New research, from online restaurant booking service Bookatable, reveals that Brits are far from being on their best behaviour when visiting restaurants, leaving friends, loved ones and other diners with a less than enjoyable dining experience.
Snap your fingers…and cause offence
The findings show Brits are most offended by people snapping their fingers to get a waiters attention (45.96 per cent) while not surprisingly chewing with your mouth open came a close second (45.6 per cent). Despite the popularity in the trend to take photos of food for social media, people using mobile phones offends 40 per cent of Brits, with 12 per cent even taking the extra step to complain about fellow diners to the restaurant.
Modern Dining Etiquette Guide
Leading British etiquette expert William Hanson has worked with Bookatable to create a Modern Dining Etiquette Guide; aiming to help restaurant goers have more pleasurable and memorable dining experiences. Hanson says, “It’s clear from the research that people experience a number of frustrating behaviours when eating out with friends and family. Traditional table manners can still be relevant even in the age of mobile phones and social media so a little thought for the neighbouring table can go a long way to ensuring everybody enjoys a nice meal.”
What is acceptable behaviour?
Joe Steele, CEO, Bookatable, commented: “As modern trends, such as community dining (where guests share a table space) and photographing food continues to grow, the lines between what is acceptable behaviour have become somewhat blurred. It’s interesting to see that Brits still believe in the idea of table manners even if it’s not necessarily what they are personally experiencing on meals out. Going for a nice dinner out should be an enjoyable experience, so Bookatable created a Modern Dining Etiquette Guide to bring some clarity where there may be confusion. ”
To read the full Bookatable Modern Dining Etiquette Guide written by William Hanson visit http://www.bookatable.com/moderndining.
The Bookatable Modern Rules of Dining Etiquette
– Provided by etiquette expert William Hanson
- Mobile phones
Focus on those that are dining with you – if want to phone or text people then stay at home. If you have to take a call then profusely apologise to your fellow diners and step away from the table to answer it.
Stat: 79% of UK diners find other diners using their mobile phone annoying and bad manners
- Posting on social media
When posting to social media do it in a very British way by playing it down. Post that you are in a swanky restaurant with a comment such as ‘Well, it’ll do’ or ‘If I must’.
Stat: 28% regularly update their social media when dining at a restaurant
- Snap happy
Take a photograph of your food quickly, take one shot then put the phone away. You can post it on Instagram and have a quandary as to what filter shows off the truffle foam in the taxi home later.
Stat: 1 in 5 says they would visit a restaurant more often if it banned taking photos on mobile phones
- Being late
Guests that are running horrifically late need to call ahead (at worst text, but ideally telephone) and apologise so the hosts can alert the restaurant.
- Table manners
‘Old fashioned’ table manners can still be relevant. Mouth closed, elbows in and off the table, and not leaning over the food too much all still count.
Stat: 46% namedSnapping fingers to get waiter’s attention and chewing with mouth open as their top display of bad manners
- Public displays of affection
Holding hands across the table (when food is not present) is fine, but snogging over the soup is best reserved for when you are behind closed doors.
Stat: 22% of Brits surveyed said PDA is a no-no
- Conversation
Ensure you don’t monopolise the conversation of one diner at the expense of whoever is on your other side – even if they are a bit dull.
- Toothpicks
Summary: Use a toothpick by retreating to the lavatory.
Stat: 16% say no to using a toothpick in public
- Being rude to waiters
If you have a problem with the service, quietly leave the table and find the headwaiter and raise your concerns rationally.
- Tipping
You are perfectly within your rights to ask for a service charge (often 12.5%) to be reduced or removed if you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received but be prepared to explain why.
Stat: 22% resent tipping the waiter
- Free-range children
Many children struggle to stay still for longer than one course and tear around the restaurant getting in the way of waiters and annoying other diners. Keep your free-range children at your table and if you know they won’t cope with the experience then don’t bring them.
Stat: 51% are frustrated by unruly children
- Arguing over who pays
By all means offer to pay, but if you are not the hosts and they wish to pay then let them – just make sure you take them out a month or two afterwards and then you can fund the evening.
Stat: 44% would rather pay for what they have ordered rather than split the bill equally
- Not looking your best
Respect the chef, staff, your company and ourselves by looking neat, tidy and all in order. Ripped jeans, two-day old stubble or faded lipstick are not signs that you wish to be out and about.
Stat: 20% surveyed do not make a considerable effort to look nice for dinner
About Bookatable
Bookatable’s mission is to fill the world’s restaurants with happy diners and, through sharing its passion for eating out, to inspire and enable great dining experiences for any occasion and budget. They do this by bringing diners and restaurants together in a single, vibrant, dynamic marketplace and delivering personal, accessible, fast and local service with care and expertise.
Bookatable provides an unrivalled service for both consumers and restaurants. For consumers, Bookatable is the go-to site for diners.
For restaurants, Bookatable is the indispensable partner of the industry, helping to fill restaurants with diners at the right times and manage those diners to deliver the best possible service.
As Europe’s largest real-time restaurant marketplace, Bookatable has a community of more than 10,000 restaurants and millions of diners booking every month
For more information click here