Teach Yourself Good Restaurant Etiquette
I can rant on and on about how some people manage to piss me off while I’m out for dinner. Do you expect others to behave when you are on that special date at a nice restaurant? Would you like the customers to treat you nicely if you were a part of the waiting staff? Are you aware of basic manners that you need to watch out for in a restaurant? Let’s run through some basic stuff– see if you are manner perfect on your trip to the eatery.
Greet back
Whether it is at the door or while you are being seated, if you are greeted at the reception or the wait staff– greet back! I think it’s awfully rude to not acknowledge a friendly ‘Hi’ or a ‘Hello’ from the wait staff. Believe me, not only it is basic courtesy but the wait staff will also take good care of you.
Don’t bring your own food
Are you thinking “Oh nobody does that!”? Ask any member of the wait staff of a restaurant and their answers will shock you. A lot of people forget basic manners and get their own little tit bits from home. Whether it is their favourite snack or a quick bite from the nearby fast food joint– there is no limit to this annoying bunch of idiots.
Let the staff know about your child’s needs
Going out to eat with a small child can be a pain in the butt. What is the easiest way to deal with this? Let the staff know when you make a booking! Whether you need a high chair or that extra bit of room for your pram – the staff will appreciate it if you inform them beforehand. Your visit to the restaurant will become super smooth.
Is that call really important?
Why would you want to take a call when you are having a good time at a nice restaurant with your friends or partner in the first place? I don’t see a reason to answer the phone unless it is absolutely urgent. Perfect manners would be to keep it on silent or vibrate. If you must take the call, excuse yourself, and go to a spot where others can’t hear you ramble about your problems at work or fights with the boyfriend!
If you must visit the loo– Go for it. Don’t wait!
Haven’t we all been in that spot when we need to visit the loo but wait until the last minute only to embarrass ourselves with that loud burp of grunt in the stomach? Recently I went out with my sister, her fiancé, and the fiancé’s parents. In between a lovely meal, someone ripped a loud one. As funny as it sounds, it nearly spoiled the evening. You get my point, don’t you? If you must visit the loo, politely ask the maitre d’ the whereabouts and go relieve yourself.
Don’t play with the cutlery
I don’t care if you were the star drummer chick in high school. How annoying is it when people start making those ‘ting’ ‘ting’ noises? Did you know that many don’t even realize that they are actually making these noises? Sometimes it is just habit. If you have this habit– stop doing it! All manners go down the drain when you start treating cutlery as your favourite drum set.
Be polite when you call for staff
Do you know that you can tell a lot about a lady by the way she treats waiters? It’s no joke. I’ve seen many so called ‘high-profile’ damsels sitting pretty with their larger than life sun glasses shouting ‘waiter’ even if the poor fellow is serving another table. Whether it is the maitre d’ or the waiter, be polite if you want to call a member of the staff. Don’t click, whistle or clap– that’s just plain old rude. Personally I add ‘please’ to every request that I may have. It goes a long way to affect the kind of service you receive.
Play it safe– start from the outside
If you don’t know what cutlery to use when– play it safe and start from the outside. I suggest that you forget what others are upto. My first time in a fine dining restaurant was an absolute nightmare. I waited for my date to start so I could see which piece of cutlery he uses. It was height of embarrassment for me when he leaned over and said “It’s easy– start from the outside. Even I don’t know what goes where!” My only tip to maintain good manners would be to lay the knife and fork diagonally across the plate after you have finished.
Don’t shout while you talk
Is it just me or am I right in thinking that people forget basic manners when they step out to eat in a big group? Ever noticed a large group trying to communicate on a large table? People are going to shout and the entire dining area will be filled with the clatter of just one table. Be courteous to the people around you and speak at a decent volume. This is not your backyard barbeque!
I think that the most important thing to remember about maintaining good manners in a restaurant is to acknowledge that there are people around you enjoying a meal. The next table could be celebrating their anniversary, a romantic date or even a promotion. I’m sure you wouldn’t like it if someone spoiled your perfect moment– so don’t spoil theirs. Be manner perfect in a restaurant.
