Employees Claim River Cafe Discriminates Against Jews

Dumbo's Michelin-starred restaurant The River Café has been accused of some serious antisemitism. Two employees?one current and one former?alerted the Post about the discriminatory practices, telling the paper that employees are instructed to enforce a $25-per-person minimum with religious Jews, which is not enforced with other customers.

The whistleblowers share two notes from the reservation book to back this up. One reads:

If they look like they will only order water (not that we stereotype or anything) mention the minimum right away. If they ask for the bar and there is room, tell them there is a minimum at the bar as well.

The restaurant denies the claims, of course, saying that the $25 minimum applies to everyone. But the Post sent a Jewish couple to check. With the man wearing a yarmulke and the woman in a long skirt, they were told there was no room at the bar and that they could sit at the terrace with the per-person minimum. A few minutes later the Post sent in two reporters with no religious clothing, who were seated at the terrace and not required to pay any sort of minimum check. Discrimination: confirmed.
· DUMBO Restaurant The River Café Discriminates Against Jews: Workers [NYP]
· All Coverage of The River Cafe [~ENY~]
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