To be annoyed at my seat in restaurant?

Because the business owners could put the picture and the poster together to come up with a name.

You're right though - it was wrong of me to make presumptions for other posters

Well, I wouldn’t be going back there, that’s for sure! More room in our local cafe.

Yeh. Fuck that. I’d have been uncomfortable. Nice to have a bit of privacy and space.

Yeah, If they had one less table in there it would be fine

Yeah that's cramped. But for London looks kinda normal. Even, or sometimes especially, these trendy popular places will cram you in like bloody sardines.

But yeah you could only sit there comfortably if people to left and right were part of your group.

Looks like the kind of set up they'd have in a fast food place, I would hate that too

Last time I went to the Ivy it was this cramped, so I left. We were so close to the next table, which unfortunately had a very loud couple on it, and barely an average sized thigh space between.

Have also requested to be moved in a restaurant when they sit you near an outside door that is constantly being opened and shut. I really don't know why they cram too many tables in, no privacy and a really crap experience.

Vote with your feet in future.

I think it is too small, where do the plates, dishes of food, naan, rice, glasses etc. go? It’s an Indian restaurant so the food isn’t served plated as OP said. Nothing worse than having to juggle all that on a small table, along with napkins, cutlery and elbows.

I would feel extremely uncomfortable sitting there and would have left. For all those saying the restaurant needs to make money, sure, but it needs to be a pleasant experience for the diner or they won’t return so it is self defeating.

That looks so claustrophobic. They should remove at least one of those tables to allow for more space between couples. To be honest though, we went to The Ivy to celebrate something last year and were in a similar situation to that.

Oh no I couldn't do that at all. I have Dyspaxia and I swear my clumsy self would send everything on my table and the table beside me flying when getting up and leaving.

I hate it when restaurants pack tables in like this.

It's not unreasonable for them to put those four tables in that space, but they should do this to provide flexibility and not expect to fit four separate parties on the tables. They could use them as two fours, or a six and a two, or at a push possibly three twos with one couple seated at a four-top with two empty seats.

It's not reasonable for them to seat four separate two-tops in that space, as the gaps aren't big enough to get in and out or to have conversations without being overly conscious of the people next to you overhearing.

I don’t think the table itself looks too small for 2 but the gap is ridiculous.
How did the person sat at the back get in? Did the table have to be moved? What happens when other diners arrived to sit at the other tables? Did your table have to be moved for someone to get to their seat?
I think I agree with other posters. I can’t see how it would be too busy on a Wednesday evening for there to be no other available tables so I’d have left.

Thats ridiculous. And really highlights the fact that they prioritise numbers over a enjoyable experience for the customer.
Which then just stops people going again.

I wouldn't even have sat down at that table. Never mind eat there. Fair enough having to ask your friends to move to let you out if you were seated as a 4, 6 or 8 at that table, but no way would I sit that close to strangers.

That's not as bad as my recent experience for a table for 2. They tried to sit me on a tiny table right next to the kitchen opposite the pizza oven and where all the staff walked passed constantly to collect orders.I am a menopausal woman and it was like a furnace! I immediately said I can't sit here and they did move us but huffed about it like they were doing me a favour!
Think I'll order takeaway next time.

That's ridiculous, I'd have gone elsewhere when they said there was nowhere to move to. I'm skinny but would struggle to fit through that gap, in fact there doesn't appear to be a gap at either end, how do you actually get in and out? I'd leave them a 1 star review, maybe they will have a rethink.

I can't stand restaurants that pack tables in and would be thankful if I saw a review that pointed this out.

Literally no one could get through that tiny space though.
I'm interested to know @inkyspells how you/your partner got through, because you'd surely have to move the table to get through? Imagine sitting eating, but having to physically shift your table to let the folk next to you out/in. Or maybe diners are expected to climb over their table to get in 😂

I have voted ‘YABU’ mainly because you should have just refused to sit there if you felt uncomfortable. I probably could have coped with sitting there but it is cramped and not ideal.

Even getting up to leave my bum would sweep everything off the neighbouring table 😂🤦‍♀️🍐

I've politely left restaurants when they've offered a shitty table and said they've no alternative. I would've took one look at that table, declined and gone elsewhere.

I am staggered by the responses here!

You are obviously not unreasonable to find it too cramped. That's a question of size, preference etc.
Wouldn't bother me, but if you (like countless others on here) felt it was too cramped for you to be comfortable dining, then obviously that's a totally valid view.

HOWEVER, unless the waiters put a gun to your head and insisted you ate there, I am absolutely failing to see what the restaurant did wrong.

They offered an experience you were able to see and evaluate before you sat down. You chose to sit down, order and pay for your meal.

How on earth are they in the wrong?

That's like paying for a go-karting session, then being pissed off afterwards as you don't like go-karting.

If you felt unable to say to your partner that you didn't want to eat there - then you have a partner problem, NOT a restaurant problem.

The restaurant are entitled to run their business as they see fit. And in a way that is generally profitable for them, I assume. They aren't doing it as an act of social justice, after all.

It's the free market, man! You get what you choose to pay for.

Was the restaurant otherwise full? Were there other available tables?

I would have gone elsewhere and told them why.

I'm not paying a fortune to be cramped like a school canteen.

Long ago when me and dh were but young adults, we got put on very similar tables in a resturant. The couple next to us had clearly just had an argument and the atmosphere was palpable. It was awful sitting next to the most passive aggressive couple ever. Basically sharing a table with them. Yanbu and I hope you don't go back. We certainly didn't.

Bloody hell OP I would not have got through at all. (size 16 so not huge!)It must have felt like you were dining with the people either side of you .Where on earth did they put the dishes FFS ! I would leave a review stating this was uncomfortable and spoilt your meal