Ugly scenes have erupted at a Michelin-awarded North Adelaide restaurant after a diner was filmed abusing staff and allegedly leaving without paying a $300 bill.
ODE Bistro, which was selected by Michelin last month, has released video of the confrontation, with the venue describing it as a distressing reminder of how exposed small family-run businesses can be.
About 10 days ago, the restaurant became the scene of an ugly altercation involving a woman from Queensland, according to the venue and South Australia Police.
In footage later uploaded to Instagram, the woman can be heard directing abuse at staff, including calling one worker “absolutely a monster” and a “c**t”.
At one point, she also declared: “I am Australian. You are not Australian.”
“One hundred per cent you’re not Australian,” she said.
When another diner intervened to back the restaurant staff, the woman turned on him as well.
“He is absolutely a monster. Yes he is, he is an a**hole,” she said.
In a statement, ODE Bistro reflected on the toll the incident had taken on the business and its team.
“We experienced an unexpected incident that reminded me once again that working in hospitality is never easy,” the statement said.
“Running a small independent restaurant is so much more than cooking and serving food.
“There are challenges we never anticipate, moments that test us, and sometimes situations that remind us how vulnerable small family businesses can be.”
South Australia Police confirmed the woman was arrested for disorderly behaviour and was “dealt with” by way of an “adult caution”.
Police also noted that any attempt to recover the unpaid bill would need to be handled by the business through civil action.
Owner and executive chef Simon Ming told 7News the confrontation had already damaged the restaurant’s reputation and left staff feeling hurt.
The incident came at what should have been a celebratory time for the venue.
Mr Ming opened ODE Bistro in January 2024, building a restaurant that blends refined dining with a more relaxed atmosphere.
His own path to Adelaide began far from the city’s restaurant scene. Mr Ming moved to South Australia in 2015 from China’s Sichuan region, where he first learned to cook as a five-year-old under the influence of his grandfather, whom he has described as a “great, great, great home cook”.
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