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Altra restaurant #263434
09/05/2021 06:44 PM
09/05/2021 06:44 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 574
mahokid Offline OP
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mahokid  Offline OP
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 574
Hoping pictures are attached.
Altra in Puerto Cupecoy

Nightly $29 3 course prix fix with 4 choices for each course along with some daily specials with a small upcharge although it is not clearly stated on the menu board
Appetizers calamari with potatoes and tuna tataki
Entrees beef cheeks (excellent, very tender), pasta with salmon (small upcharge but leftovers for lunch)
Dessert coconut mousse, lemon custard with merignue

Service was from friendly French waiter who hustled (not usual on island)
highly recommend

Attached Files Altra Tuna Tatiki.jpgAltra Calamari.jpgAltra Pasta Salmon.jpgAltra Beef Checks.jpgAltra Mousse.jpgAltra Lemon.jpg
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Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263445
09/05/2021 10:24 PM
09/05/2021 10:24 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
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SXMScubaman  Offline
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Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
Looks good but an upcharge on the entrée selection for a prefixed menue?

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263450
09/05/2021 10:45 PM
09/05/2021 10:45 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 574
mahokid Offline OP
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mahokid  Offline OP
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Scubaman

while an upcharge it is still only $34 at most for a three course meal

Attached Files Altra Menu.jpegAltra specials.jpeg
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263451
09/05/2021 11:03 PM
09/05/2021 11:03 PM
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,225
Middle Tennessee
T
TravelHat Offline
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TravelHat  Offline
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T
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 1,225
Middle Tennessee
Nice selections

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263471
09/06/2021 08:58 AM
09/06/2021 08:58 AM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,929
Connecticut
The_Lurker Offline
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Connecticut
I noticed that they still have the 15% tax on the menu, that we paid years ago.
Then they added 15% service.
That is 30% before tip!!

That is the reason we never went back.

No one seems to mind this, and they do get good reviews.

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: The_Lurker] #263475
09/06/2021 09:10 AM
09/06/2021 09:10 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Terri--I personally would not leave any tip, but I also would have a hard time with 30% added on. I don't think we will be going there. It seems like they are charging a low price to get people in the door, then tricking them into paying more. I'm not down for that.


Carol Hill
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: The_Lurker] #263494
09/06/2021 10:57 AM
09/06/2021 10:57 AM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
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Originally Posted by The_Lurker
I noticed that they still have the 15% tax on the menu, that we paid years ago.
Then they added 15% service.
That is 30% before tip!!

That is the reason we never went back.

No one seems to mind this, and they do get good reviews.

That is a real deal breaker for me. Tax and service charge. No way.

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263520
09/06/2021 03:55 PM
09/06/2021 03:55 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 574
mahokid Offline OP
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mahokid  Offline OP
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Pretty sure the 15% sc is service charge and not a tax and not a deal breaker

Still left another 10% for such a reasonably priced meal with good service

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263522
09/06/2021 05:06 PM
09/06/2021 05:06 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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OK, it depends on whether it is 15% plus 15% or only 15%. But regardless I do NOT add anything if they put an automatic service charge on the bill. It's a matter of principle. We normally tip around 20% if there is no automatic service charge.


Carol Hill
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: Carol_Hill] #263526
09/06/2021 05:56 PM
09/06/2021 05:56 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 2,081
Clearwater, FL
Biturbo Offline
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Biturbo  Offline
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Clearwater, FL
Carol, we add 5% at most if a 15% s/c is tacked on. Interesting: At Reveil Matin for breakfast, 15% was added, but they actually called it a tip, not a s/c.


I'm going where the weather suits my clothes.
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263532
09/06/2021 06:25 PM
09/06/2021 06:25 PM
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,929
Connecticut
The_Lurker Offline
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Connecticut
Originally Posted by mahokid
Pretty sure the 15% sc is service charge and not a tax and not a deal breaker

Still left another 10% for such a reasonably priced meal with good service


No, I believe the menu says tax, but it's not clear in the picture..
When we were there, There was a sign saying 15% tax and and another 15% was added to our bill for service charge.
They told us the service charge was not a tip.

We are also use to the 15% service charge and use it as part of the tip---this was 30% before tip.
I wrote about it back then, but never added another comment since--until this post.

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: Carol_Hill] #263534
09/06/2021 07:41 PM
09/06/2021 07:41 PM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
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Auburn, WA
Originally Posted by Carol_Hill
OK, it depends on whether it is 15% plus 15% or only 15%. But regardless I do NOT add anything if they put an automatic service charge on the bill. It's a matter of principle. We normally tip around 20% if there is no automatic service charge.

That is my philosophy too. If they think that is all they are worth that is what they get.

Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263545
09/07/2021 06:44 AM
09/07/2021 06:44 AM
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,989
Westchester /NYC
Colour1 Online mad
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Colour1  Online Mad
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Westchester /NYC
This all looked really nice!! I was just say about bad service and over priced meals. But this "double 15%"? I'm in the service industry, if service is good, I don't care what the bill is, I tip from my heart!! Most times that's over 20%!! I don't need to be "tricked" into double paying on "tax"!! We'll stop by, test the waters with an app or two!! Thanks for sharing!!


Sand Gravity, got to love it!
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: Biturbo] #263550
09/07/2021 09:33 AM
09/07/2021 09:33 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
A lot of places do that on the Dutch side now. So long as it's marked as a tip or a service charge, to ME, that's the same thing, and I don't consider that deceptive. Calling a 15% add-on a TAX is totally deceptive..


Carol Hill
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: mahokid] #263555
09/07/2021 10:21 AM
09/07/2021 10:21 AM
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 14,635
Brookfield, CT.
pat Offline
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The tax thing with reference to Sint Maarten always gets me. Tipping should NEVER be required and it should be deserved. That’s just my personal opinion, and it used to be the accepted rule that SXM was a tax-free island.

But that said, we’ve never allowed a wait-person to NOT receive a tip, even if they didn’t deserve it. Courage of my convictions? I guess not…..at least not in this case.

I thought the only restaurant tax was the TOT and that wasn’t supposed to be passed on to the consumer as a tax on the check but was intended as a tax to the business itself. I realize all taxes end up being paid by the end consumer, just like the island hotel tax that runs anywhere from 5% to whatever they can get away with and likewise the car rental tax which seems to vary from concession to concession.

IMHO, if it’s shown on the bill on the Dutch side, it’s a tip! Regardless of what the server or the proprietor says. We usually leave a little more up to the 20 to 25 % level but the service has to be good and the extra money goes directly into the hands of our server.


Last edited by pat; 09/07/2021 11:28 AM.

Respectfully,

pat



"Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat
them."
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: pat] #263569
09/07/2021 11:16 AM
09/07/2021 11:16 AM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
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Carol_Hill  Offline
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Posts: 82,482
Central Florida!
Pat--that is absolutely correct--there are no taxes on SXM that are supposed to be passed on to the consumer. SOME places, despite the law, pass on TOT to consumers, but even that, which is illegal, as far as I'm concerned, is only 5%..


Carol Hill
Re: Altra restaurant [Re: Carol_Hill] #263571
09/07/2021 11:19 AM
09/07/2021 11:19 AM
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
SXMScubaman Offline
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Posts: 18,571
Auburn, WA
Jimbo's always tacked on the TOT. That kept me away just because of principle.


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