Some years ago we discovered a fine Thai restaurant called Bambuddha Grove in Ibiza. As we were planning my birth- day, we reserved a table for two in advance from Germany via internet. All was well, as it surely is a beautiful venue with great food. To top it all we met John Digweed there.
Late September 2005 we´re travelling with some friends and planned to take ten or eleven to the restaurant. We contacted them for a reservation via internet again and were bluntly told to send 20 Euros per person in ad- vance to a bank in Spain so the reservation could be taken!
This is obviously the most unfriendly, greedy reply I have ever had at any place when asking for a reservation for a substantial party. With starters in the 8-12 Euro range and main courses 16 Euros and beyond they could have had a fine turnover. But asking guests (at least we felt like being guests and not debtors) to shell out 200+ Euros in advance as a reservation deposit is so goddamn rude it turns guests away for ever.
We would have had no problem with leaving a credit card number, as it is common with classy restaurants all over the world. Food wise they are not par with a Blue Elephant or a Daitokai restaurant and both venues would never dare to bother their guests with such a deposit.
So if you fly to Ibiza make sure you spend your money at less spoiled and greedy places. There are plenty around that love to have your reservation taken, especially at the end of the season. You might even be welcomed with smile and not with a greedy gesture like this.