent at the time.