First of all I would like to thank you for your words.
My name is Philippe Zerbib, I was born in Bogota but my parents are from France, but truly I consider myself colombian.
I hapen to be the owner of Bagatelle, a friend of mine just send me this e mail, which made me honestly very sad.
I absolutely respect your opinion and also understand that you don´t consider going back to one of my restaurants.
I don´t intent to make you think that I am not the kind of person you describe. Certainely I have made mistakes during my 10 years with my restaurants, I am a self made man and I often had to learn how to handle some situacions alone, certainly not always the way they should be handle.
I would only like, if there is no problem, the oportunity to show you my work places , and every thing that you would like to know.
The reason why I am asking you that, is because a few years ago, a journalist came to my restaurant in la calle 95, to make a note about Bagatelle and when he came in, he was face to face with my father,who at that time was working with me, and the journalist asked him some questions, but my father never answered to him, so when the journalist wrote the note about Bagatelle he said that the food was ok, but that the owner was a real french arogant asshole,sorry about those words but it is true.
When I read the note on the magasine, I was sad, because what the journalist never got to know was that my father had Alzhaimer, so he never understoud what he was asking him,I never wrote to the journalist to tell him the truth.
This is the reason why I would love to meet you, and to let you know my version of the facts.
Maybe you will think differently, maybe not, but please let me the chance to show you the other face.

ANDRES A. BUENDIA UCROS
LFLP ‘88

It would be great if you don´t judge before you know the truth. All these rumors and gossip destroy honest working people. Why don´t you boycott places that sell crappy junk food, torture animals, and do really bad things such as Mc Donalds?

Bagatelle is a fine place. His owner, a truly good family man who has worked very hard to build a business and a respectable name. Please, don´t harm Bagatelle with random thoughts that are in reality, superficial random and negative not-so-well thought thoughts!

I had the priveliged to be in a meeting with the owner and the staff and I can honestly say that the relationship between him and his employees is fantastic. They receive proper training, always based on quality.

It is absolutely shocking to read these brutal accusations.

Luis Leitao
BBC Producer/ London

Anyways — as I said this place is cool by me