Serena Williams calls out Paris restaurant, hotel responds

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A high-end restaurant Serena Williams accused of denying her and her children a table has responded after the tennis star called them out on social media.

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Williams wrote that she and her kids were turned away from the rooftop restaurant of Paris’ The Peninsula, claiming the swanky joint was “empty.”

“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids,” the 23-time Grand Slam winner wrote on X. “Always a first. #Olympic2024,” adding a melting face and rolling eyes emojis.

However, the restaurant quickly responded to Williams’ accusations in arguably the classiest way possible.

“In response to Ms Williams’ tweet, for whom we have the utmost admiration and respect, as we do for all our esteemed guests, we reiterate our deepest apologies that we were not able to offer her a table at our rooftop bar when she arrived with her family and without a reservation,” the Peninsula said in a statement to the New York Post.

“We do always try to make space for walk-in guests but sometimes this is not possible.”

They further explained that on Monday, their “rooftop bar was indeed fully booked, and the only unoccupied tables at that time belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was also fully reserved.”

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They added that Williams was offered “an outside table downstairs at the hotel’s La Terrasse Kléber,” but it appears that wasn’t up to par.

The hotel has since “reached out to Ms Williams directly.”

The hotel’s statement came after it replied to the tennis icon former athlete on X with a similar message, and apologizing to Williams for the disappointing encounter.

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“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again,” they added.

Williams, who has four Olympic gold medals, was in the city to take part in the opening ceremony on July 26, sharing a boat with fellow sports legends Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci.

She has remained at the Games with her husband Alexis Ohanian and their two daughters, six-year-old Alexis Olympia, who goes by Olympia, and Adira, who turns one this month.

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