This was my first visit to The Toucan. It was a late Thursday night and we chose to seat ourselves outside, and I am so happy that we did. The side patio provides a cool atmosphere within one of Kingston's quaint courtyards, which it shares with Chez Piggy Restaurant & Bar. We grabbed the last available seats on the patio for our group of five.
It was late, but I was curious about the pub's fare so I decided to try the soup of the day. I ordered a bowl of the featured Tomato Rosemary Soup. It was served with buttered toast, which was a delicious fresh white bread. The soup was also very good - I especially enjoyed the aroma and flavor of the rosemary. This soup was a nice introduction to the restaurant's menu, and I look forward to returning to try out more of their items.
The music was funky, but completely all over the place, giving the impression that that's the kind of vibe the pub is trying to promote - a relaxed, fun place to socialize with friends. The crowd that night was primarily males aged 22 to 50 and seemed to die out shortly after midnight. The server was friendly and timely.
One quick trip to the ladies room and I immediately made the decision to never use this establishment's lavatories again. This is something that does drive me nuts about so many different restaurants; gross washrooms. As this was the first offence, I'll attribute the uncleanliness to the fact that the front of the restaurant seemed to be hosting a large group of golfers (the bags gave it away).
Overall, as first impressions go, this was a good one.
the curse of a filthy washroom
Everything about an experience at a restaurant can be absolutely perfect, but if nature calls and what is found behind the mystery door forces you to pull your shirt up over your mouth - unfortunately, it's not likely you'll have much of an appetite for that restaurant again.
Think of it this way, for the most part, there are two parts of a restaurant that guests have access to; the dining room and the washrooms. Kitchen's are not often open to the scrutiny of the public eye - leaving customers to really trust the establishment and it's staff. When a guest's visit includes a trip to the loo, let it not be one that leaves the poor soul gagging and gasping for breath - if the washrooms are filthy, one can only imagine the condition the kitchen is in.
So when a guest ventures into the washroom and finds toilet paper on the floor, soaking in puddles of what one hopes is a leak and not someone else's urine, the filthy washroom can be a real deal breaker. If the owners, management, and staff are all okay with overlooking a dirty washroom, than one can only imagine what they overlook in the back of the house, in the places that are hidden from the public eye.
Think of it this way, for the most part, there are two parts of a restaurant that guests have access to; the dining room and the washrooms. Kitchen's are not often open to the scrutiny of the public eye - leaving customers to really trust the establishment and it's staff. When a guest's visit includes a trip to the loo, let it not be one that leaves the poor soul gagging and gasping for breath - if the washrooms are filthy, one can only imagine the condition the kitchen is in.
It's always advisable to equip your eating establishment with washrooms that aren't going to leave your guests without an appetite.
So when a guest ventures into the washroom and finds toilet paper on the floor, soaking in puddles of what one hopes is a leak and not someone else's urine, the filthy washroom can be a real deal breaker. If the owners, management, and staff are all okay with overlooking a dirty washroom, than one can only imagine what they overlook in the back of the house, in the places that are hidden from the public eye.
What's your favorite restaurant? Ever wondered if you can trust the cleanliness of the kitchen that makes your favorite food? Did you know that you can easily access the local Health Unit's reports from Food Safety Inspections of restaurants in your area?
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