Juanjo Gondar, owner of the Galician restaurant Posada de Lapamán, revelas "Cenando con Pablo." The renowned food blogger had negatively reviewed the restaurant without ever visiting it.
Reviews on platforms like Google and Tripadvisor are undoubtedly useful for customers of restaurants, hotels, and various establishments, as they allow them to share their experiences with other users. However, the risk of fake reviews sometimes leads to significant damages, especially when they come from individuals with a large following. This is precisely what happened at the restaurant and steakhouse Posada de Lapamán (Marin, Pontevedra), where the owner Juanjo Gondar encountered a negative review awarding his establishment only one star (the minimum according to Google's criteria) for the food, ambiance, and service, accompanied by a comment leaving no room for interpretation: "The owner is truly rude!"
According to La Voz de Galicia, the author of this scathing review is the well-known food blogger and YouTuber, Cenando con Pablo, who has a massive following on Instagram with over 300,000 followers and more than half a million subscribers on YouTube. Initially, Gondar, who used to watch all the videos of the "accused" YouTuber, thought it might be a mistake since he had no record of the food blogger ever visiting his restaurant. He decided to respond, assuming it was a misunderstanding: "I just read this review and I strongly doubt that you meant to refer to our restaurant. I've been following you for a long time, and yet I don't recall you ever visiting our place. I would appreciate it if you could contact me, but I repeat... I believe this is a mistake, thank you," said Gondar.
The food blogger immediately defended himself, admitting that it was probably a mix-up as he had confused Gondar's restaurant with another one having a similar name. After apologizing and feeling regretful, he proceeded to delete his review. However, the incident inevitably led to consequences, and the Galician restaurateur is considering taking legal action for the damages he might have suffered due to the significant following of "Cenando con Pablo."
The Hoteliers and Entrepreneurs of Pontevedra (Hoempo) Association wanted to shed light again on the phenomenon (and danger) of reviews. On these platforms, it is still not possible to verify with certainty whether a customer has actually been to a specific restaurant, but despite that, they are allowed to leave comments, directing other customers and conveying judgments
Cover photos: @Ramòn Leiro
