JUDGING by the amount of people spilling on to the pavement, Lymm's Baci Italian restaurant is a popular place to dine.

What a pity therefore that the management treat their customers so badly. Arranging a family birthday meal for Saturday night, I phoned to book a table on Wednesday as there were going to be 12 of us.

Negotiating the queue of would-be diners who hadn't previously booked, we waited in the crowded 'bar area' for someone to seat us.

After being ignored, I told the nearest waiter we had a table booked for 7.30pm. He sent me away saying someone would sort it out. A further wait proved unsuccesful so I told the girl behind the bar of my booking. She said I would have to speak to the head waiter.

When he eventually arrived he dismissed me with: "We don't take bookings." I protested and told him of my phone call, but he said he had no record of it. He went off mumbling. The restaurant was full to bursting with no room to even get a drink. It was desperate. If there hadn't of been so many of us and Saturday night I would have told him where to shove his non-existent table. But I persisted and he eventually re-arranged tables and we finally got our meal.

I certainly won't bother again - there are plenty of other Italian restaurants. The food is just as good at Donatellos on Orford Lane and their staff are delightful.

I for one am hoping that the restaurant development planned for Stockton Heath is approved - perhaps that would make restaurants like Baci buck their ideas up.

DISGRUNTLED DINER

Grappenhall