One Bistro in Norwood
Jul.21, 2009 in 4 Star, Restaurants
1125 Boston-Providence Turnpike (Route 1)
Norwood, MA 02062
Phone: 781-769-7900
http://www.onebistro.com/
Recently, my mom, Ric, Amanda, Kathleen Kenney, my vision mobility specialist and I had pleasure of dining at One Bistro, a great restaurant at Four Points by Sheraton Norwood Hotel & Conference Center. We found it fully wheelchair accessible with only one obstacle being there is no accessible seating in the lounge which we believe will soon be corrected.
There are seven handicap parking spaces located in hotel parking lot right in front of One Bistro. Access to the sidewalk is easy for there is an accessible curb-cut right in front. One Bistro has two entrances; one located on the front side of the restaurant; and the other located from inside the hotel lobby. I entered from inside the lobby of the hotel as One Bistro’s door is always wide open during hours it’s open. Entering the lobby is easy for there are double sliding automatic doors that open as soon as you approach.
Once inside One Bistro, I found it is spacious with many accessible tables; all the tables are of a perfect height for wheelchair seated customers; even some booth tables are accessible because there is a booth seat on one side of the table and removable chairs on the other side where your wheelchair can fit.
The outdoor dining area is fully wheelchair accessible and all tables are of perfect height for my chair. An umbrella is set at each table to protect you from the hot sun. The bar is not wheelchair accessible. ADA doesn’t require a bar to be accessible, yet Kenny & Company believe all bars should have a section that is wheelchair accessible so customers in wheelchairs who want a drink can enjoy it while seated at the bar.
All the tables in the lounge are tall bar/style tables and NOT accessible for they are way too tall. Many wheelchair-seated guests who want to stop by for a drink in the lounge after a business meeting or day of work will feel out of place with no place to sit. I was in my Permobil C350 Power Chair but didn’t elevate my seat for I wanted to see how wheelchairseated customers would fit at this tall table. As you can see from this picture, they would never be able to reach the table :<(
We mentioned it to Elizabeth Fagan, sales manager of Four Points by Sheraton Norwood. She never noticed it before but fully understands the need for some accessible tables in the lounge. Elizabeth spoke with the Director of Food & Beverage and he is positive he can make some accommodations. I am hoping Elizabeth or the Director of Food & Beverages will post a comment when an accessible table is placed here so I can then give One Bistro 5 Stars!
Restrooms located close by off the hotel lobby are spacious, wheelchair accessible and fully ADA compliant.
We all enjoyed our meal. The food is delicious and all employees courteous, respectful and kind. I give One Bistro FOUR STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the Fifth Star, they would simply need to replace one or two of the tall bar/style tables in the lounge with a wheelchair accessible table. I highly recommend they also lower a section of the bar to a wheelchair accessible height so wheelchair-seated guests can enjoy having a drink at the bar just like all other guests.
