Dining Etiquette in High End Restaurants
A meal is to be enjoyed so relax and be comfortable. In most French, Italian, Indian or continental restaurants a meal takes time to arrive at your table; the reason being that each dish is prepared by the chef only after it’s ordered.
This delay can be more than an hour in some cases. To bridge this period, almost all good restaurants will have a bar or serve wine and alcoholic beverages and the menu will offer starters before the main course. Unless you are familiar with a restaurant’s menu or the cuisine, order some drinks and peruse the menu leisurely. And if you are not too adept with a knife and fork, order boneless dishes or specify to have your fish filleted. So a grilled fish will be deboned before it’s presented to you.
Often before the main course arrives, the waiter will reset the table; some take this as an opportunity to visit the wash rooms and freshen up. The main course is the highlight of the meal and if you find fault with it or it’s underdone, you can always discreetly signal the waiter and explain the problem. If it’s good and done to perfection, you can ask the waiter to convey your compliments to the chef.
People who work behind the scenes need a boost now and again to cheer them. Your compliment will go a long way to lift the chef’s spirit.
Many brilliant young Indians working for big corporations and multi-nationals find themselves at the deep end socializing with their western counterparts. The amount of cutlery placed before a person in some restaurants can be intimidating. This, in addition to an incomprehensible menu usually in French makes the experience stressful. So if the host happens to be a friend, you can always consult him or ask him to order for you as well. If it’s a corporate lunch or dinner, ask a colleague for his opinion; and you can always consult the waiter at all times.
The napkin should be spread on your lap or tucked into your shirt front. If you’re not sure about the handling the utensils, wait for the others to begin and then follow them.
As a general rule, start with utensils placed away from your plate and work your way in.
Always start eating after the host.
When you have finished with a course, place the utensils (knife, forks, etc.) on the plate. The waiter will clear them. If the waiter does not give you new utensils for the next course you can ask him.
Never yell at a waiter.
The host has the propriety of proposing the toast at the beginning of a meal. You can propose a toast, but only during dessert, which is after the main course.
If you carry a multi-currency travel forex card, you will need just a small amount of the local currency for travel expenses. Almost all dining places overseas accept forex cards that are VISA or Mastercard based. Forex for your travels can now be booked at the click of a button at great prices and delivered to your home.
