Children at 'adult' restaurants

So... It was our sapphire wedding anniversary yesterday (Yay) and we booked a meal for just the two of us at 'Oxford's Top Restaurant'... I'd been there for lunch with a friend, and enjoyed, husband had heard about it ... so we booked for an 8 p.m. table. It's a sort of 6 to 8 small courses of tasty things sort of place.

Anyway - lovely welcome and shown our table. Next to us was a mum or grandmother (a tiny bit old for mum and a tiny bit young for grandma) and two children under 10. The 'parent' was totally engaged on her phone or going out for a ciggarette. Children had phones and paper and were playing doing origami and chatting together a little bit loudly... as the evening progressed they were clearly getting bored. Getting up and down. Asking the waiter how many courses left and telling them they've finished and could they have the next one, making little planes and flying them ... encroaching a bit into our space. The waiter told them off a couple of times. Parent just ignored.

Not at any time did we complain. I was thinking a bit 'meh' I wouldn't bring children here. Husband is a kid magnet and engaged when they came over to us...

Then about half way through our evening the waiter came and said quietly - we have set you up another table, we are so sorry. And the maitre de was livid and said 'I cannot understand why anyone would bring children to a fine dining restaurant on a Saturday evening'.

To be fair the table was quieter and I did enjoy the second half much more - we were able to enjoy each other, and the food in peace. And at the end they took all our drinks off the bill and apologised again (two cocktails and two coffees - we aren't big drinkers!).

So, the AIBU bit is about me feeling a bit sad for the children ... it may not have been mcdonalds or the hungry horse but they were left pretty much on their own to cope ... what do you think?

Food was wonderful btw..