‘You refused to listen’: Themis Chryssidis hits back at customer who left a harsh review of his new Adelaide restaurant Olive

A top Adelaide restaurateur has sliced and diced a “frustrating, unfair and incorrect” online review of his new city venue, saying the customer had “refused to listen”.

Callum Hann and Themis Chryssidis in the new Mediterranean restaurant Olive, and the kingfish crudo starter ordered by a customer who then complained the portions were undersized. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

An Adelaide restaurateur has hit back at a customer who left a critical online review after dining at his new city restaurant.

Themis Chryssidis took to social media after a customer complained about “overpriced small portions” at his new Pirie St eatery Olive, which he opened last month with former MasterChef star Callum Hann.

The reviewer, EmmaT, said she ordered the kingfish crudo dish, which she “didn’t realise would be so small” and the ice cream sandwich. She also bemoaned the lack of bread on the dining table.

“At least then I wouldn’t have been hungry,” she wrote in the critique, which she posted on Open Table.

“I had two gin and tonics and it came to $76. Would have been good to have an option of a salad or potatoes to share.”

EmmaT's review of Olive, and Themis Chryssidis's response.

Chryssidis responded to the review on his Instagram account, saying he is always open to feedback but wanted to “set the record straight”.

“Emma, you ordered a starter and a dessert and our staff and told you that it wasn’t enough food, but you refused to listen,” he wrote, alongside a screen grab of the review.

“The olives are complimentary. Thanks for showing your appreciation. We do have bread. Our skilled chefs bake it daily. You’re welcome to purchase it. To enjoy with your free olives.

“There are three salads on the menu. They are delicious. We just don’t call them ‘salads’ as they are more than the basic salad you make at home. The whole menu is designed to share. You could have purchased one of these ‘salads’ to share.

“You booked two tables of four instead of one table of eight because you didn’t want to do the mandatory (and generous) $69 tasting menu, but then expected our staff to combine the two tables mid-service.

“Let’s be honest, I’m not sure we were the problem here.”

Callum Hann and Themis Chryssidis in their new Mediterranean restaurant, Olive, on Pirie St in the city. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Chryssidis told The Advertiser that while the review wasn’t personal or rude, it was “frustrating, unfair and incorrect”.

“I decided to post about this review on my social media to show my team I have their back,” said Chryssidis, who – alongside Hann – also owns and operates Eleven on Waymouth St and Lou’s Place in the Barossa Valley.

“Opening a new restaurant is incredibly challenging. We acknowledge that while we try to please everyone and give everyone the best experience possible, sometimes we don’t always get it right.

“We are happy to cop that and do whatever is necessary to fix it, but for some reason, in the world of food, everyone is a Michelin star chef or experienced restaurant manager offering profound advice and feedback. The reality is they wouldn’t last a day in a decent restaurant.”

Chryssidis said his staff live in fear of “unfair, biased reviews that difficult customers might leave”.

“If someone has a problem with their experience please tell us on the day and we will fix it. But please don’t be a keyboard warrior and ruin another person’s day for no gain and without offering someone a right to respond,” he said.

“This is just one of many examples where this power imbalance between guest and venue particularly frustrated me, as the individual simply disregarded every recommendation and protocol within our venue, and as a result had a negative experience and decided to blame us.”

The reviews have been largely positive since Mediterranean restaurant Olive opened its doors on November 3. The venue has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating from 69 reviews on Open Table, and 4.5 out of 5 from 24 reviews on Google.