LONG REVIEW, but the shameful behaviour must be disclosed so foreigners can protect themselves from bigotry and jokes. I had been going to Voulez Vous for 5 years. Unfortunately, a serious incident will make me think about going elsewhere. Arrived for breakfast and asked if...they made bloody maries. The waiter didn't understand at first, started making jokes about my pronunciation of "bloody mary" (I am not native, but I have held a C2 English level for 25 years). After I was told no, I knew the cocktail menu so well, I didn't have to look at it and ordered another cocktail, after the eggs Benedict. After finishing, I asked in good Serbian "Moze karta?" asking for the menu. The waiter was so out of his mind he didn't undesrtand I was speaking in Serbian. He brings the bill instead. And still makes jokes about bad communication. After reconsidering my decision to order something more, I say in Serbian that I was going to pay "Ne, platim". Then comes the wild part. After I put 100 dinars on the bill cover (around US$1), the waiter comes and says in a lecturing manner "this is very little money in Serbia, you can take it back" as if I didn't know the currency - in fact I was considering if I should put another 100 bill - I had only 100 bills in my wallet. I thought for a quick service of three items and not a meal with lots of courses a 100 would do, also, a 5% tip is BY NO MEANS something so far out for Belgrade. Secondly, what if it was a 500 bill, a 100 bill would also be bad? Thirdly, let's face it, this was plain wrong. I ask to speak to the manager and speak to him IN SERBIAN (far from perfect, but Serbian) all the time. I show him a picture on my Facebook from 2018 and tell him that I was a 5-year customer and whether he wanted me to keep me as a client. He says he appreciates my patronage but I had the option to tip and the waiter to refuse it. I reminded him that Belgrade isn't New York. Then he asks if I visit Belgrade often. The truth is that I have been living in the same neigborhood of the restaurant, less than a mile away for FIVE YEARS. I say ironically "just as the tip, your excuses are not enough". In fact, the cocktail I ordered was a small celabration for having started my permanent resident visa application. But Voulez Vous staff managed to treat me with disrespect, shaming me for my supposedly low tip (there is no fixed tip amount anywhere in Europe, except in places that include it as service charge), that was the first time visiting Belgrade since 1997 that someone complained about a tip. In fact, in 2010, someone complained I gave TOO MUCH tip. It is a shame that a place with a nice atmosphere like Voules Vouz (the food actually is OK, nothing special, but solid) is letting this form of bigotry stain their correct service standard, that used to follow the Central European norm, "professional, not too friendly". Now giving different treatment, making jokes with pronunciations (due to their poor English speaking), and shaming me because AS A FOREIGNER, I was supposed to give more tip than locals, is something I can't tolerate. Add injury to the insult as the manager did nothing about it and CONTINUED treating me as an uneducated foreigner. The funny thing is that a few nights ago, I was drinking with a friend, paid the whole bill and asked my friend to tip and there was a nice 2000 dinares tip for a 6000 bill from my table. I had invited at least 4 people to Voulez Vous and had it as a good breakfast spot. Well, not anymore. Other reviews attest this abusurd level of arrogance. I won't tolerate discrimination and if you are a foreigner, you should be aware that some waiters practice discrimination and mockery against foreigners, even those who are long time Belgrade residents. That might simply ruin your day as it ruined mine. What a shame, Voulez Vous!More
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