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Tips for Dining out
- By Andrew Walsh
- Published Wednesday 31st 2008
- Restaurants
- Unrated
If you have some guests over or want to have dinner with certain acquaintances or office colleagues, booking a table at a local restaurant is a great idea. Below are some helpful tips for saving time and money when dining out.
#1) Book early. Even if you don't know exactly how many your party will be, you have a rough estimate. Seats can always be added or taken away the day of your reservation.
#2) E-mail the menu or links to the menu to your guests. This little gesture tells your guests that you care about their individual dietary needs. They also have a direct link to the restaurant's phone number and address. Your guests can call the restaurant directly with questions about special food issues or the availability of high-chairs.
#3) Choose an accommodating restaurant. For a successful dinner it is so important for the restaurant of your choice to make your guests feel welcome and wanted.
With so many restaurants to choose from, you should spend your money at a restaurant who appears to want to earn it. Try to avoid restaurants that seems as though they are doing you a favor by serving you and your friends. You want everyone to have a nice dinner, and rude or inattentive service can mar the experience.
#4) For the best service or best tables dine before or after the "rush." The rush time for most restaurants starts at 5:00pm. Large parties will have problems finding a table after 6.00 p.m. Remember restaurants are the busiest between 5:00-7:00pm
#5) host a lunch or brunch.
You may even want to order wine ahead of time, telling guests that there will be different kinds of wine served and that if they want something more they will be responsible for paying it. This way you can save a lot of money on drinks.
Before you decide on a restaurant, consider what kind of an experience you are looking for and ask friends for reviews. Never ever try a new restaurant when you have guests along with. Not only will you not know what you should recommend from the menu, you will have no idea about the quality of food and service.
#1) Book early. Even if you don't know exactly how many your party will be, you have a rough estimate. Seats can always be added or taken away the day of your reservation.
#2) E-mail the menu or links to the menu to your guests. This little gesture tells your guests that you care about their individual dietary needs. They also have a direct link to the restaurant's phone number and address. Your guests can call the restaurant directly with questions about special food issues or the availability of high-chairs.
#3) Choose an accommodating restaurant. For a successful dinner it is so important for the restaurant of your choice to make your guests feel welcome and wanted.
With so many restaurants to choose from, you should spend your money at a restaurant who appears to want to earn it. Try to avoid restaurants that seems as though they are doing you a favor by serving you and your friends. You want everyone to have a nice dinner, and rude or inattentive service can mar the experience.
#4) For the best service or best tables dine before or after the "rush." The rush time for most restaurants starts at 5:00pm. Large parties will have problems finding a table after 6.00 p.m. Remember restaurants are the busiest between 5:00-7:00pm
#5) host a lunch or brunch.
You may even want to order wine ahead of time, telling guests that there will be different kinds of wine served and that if they want something more they will be responsible for paying it. This way you can save a lot of money on drinks.
Before you decide on a restaurant, consider what kind of an experience you are looking for and ask friends for reviews. Never ever try a new restaurant when you have guests along with. Not only will you not know what you should recommend from the menu, you will have no idea about the quality of food and service.