City Vineyard

DECEIT & DISCRIMINATION: This past weekend we were shocked to find the hostess and manager telling our group of 3 couples, each with our own well-behaved 4 y/o, that they couldn't seat us together--despite virtually the entire dining room being empty on a sunny Sunday afternoon (the patio was moderately full due to the warm weather). Puzzled, we asked why they couldn't simply pull a few of the many empty tables together. The vapid hostess stammered a few words then said, "Let me talk to my manager". She came back and said they could not pull tables together "because of reservations" (again, the dining room was all but empty). Thinking there must be some mistake, I asked to speak to this manager--to which the hostess pointed to the harried-looking tattooed woman behind the bar who barked out--"Yeah, we can't pull them together unless you agree to our per patron minimum of $100 each--INCLUDING THE CHILDREN." Everyone at the bar--and much of the staff--looked at her in disbelief. So, clearly, there were never any reservations or legitimate reasons to not serve us...we were being outright lied to and discriminated against. The $100 per customer minimum, the "reservations" etc. were just deceitful business practices simply because City Vineyard doesn't want to serve families with children (despite being directly next door to Pier 25, one of the biggest family destinations in Lower Manhattan). To think that a business in this day and age--particularly one doing business in stroller-filled Tribeca--would be so anti-children is truly unfathomable. Sure, I've heard of a few snooty places in the city that aren't exactly 'kid friendly', but I've never heard of one so sleazy and deceitful that they would concoct lies and bogus $100 minimums to deliberately drive away families. Absolutely disgusting--neighborhood families should avoid this abhorrent & contemptible place.