Restaurant Etiquette Tips

With the rise in the number of restaurants and fast food joints, basic restaurant etiquette seems to have taken a back seat. While it is not demanded of you to behave like a sophisticated elite at a restaurant, it is important, that in order to have an enjoyable experience at a restaurant, these basic restaurant etiquette tips be followed.

Etiquette Begins with Reservations
Proper restaurant etiquette begins as soon as you make the reservations for a place at a restaurant. These reservations should be made well in advance. Do remember, that if you have booked a table for 8 pm, be there by 8 pm. Showing up fashionably late is not going to earn you any accolades, as your table could have been used for another waiting party. If you are going to be late, ensure that you call in advance and inform the restaurant about your change of plan, or to cancel the table and book one for later so that your slot can be used by someone else.

Dress to Dine
Fortunately, nowadays, even fine dining restaurant etiquette does not demand a particularly strict dress code. You may dress casually, but if you find yourself unsure, or have never been to the restaurant before, it would be ideal to call up and inquire about their dress code. It does no harm, and saves you from sticking out like a sore thumb, either way. Though several restaurants insist that they would not treat anyone who is under-dressed any differently, as ultimately it is a business for them too, it is advisable to pay attention to what clothing the evening demands, so that you may not be inevitably noticeable.

If You Wish to Order Wine
Not in every case may you be familiar with the kind of wine to be ordered. In such a case, it is advisable to seek the help of the steward. After ordering, if you do not appreciate the taste of the wine suggested by the steward, or you find it tasting peculiar or off, you may return it to the restaurant. However, if you ordered it on your own, it may not be right to send back the bottle of wine that has been opened.

Table Manners
You may already be familiar with table manners and proper dining etiquette. However, here are some basics that are demanded of you while dining at a restaurant.

• If the napkin you use is large, fold it in half before placing it in your lap.
• Do not sip your beverage with food in your mouth as this is considered rude. The appropriate protocol is to finish chewing your bite, and then taking a sip of your beverage.
• While eating meat, it is ideal to cut a piece of meat, eat it, wait until you finish with the bite, and then proceed to cut the next piece of meat. During this time, ensure that your knife and fork are on your plate and not in your hands.
• Should you wish to butter a bread roll, break the roll into a bite sized piece, butter only that much and proceed to eat it. Continue to eat the roll in the same manner.
• If you happen to sneeze in between a meal, excuse yourself and do not, under any circumstance, use your napkin as a handkerchief.
• If you have to excuse yourself from the table amid a meal, place your napkin on your chair, as placing a soiled napkin on the table is considered rude.
• If you are asked to pass the salt, before you do so, inquire if they would also like the pepper, and pass both together.
• Do not answer your cell phone at any time during the meal, and preferably keep it switched off to avoid unnecessary disturbance, especially when dining with a large group.

It is important not to forget that even children may be a part of fine dining, and thus, one should not ignore the importance of restaurant etiquette for children. While taking kids to a public place such as a restaurant, you have to keep in mind, not only their comfort, but also other patrons at the restaurant. They are your responsibility, and how they behave in a restaurant should be taken care of by you.

• Teach children to speak politely with the servers and waiters. They cannot be pardoned for rude behavior simply because they are small.
• Ensure that they do not spill food around the table and on the floor while eating.
• Do not allow them to play with the salt and pepper, or with their cutlery and make unnecessary noise.
• No one likes it when kids get impatient and start running around the restaurant or start crying. To avoid this, take them out to stretch a little, just before the meal arrives, and a little after the meal.
• Ensure that they chew the food with their mouth closed.

These table manners for kids may seem as basic but it is the basics that lay the foundation of proper restaurant etiquette.

Tipping: Where We All Tend to go Wrong
The amount of tip you leave at a restaurant after a meal serves as a feedback about how much you enjoyed the overall dining experience at the restaurant. Also remember, that most of the servers' livelihood depends on tips more than their actual salary, which is already a very small amount, further reduced due to taxes. Do justice by tipping the right amount, whether it is for poor service, or for excellent service. These are the tipping norms at a restaurant:

• If you were extremely pleased by the overall service and food, you may be generous and tip about 20% - 25% of the total amount.
• If you found the service was satisfactory, as per the standard norms, you may tip 15% - 20% of the total bill amount.
• For unsatisfactory service, you may tip about 10% of the total amount.
• Only in extreme cases should you leave without tipping. Such incidences may include rude and offensive behavior on part of the server. If such an incident occurs, do inform the management about it before you leave.

This kind of feedback goes a long way in improving your future experiences at the same place, should you wish to return.

Restaurant Etiquette for Servers

Much has been said about a patron's restaurant etiquette. However, it is important that if a patron ensures that he is well-behaved in your restaurant, as part of the management, it is your duty to ensure that the patron's experience is pleasant by explaining to your staff, the appropriate restaurant etiquette for waiters and servers. Here are some tips that should be kept in mind while serving at a restaurant.

• A pleasant disposition is always welcome and appreciated by patrons, so ensure that the servers are always smiling and pleasant. Moreover, a server's posture should be erect, and he/she should avoid yawning or fidgeting unnecessarily.
• While serving, ensure that the servers do not touch any personal belongings of the patrons without consent.
• Also, while serving, the ladies and the children should be served before the gentlemen.
• Ensure that they apologize if any error has occurred. Ultimately, in this business, the customer is always right.
• No food is to be served without the use of appropriate cutlery. Touching the food with bare hands is unacceptable.
• Do not allow them to fiddle with their hair or face while working or serving. Not only is this unhygienic, it is disgusting when noticed by patrons, and leaves a terrible impression.
• Servers are not meant to get friendly with the guests. Their job is to ensure that the guest is satisfied and that is where it should end.
• Moreover, servers are not allowed to engage in unnecessary conversation, discuss, joke and laugh with, or point fingers towards any guest, with other servers.
• Do not allow servers to check the tip amounts or count tips while they are still on duty, or in the presence of other patrons.

For a pleasant experience, either as a patron or a restaurant manager, it is essential that these etiquette tips be followed by both the sides.

To wrap up a fine dining experience, it is important to communicate with the patron, and with the management. As a patron, giving quality feedback to the management will be appreciated for them to improve their service, while as the management, seeking the right kind of feedback is absolutely essential. Just tipping a small amount and leaving will not suffice, as the server will not know where he/she went wrong. As such, communication is of prime importance. Thus, to enjoy a good meal and an evening at a restaurant, for both, the guests and the management, without any glitches, these tips will prove extremely helpful.