cafe coco reviews?

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Antony

Welcome aboard - and welcome back. I hope you had a brilliant time.

Thanks for the info on Cafe Coco. Yes, I believe that Bella Forma Resorts might be the Cafe Coco/Coco Reef - I'm sure I've seen that on my own credit card statements in previous years. Can you remember what the amount was on the credit card slip you signed - and what appeared on your subsequent statement. If we can be sure that there is a major discrepency here, I will certainly contact the owner. I was assured that this problem was resolved - that doesn't nessarily mean that they aren't still charging in US$, but that you will not be disadvantaged by heavy exchange rates.

[Antony]

Hi Steve.

I’ve found the receipt I signed, titled:

“****** Republic Bank Limited ******

Bella Forma Resorts Ltd
Café Coco Restaurant
Crown Point Tobago”

So Bella Forma Resorts Ltd is Café Coco!

The exact details of the transaction are as follows:

I signed for $615 TT (with a line through the tip section) (I know it was TT because the bottom of the slip states: “**** AMOUNT QUOTED IN TT DOLLARS ****”) which based on the conversion rate ($11.148272 TTD to £1 GBP) used by my credit card provider on the day of the transaction would have worked out to be £55.17.

The amount actually charged to my credit card was $107.89 USD which at the credit card provider’s conversion for USD on that day ($1.784781 USD to £1 GBP) works out at £60.45.

That means that Café Coco are trying to charge me an extra £5.28 for a meal which should cost £55.17 – an extra 9.5%.

I think this is outrageous, and I shall be writing to my credit card provider complaining about the unauthorized charging of my account in USD. What really annoys me is that no menus, bills or waiters/managers gave any hint that I would be charged in USD; I even signed my credit card slip in TTD yet they think that they can try and over-charge me in USD.

It’s a shame because Café Coco has a classy atmosphere, and as I enjoyed Tobago so much, I would have wanted to return on my next visit. However with such practices going on in Café Coco, and because I don’t like carrying big piles of cash, putting most things on a credit card, I might just avoid the Café on my next trip.

[S Smith]

have you eaten at other restaurants or paid for hotels or car rentals with that same credit card?
did you notice any irregularities with those bills?
i know sometimes it doesnt have to be cafe coco setting the exchange rate but something between their bank and yours, and usually US$ is the most common currency and most transactions are converted to US$ first and then to your local currency so exchange rates vary
You can speak to your bank about it and they may be able to explain it fully

[David Watkins]

I did check this with my card provider(Barclaycard)and they said that it is the drawing bank that specifies the currency,however I have checked through all my card slips for the last three years,on four different cards,drawn by RBTT and 1st and found that they were all drawn in TTD,so I would definitely suspect some skulduggeery!!Has anybody paid Cafe Coco on a card and included a tip had the same thing happen?Just a thought Antony,as the over charge was about 10%!!
Hope it doesn't put you off Tobago,
Regards David

[Steve Wooler]

No, this is not a common problem on Tobago and neither is it skullduggery (or however you spell it). I honestly believe it is entirely an administration thing. I'm not sure of the exact details, but the owner of the Coco Reef is Bermudan and has hotels/businesses in Bermuda, Cuba, Tobago and elsewhere. I know his marketing is run from the States (Florida, I believe) and the same probably applies to his admin. I think he has just arranged a single large credit card account with one of the major card services in the States that allows him to consolidate all his card receipts in all his countries of operation.

Their admin convenience is, of course, at a cost to the patron. If the credit card slips you sign show the charge in TT$, then it would indicate that it is not the hotel/restaurant who are profiting from the situation, but the card processing company, because it is they who will be charging to convert the customer's charge to US$ and then - and this is what really stinks - charging the 95% of non-US patrons to convert yet again from US$ to their own local currency.

So, I see nothing that leads me to think that hotel/restaurant are taking the piss - but their administration convenience is certainly working against the interests of the visitor. The Coco Reef and Cafe Coco are great establishments, but while this situation remains I would advise all non-US residents to pay with local currency, rather than apply any charges to their credit card.

[John Gilham]

Having just returned from the Coco Reef I would agree with Steve and feel it is the credit card company imposing the conversion charge.
However I have to say that for the convenience of paying by credit card and not carrying local currency that no one wants to exchange back home then its not a bad deal.

Another day the conversion rate could be more favourable so its swings and roundabouts.

Knowing the restaurant I am sure the meal was good value at £60 anyway.

[Antony]

I have to agree with Steve: this doesn’t seem to be a common problem in Tobago (and Trinidad). I made several other transactions in Trinidad & Tobago on the same card, and all the other transactions were charged in TTD as expected, at the value which was agreed, then directly converted to GBP at favourable exchange rates.

The only exception was the Marriot in Port of Spain who billed in USD, which I was informed of in advance, and the USD amount was known at the time of the transaction.

The problem with Café Coco seems to be that someone, somewhere along the line, has done a conversion from TTD to USD at such an unfavourable exchange rate as to distort the value of the transaction. If the conversion from TTD to USD was done at a ‘market rate’, then the fact that a conversion from TTD to USD then onto GPB had occurred, would make little difference to the value of the transaction.

John: the meal would have been great value at a price much higher that that charged. However, when a price is agreed, that is the price I expect to be charged. I don’t expect some bank/restaurant/other agent to charge me a different price, and shall pursue this as a ‘matter of principle’, even though the costs of doing so, will outweigh the benefits.

I shall inform you of my bank’s response.

Best regards,

Antony.

[John Gilham]

Hi Antony
I guess I agree with the principle you are making I would also expect to be billed the same amount to which I agreed other than a small change created by exchange rate. Though only a small amount in this case I guess if you had paid a heavy hotel bill it would be somewhat different.
Maybe my comment was a little flippant for which I apologise.

I wouldnt be surprised to see its the Bank that is making a little extra.

I will be interested to see your findings.

Good luck.

Regards
John

[Paul Tallet]

Interesting ...

Logic would say ... pay cash and why complicate things.

Convenience would say ... I can't be bothered !!

And can we?

Hindsight tells me that we have a choice between our bankers, creditors and straight cash ... the latter being the inconvenience of arranging travellers cheques, queuing in a Bank or maybe going to the ATM that does not (but might?) rip you off.

This has been a good thread and will be helpful to anyone travelling anywhere around the world.

In the Caribbean, I sense there is a 'snob value' with credit cards ... I am not saying that credit card users are snobs ... it's the way it goes ... don't ask questions when you buy ... it's cool to do business that way ... easy to do when you are there but harder to accept when you get the bill on your return home and see the exchange issues as mentioned above.

End game ... the bankers and creditors take full advantage ... you never read the small print until you look at the bills. ... AKA; sound banking practice !!!

The solution is simple ... spend about half an hour queuing at the nearest Bank or ATM machine for Cash or pay for the privilege of using a Credit Card ... it is a service of convenience after all ... you decide if it is worth the price you pay ??

Regards

[Julian Mansfield Hickman]

I have to say that I have had only what I could describe as the most mediocre of experiences at Cafe Coco in Tobago. I am very lucky to part own a property in this beautiful island and Cafe Coco is just a short walk away, so I ate there twice in August with my wife and two children (6 and . The second time we ate was because it was a Sunday and there wasn't much open at the time and we thought we might have misjudged the first experience.

There was no ambience that I could describe (Cafe Coco is a cathedral sized restaurant) and very few people were in it (if it is so well thought of why isn't it always full ?). The service was on the whole indifferent and the food was what can only be described as TGI Friday's style. I would not wish to be critical of others and their views but for me this isn't what Tobago is about and nor should it. Further it is grossly inflated as far as pricing is concerned. I vaguely recall something along the lines of "What the chef wants you to eat" on the menu, which was basically lobster at a price of more than 50-80TT more than you can pay elsewhere. The only statement that can be applied to "What the chef wants you to eat" is "I bet he does".

For me average food deserves average pricing and Cafe Coco is very average. If you like food that it is interestingly arranged, such as rice in a well constructed tower then this is the place for you but you will pay a premium for it.

I would say for anyone reading this, save the shoe leather and go to Dillons round the corner. Excellent friendly staff and food that is well cooked, doesn't look mass produced and lobster that is half the price.

Obviously this is my opinion but both my mother, father and sister have eaten there and they all have the same comment.

[S Smith]

Julian,

how much was the lobster? i know the average price of lobster in trinidad and tobago is around 200TT and i dont recall it being more at cafe coco.

as i had said before i sampled the fish sticks, the beef tacos, tempura shrimp and the steak, apart from the seafood being salty it was ok, and i found their prices to be cheaper than most of the other places, my bill here was about 500TT which includes 2 appetizers, 2 main courses, 2 deserts, 1 bottle white wine

at pelican reef, the bill was about 550TT for 2 main courses and 1 bottle of wine

[Julian Mansfield Hickman]

I didn't get any change out of 1000TT for four starters, four main courses and drinks.

I think the lobster was 250TT but I only paid 141TT at Dhillons.

The point really (and clearly this is opinion) is that for what you get it is very humdrum. Much of this food is the sort of food you can get anywhere in the world these days, home or away. Clearly restauranteurs are in business to make money and I was fool enough to pay it. It is just average food.

You could say that the Terrazza restaurant is Italian and you can get Italian anywhere but they have blended the experience with Tobagan produce, the ambience is excellent, their little daughter runs around with an onion on a stick offering it to you as a lollipop and you are made to feel part of an experience, as if you are at home with the owners. Now that's worth the money. Ciao Cafe does ice cream (you can get ice cream anywere) in Scarborough but I would go there again and again because it's good quality and well served. The same is true of the Pancake House (I think our patronage there was wearing a bit thin by the end of the stay having had breakfast there nearly every day)

I am not advocating that people should not try Cafe Coco, just that personally I don't think it warrants more than one visit. I actually think what you are paying for is the decor.

[Steve Wooler]

OK, folks - some news for you.

Cafe Coco have been in touch with me. They have looked into the matter and say that the bank/credit card processing company have now improved the exchange rate to TT$6.00=US$1.00.

Given that the actual bank rates are around TT$6.20=$US1, it still means that customers are paying a surcharge of around 3.2% for the privilege of having their money converted to US$ before it is then converted yet again to Sterling, Euros or whatever. So, its a partial, but not total, success. Don't worry - I shall be staying at the Coco Reef during our next trip and you can rely on me to bash the owner's ear with this one. I know it is the banks that are making the profit, not the hotel/restaurant, and that the practise is being done purely for their own administrative convenience, but its certainly not the best way to win friends.

[Barry]

Just thought it worth mentioning that I took this up directly with Cafe Coco following a visit in April. I ate there several times and found that my bills were overcharged by about 10%. Their initial reaction was denial but after exchanging a salvo of emails - including copies of credit card slips - they agreed that there was an issue. The restaurant manager was very helpful and the end result was an invitation for dinner at their expense on my next visit. The food was pretty good actually and, ignoring the dodgy surcharge, very good value. The answer is to pay in cash of course.

All the best

Barry

[Paul Cosier]

We have just returned from Tobago and found this restuarant to be excellent. Although I agree it could be seen as "clinical" although I prefer to think of it as immaculately clean. The food the service and the efficiency are all great. As to the limited menu I did enquire and was told that it is better to have a smaller menu and do things well than to have a huge one and not be able to cope .The staff are extremely polite and friendly. The prices are very reasonable as compared to other restaurants and the portions are more than adequate. 4 persons having two courses and two rounds of drinks came to the equivelant of £63. We went back there and found it as good as the first time and plan to go there again if and when we return to tobago.

Also recommended is the Salsa Kitchen . Very tasty food although the portions could be more generous . Friendly owner and nice ambience ,


One to avoid - "Colours" in Bon Accord - overpriced , over -cooked and zero atmosphere

[Antony]

Just thought I would let you know what my bank’s response was to Café Coco’s overcharging of my credit card.

My bank sent a letter upholding my complaint and refunded the disputed sum – unfortunately I don’t know whether my bank actually challenged Café Coco on the issue and charged back the sum to them, or just absorbed the small loss themselves to keep a customer happy – probably not worth the bank’s time in creating an international inter-bank dispute over £5.28!

However thanks to Steve for taking up the issue with Café Coco directly. I do feel that Café Coco should state to all their customers that if they use their credit card, the TTD sum would be converted to USD at rate XYZ – or even better, why don’t they just charge the TTD sum to people’s credit cards in TTD, like the vast majority of other restaurants/hotels/shops in T&T?

[Paul Holman]

Visited Cafe Coco in Dec 2006. The decor is lovely and quite romantic. It is quite big, and was rather quite, but we found that just added to the romantic feel. The food and service were very good. Paid cash, so can't comment on credit card charges.