Tennis icon Serena Williams faced an unexpected setback on Monday when she was turned away from an upscale Paris restaurant while on vacation with her family during the ongoing Olympic Games.
Williams shared her disappointment on social media, revealing that she was denied access to the restaurant despite being with her children.
"Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids. Always a first," the 23-time Grand Slam champion tweeted.
Restaurant Apology and Explanation
In response, the fine-dining establishment issued an apology and clarified the situation.
“Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved,” read the restaurant’s initial reply.
A follow-up post added, “We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris.”
Employee's take on the controversy
Maxime Mannevy, an employee at L’Oiseau Blanc, explained to Variety that Williams was not recognized when she arrived with another woman and a stroller.
“When she came there were only two tables available and they had been reserved by clients of the hotel,” Mannevy said, noting that she was not present during Williams' visit. “My colleague didn’t recognize her and feels terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other client, which is to wait downstairs in the bar for a table to become available. That was absolutely nothing personal.”
