It’s always a special treat when having the chance to dine at the fanciest Lakeland restaurants in town. You may be used to the high-class atmosphere, or this may be your first time, but there are some subtle faux pas that you must keep in mind when dining at these places, or you may risk offending someone. To keep you up to speed, here are some things to avoid doing when dining out at fancy restaurants.
Raising your voice or snapping your fingers to get your waiter’s attention
Just to put this on the table, yelling or snapping your fingers to get your waiter’s attention is rude. The waiter is not a pet that comes to your table every time you snap your fingers, they are there to make your dining experience as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. If you are hosting the dinner, it is your responsibility as the host to get the attention of the waiter if there are any problems with the food or the table.
To get your waiter’s attention, simply raise your hand or finger in the air slightly, and make eye contact with the waiter. Well-trained servers will understand what that means, and make their way to your table shortly.
Pretending to know more about wine than you actually do
This is something that some people do to impress their dining companions: they make it seem like they know more about wine than they actually do. They usually do this by sniffing the wine cork, or swirling their glass and sniffing it. Unless you have proper training as a wine sommelier, you come off looking a bit pretentious.
Don’t be afraid to ask the in-house wine sommeliers for suggestions on what wine would go great with your meal, after all, that’s what they’re there for. Taste the wine sample they give you, and if you don’t like it, ask for another suggestion. Also, do not send back a bottle of wine that they have already opened and served you.
Not dining at the same pace as your companions, or ordering more than they did
Avoid ordering more courses than your companions, and dine at the same pace as them. You should only begin eating when everyone else has already been served, and do not wolf down your food as soon as you begin eating. Keeping pace with everyone at the table avoids any awkwardness of sitting and waiting for the others to finish their meals.
Not knowing what to do with your napkin
The table napkin is one of those things that people don’t really think about until it’s there in front of them. Place the napkin on your lap once the host has done so, and it must never show up on the table until the meal is done and everybody is getting up to leave. If you need to go to the restroom or outside to take a call, place it on your chair, not the back of the seat. And when making use of the napkin, dab your mouth, do not wipe it.