At the restaurant with the rules, from reservations to dogs, here's what we're discussing - Food

Do eating out have new rules?

Going to a restaurant is a joy but, between the long queues to enter the restaurants without a reservation or the new electronic 'deposit' systems to block the table with cancellation 24 hours in advance, in addition to the noise in the dining room, the children crying or running in far and wide, dogs coming out from under the tables to 'taste' and waiters always in a hurry, it can become a stressful experience.

Common problems all over the world, from the United States to England, including Europe and Italy.

What is not acceptable and what is missing from the service and making the experience pleasant, as well as the patrons more respectful?

That it is not just the menu that counts can be seen by scrolling through the comments that customers publish on online platforms specialized in reservations and reviews: from the starred restaurant to the coolest one, from the trattoria to the neighborhood pizzeria, the charm of eating out at times it is undermined.

Given the objective needs of restaurateurs in making ends meet and managing staff by providing maximum service to their customers, improvements can be made, even at zero cost and with minimal effort from everyone, diners and restaurateurs.

The problem is global and the discomfort seems to have increased after the end of the Covid pandemic.

Customer sensitivity also seems to have increased as a consequence of the health precautions and distancing measures that were adopted when the businesses reopened.

Once the emergency was over, the restaurants resumed a fast pace and queues, crowds and noise began again.

Not to mention that the post-pandemic period and the current economic situation have led to a reduction in staff and an increase in costs, contributing to increasing moments of friction among the public.

This hypothesis is put forward by the British newspaper The Guardian which carried out a survey on the satisfaction levels and 'critical issues' of customers and restaurateurs struggling with eating in company.

Crowding of the premises, impolite behavior of diners and their pets and some distractions of restaurateurs and dining room staff are tolerated less, states the panel of sector experts (food influencers, owners of restaurant chains, sommeliers, writers and editors of the catering field) involved in the survey.

The experts have thus drawn up the list of the main frictions, resistances and disappointments, providing their ideas and solutions to help diners and staff.

Ansa Lifestyle has instead collected some opinions and comments on the situation in Italy.

If the queues are 'efficient' because they allow the restaurant to maintain lower prices, there are quite a few customers who turn up their heels and go elsewhere.

“No one likes to wait, 50% do,” attests the British newspaper.

Those who remain in line also show signs of irritation but there are also more accommodating people who also make friends in line.

Good manners require a good dose of patience without going into a rage.

Whoever remains waiting accepts the situation and the queue is, after all, an agreement between the parties.

“However, waiters could allow people waiting to drink a glass of wine or taste something to welcome them, calm their minds and stomachs and also make that moment a more relaxing and socializing experience” suggest the experts.

If there is a dog next to your table, do you give up or do you sit more happily?

It is the restaurateur who establishes the conditions of access to his business, including the possible prohibition of entry to dogs (and animals in general) or the welcome.

While the first restaurant dedicated to dogs and their owners recently opened in Rome (in Ponte Milvio, Fiuto) with a menu for 4-legged friends curated by a vet and with a trainer at their disposal, in general diners do not they like to sit next to a dog, especially if it is noisy, sheds or gives off an unpleasant odor.

“I was in a pub where the dog put his paws on the table where the food was served” comments an English restaurant consultant.

“Well-behaved dogs add to the atmosphere,” explains a restaurant reviewer on Instagram.

Positive verdict for all silent and discreet dogs and the presence of a dog is more accepted when eating outdoors, on terraces, in dehors and in bars, space permitting.

How to solve?

“The allowed access to dogs would deserve, in addition to the bowl with water, a note on the menus reporting small rules of etiquette that the owner should accept when sitting at the table” is the suggestion of many.

"Here, dogs are allowed access both inside and outside the restaurant. The only rule we follow is to trust the education of the owners", observe Ines Di Lelio and her daughter Chiara Cuomo, restaurateurs in Rome of the historian Il Vero Alfredo.

The trend of booking with a deposit is increasing in all countries, from London to Milan to Rome and it is above all the coolest and busiest restaurants that are adopting this form of booking.

For restaurateurs who choose it, it is the only form of protection from (frequent) cancellations without notice, it allows better management of staff and reduces food waste, we read in The Guardian.

“I'd like not to do it, - comments some restaurant managers, - but diners are often disrespectful with reservations”.

However, there are many customers who turn up their noses when it comes to compulsory reservations and who do not look favorably on the preventive use of their credit card to reserve the table.

There is no shortage of heated discussions when cancellation is allowed within 24 hours before the established time for lunch or dinner.

In these cases, the system may not provide refunds in case of emergencies or misunderstandings and, without eating, you also pay high amounts.

It happens in several renowned restaurants in Rome and Milan where the 'deposit' is worth up to 15 euros per person and, in the event of a cancellation of a table for six people outside the maximum time, you spend 60 euros without eating.

Either you show up or you pay.

What is the solution?

The existence of the 'phantom customer' (who doesn't show up) is a common problem in Italy too and the credit card would act as a deterrent.

There are many who think that the booking with deposit system will become commonplace in our country within a few years too.

We asked Il Vero Alfredo in Rome "You can book both by telephone and online: currently from the official website and the Thefork platform. Most people now, both Italians and foreigners, are increasingly moving towards online booking. We don't ask deposits, except for large groups brought by agencies and already scheduled. Unfortunately, however, it must be said in general that very often customers do not cancel their reservations (tables even for 8/10 people), leaving the table empty and provoking us a damage. Here too we should presuppose the education of people even before giving rules".

It is a very common behavior in Italian restaurants, it is often seen if the birthday boy is a child and the table is made up of his companions and friends but the habit is also typical of adults.

However, the habit is by no means only local and in England it even has a nickname: 'cakeage', which corresponds to the cost of the service for those who bring cakes and sweets from home.

In short, a

in favor of the restaurant.

“Plating and serving the slices of cake requires the staff - is the comment of some restaurant managers - and there should be a corresponding value for the service”.

“I find it petty to ask for an additional cost, the staff's commitment can be recovered in another way,” others comment.

In Italy, food safety regulations and HACCP certifications prohibit the consumption of homemade desserts in restaurants because safety standards are not guaranteed.

So no homemade cake.

Another thing are pastry desserts (matching the receipt is enough to guarantee that the dessert was made in a laboratory in good standing).

In this case consumption is allowed but it is still up to the restaurant manager to accept or not, it is better to agree beforehand.

Is taking photographs, videos and selfies at the restaurant allowed?

Being a public place it is possible as long as the place in general and the dishes are taken back.

English experts respond that banning it would be absurd.

Furthermore, "sharing images of dishes on social media can be good for business" specifies a consultant in the catering sector.

But can the other customers be bothered by the point-and-shoot neighbor at the table?

If you film children from other tables to post photos and videos on social channels, you enter the privacy and minors regulation area.

The etiquette involves not invading other people's fields and limiting yourself to involving only your friends sitting at the table and the same applies to the plethora of food-influencers who frequent restaurants to review them.

Setting bans would be impractical for restaurateurs but please remember that maître d's, sommeliers and waiters should also be filmed only with their consent because they are protected, like everyone else, by the laws governing the processing of personal data. 

English experts reject restaurants that aim for an adult-only focus.

“The ban would exclude a large segment of people, we should have a more European attitude towards children” comments Elizabeth Carter, co-editor of Good Food Guide, a renowned restaurant guide with offices in various countries around the world.

However, the panel of experts makes one clarification: "let parents supervise their children, a restaurant is not a nursery".

It must also be said that there are more and more child-free restaurants both in the USA and in Northern Europe and the rule is starting to catch on in Italy too, especially in the more expensive restaurants.

The case of the recent fine imposed on a couple with children in a restaurant in Georgia (USA) because they were 'incapable of being parents at the table' has gone around the world.

Likewise, the choices of some Italian restaurateurs to ban entry to children under 10 are the subject of debate (and an avalanche of criticism on social media from many parents). For many it is discrimination, for others it is right that there is a 'alternative.

The middle way?

“Teach children to be polite at the table” but also “accept the liveliness of our younger peers”, many suggest, along with many small strategies to entertain children at the table after the meal such as bringing with you colours, albums and comics etc. (there is no shortage of family venues that provide them, along with 'children's menus').

The busiest restaurants manage the flow of reservations by organizing shifts.

Is the time limit perceived as annoying?

“Yes if the restaurant is cheap because the method helps manage costs but dinner should not be too rushed,” comment the English experts.

– No, however, if we are talking about more luxurious venues, lingering should always be allowed here”.

However, there are also those who linger too long at the restaurant or pub or bar table.

What is the maximum time a customer can remain comfortably seated in a room?

Restaurants are private businesses and the owner decides how to organize the work.

Some consumer associations in Italy have also addressed this issue, specifying that the customer can occupy the table "for a time considered appropriate".

However, you can ask for additional time to stay in the restaurant and the owner can agree but if the restaurant is crowded and there are other customers in line and he invites you to leave the table he is entitled to do so.

It is now customary to check the menu online before going to an unknown restaurant but it is not always visible.

“It's so annoying, the first thing I want to know is if I like the menu and how much it will cost me” they comment.

“Today, having a website or a social page is very important for restaurants, pizzerias and taverns.

In short, the Menu must be not only on paper - to be placed on external stands and tables - but also online, in order to best promote your offer" is the comment of the Italian Food Academy.

The soundtracks may not meet the tastes of the diners while the chatter and laughter of the other guests does not allow you to hear your own.

Is silence better?

“I won't come back” is a frequent comment in these cases.

Sound quality is fundamental, noise should be avoided.

The solution?

Better design of spaces and audio, music coming from speakers bouncing off flat surfaces is annoying, another thing is the use of well-designed hi-fi systems and the choice of background playlists (to avoid the cocktail effect party if the audience is not made up of people celebrating).

And the background noise?

There is no culture of acoustics but the noises can be muffled for example with the use of sound-absorbing panels on the ceiling and in some points of greatest resonance such as vaults and niches, we read on social media.

In short, we should come together. 

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