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| - I've been to Nota Bene several times and it's reliably good. This was my first Summerlicious visit, and their options included some regular menu items, so you know you are getting their usual high quality of food! The vegetarian Cavatelli mushroom bolognese was so delicious I want to go back and have it again (another main course I tried, Thai Style Perth Country Beef Salad, was a good lighter option). The Nova Scotia Lobster Bisque was rich and flavourful (with a corn cake or something floating on top that was also delicious), and the Salmon Tataki appetizer was also tasty (and sticky toffee pudding was the usual sticky sweet yummy flavour bomb). The room was serene looking and quiet at lunchtime (when it's busy at dinner it can get pretty loud). What prevented the experience from being a really great one for my guests is that service was disappointingly flat for a fine dining restaurant. The waiters seemed completely uninterested in our table (not quite rude, but like they didn't care) and mostly ignored us (ie only refilled water once, didn't ask if we wanted coffee or enjoyed our meal or say anything other than take our orders, even though it was not busy and we did want coffee). It didn't feel welcoming. My tablemates wondered if it was because we were wearing business casual instead of suits, or if they think tips from a Summerlicious table will be lower? FWIW when I'm getting a restaurant "deal" I normally tip as if I had paid full price, since that's only fair to the servers. The Summerlicious menu is a good value and I still like the place, based on the food and because servers were smoothly professional or even friendly at other times, but one of my guests refuses to go again.
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